The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-09-30

emyS shell F1cocheted. 1t was by
without damage, and Bob Wendell
gave no more thought to it. He L.
nored as completely the position of
the destroyers dashing ahead on both
sides of the Arizona. He had forgot
ten entirely since the first loading of
the gun to look for the American bi
planes in the sky The shell from his
gun was still in flight. The gun again
was reloaded and ready
mo changer the voice on the tele
phone circuit cried The visuals CON
f1rmed it. The voice through the
speaking tube said it once more. mo
change! That meant a hit
Fire by salvos!'
Salyos! All six forward guns togeth
er, both turrets firing at once The
other guns in Wendelrs turret, hidden
behind their bulkheads, were ready
They were bulwarked up, but they
were aimed as a unit. A pressure on
the firing key in Louden's hand could
fire them all together. The buZZer on
Louden's breast was sounding now for
the simultaneous discharge of all. but
the man strained less as he stopped
and he waited only an instant before
his fingers closed on the key.
up hundred; one right! Up hun
bred; one right" Corrections were com.
ing both for elevation and DETECTION
So all six shells had missed They had
fallen short little and had gone
astern. Were the enemy's ships salts
cd rxy{@h hor n he
ships out SO far? Were they pushing
at full speed to run away?
Smoke-not the yellow, gaseous
clouds from the guns just fired again,
but wide, black pail which did not
clear away, but rose higher and spread
thicker and thicker and blinded Wen
dell's glass as his guns were ready to
fire again. The smoke, blown by the
wind, clouded over the battleship. and
more smoke and more poured up ahead
and on both sides and shut out all
sight from turret No. 2. The forward
turret also was silenced by it, shroud.
ed In blackness-a heavy, oil smelling,
sooty pail through which the Arizona
now rushed. 1t came from the Ameri
can destroyers which had been trailing
only the usual streamers of brown be
hind them as they raced ahead of the
battleships. Now they had flung them.
selves across the battleships' course
with tunnels belching up the black pail
! which came to curtain the ship, and as
the Arizona's great guns were silent
the sharp, incessant 'pang" Of the de
stroyers' quick firers came back on the
| wind.
Submarines! The regents subma
| rinesT
The smoke as well as the clatter OF
| the torpedo defense guns proclaimed
that; the destroyers, sighting peri
scopes, were throwing the screen OF
| smoke to hide the battleships, while
| with their four inch guns they were
driving the submersibles. blind. be-
| low.
But, before they were fred upon
| had the submarines taken a success
| full sight? Had they started their tor
| pedoes straight on their ways through
the water? Bob Wendell turned from
the smoky cloud outside the turret tc
the light of the battle lanterns which
| showed him his men standing idle
staring at each other and helplessly
waiting beside the uselessly loaded
| guns in the armored trap of the turret
| while, hidden In the smoke, the Arizona
sheered suddenly and altered speed te
| try to escape. at the last instant. the
strike of the torpedoes which had
been launched.
There Is a span of minutes following
the learning that torpedoes have beer
dispatched at ship in action and be
| fore the instant of their impact-or OF
their passing harmlessly-which re
sembles few other intervals. The time
| is not long, usually: but. since the eff
( fective range of a torpedo has length
ened to more than 5000 yards. the
interval may be almost ten minutes
| and during those minutes there is lit
tie for any one-except the engine crew
and navigators-to do but to think.
All preparation for torpedo attack
had been made on the Arizona. Long
ming to their battle stations, Their
mates below had closed every water
| tight door, isolated each fire room and
the engine room. and the heavy "col
lision' mat was ready to be brought
up and lowered over the side and
| drawn over the ehasm, which a torpedo
would make, In an effort to stay the
first thrush of water. There was alb
solutely nothing for Bob Wendell tc
| do after his guns were loaded again
but to stand silent and cool before
his men, waiting either for the clouds
Of smoke to clear away and show the
gun pointers their target. or after the
crash and conclusion of the torpedoes
| to direct his division In order as the
bugles would be blowing the command
Abandon shipr'
The bugles, If they blew, would not
call for practice this time. And third
perhaps half-of the officers and men
| might be saved; that was the English
experience. with battleships hard hit
by mine or torpedo. The others would
go down with the ship. Wendell's
throat contracted spasmodically as the
vision mastered him for the moment;
Nellie was before hinl-his young wife
! with wide eyes and brave little lips
as she met him at the door when be
.er the fight with Ingouf
ED the telegram of recall
For second Bob seemed
weight In bis arms as he