New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-28
Cheer as They Train Big
Guns on Invading
Enemy's Fleet.
THEORETICALLY HIT,
MANY FIGHT ON
Learn Thrills of War as
Bugles Sound in the
Morning Mists.

This dispatch from the Maine wds
,critten before those on board ship
knew the results Of the action. Rear
Admiral Knight, the umpire, an
nounced yesterday that the invaders
had been victorious.
[Frou star Correspondent Of The Tnbune.l
Aboard U. S. S. Maine, at sea, Aug.
27.-Fifty miles off Rockaway the fight
to determine whether an army was to
be landed on New York's shores was
fought yesterday morning. Singing
bugles and DINING gongs warned the
civilian volunteers that the enemys
ships had been sighted.
Out of the mist doomed vague shapes
that were the vanguard Of the attack
ing feet Only brief glimpse OF the
low-lying hulks shrouded with smoke
that hung heavy in the dawn mists was
possible before the action began. IL
was lust after assembly when the
clangor called the rockies aboard the
Maine to their positions at the slx-inch
guns.
Eagerly Await Action.
For more than an hour they had
been waiting the command to stand
by for an engagement, for 1t had Deeh
rumored that the Nevada and the
Texas. battle cruisers of the attack
ing force, had been sighted and sunk
shortly after 8 o'clock.
Rushing to their stations, the crews
quickly manned the big pieces.
In a few minutes the orders for the
range and scale for the shots came
over the telephones from the bridge:
The crews trained each gun on one Oh
the enemy's ships. The shell-men and
powder-men stood ready. At the COM
I mand "Firel" the complete operation
of firing the piece, rehearsed many
times during the last week, was per-
formed
Jets of white smoke from the hostile
fships showed that they had entered
the engagement.
For three quarters of an hour the
volunteers went through their mimic
battle while the ships maneuvred
through various tactics. Men were
announced injured and carried in steel
baskets TO the operating room. A TIRE
broke out in one of the magazines and
one crew went through fire drill.
Several gun crews were wiped out
/ alphabetically and their guns de-
molished. The decks ran with i'm
aginary gore and the entire man9uvre
stirred the civilians to cheers as well
as gave them a very vivid picture OF
what a real sea battle Is like.
| After the engagement reports of its
outcome were at great variance, and
until the umpire. Admiral knight. an
nounces his decision. the volunteers
will not know whether they took part
/ in a triumphant victory or were sent to
| Davy Jones's locker by the enemy's
torpedoes.
Although the rumors concerning
what had happened during the engage
ment were many, only one was dem
nitely denied.
Gordon Bell, New York lawyer, who
had been in forward 12-inch gun tur-
ret during the battle, sat on deck after
the excitement was all over. III any
one tries to tell you, and lot of men
will" he said, "that | had the top OF
my head blown off, don't you believe a
ward of it,"
sail Ho!" Not "Ship Ahoy!"
The other day rookie was standing
as lookout half way up the big truck,
otherwise mast. On the horizon ne
sighted a ship.
"Ship ahoy!" he called excitedly to
the bridge.
The officer on duty explained to him
that he should report the sighting OF a
ship by shouting sail ho!"
An hour later the captain heard the
cry. "Sail. no! Sail, ho!" coming from
the lookout.
"Whereaway ?" he called back.
/ Ear away" came the answer.
The unconventionality of costume at
the rising hours and during the time
allotted for washing and scrubbing
clothes, has resulted in many amusing
incidents.
Az A o'clock one afternoon a promi-
nent New Yorker had gone to the
fo'c'sle with his bucket to get his
small share of the fresh water which
is issued at that time. Wearing moth
ing but hat, he was anticipating a
bath from the fire hose. when he was
suddenly called to duty on the ash
HOSTS. This particular service con-
sists of removing the ash buckets from
an elevator and dumping their contents
overheard.
Not having time to dress, the rookie
fastened to obtain pair Of shoes and
went to work.
The volunteers are making great
friends of all the regulars aboard.
From them they have all learned how
to roll the markings"
At s o'clock each evening most of the
lights aboard ship are put out. leaving
only battle lanterns burning IN the