Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-19

downward, circled and dropped again.
Other guns-ten or o score Of them,
some In ships and others on the shore
-awoke and notified the sky about
the plane with bursting shells. The
machine dashed through them and
swooped still lower. and, turning and
coming with the wind. few at the
navy yard With marvellous speed.
"Mr. Wendell" a voice inquired. Mr.
Fulton and Mr.. Ross?"
Wendell and his companions were III
uniform. having made the change on
the train; their orders. telegraphed to
the train. were to report at once aboard
the Arizona. A boy, in ensign's uni.
form, was addressing them. "I've come
for you" he explained. I'm from the
Arizona; the launch is right here. sir"
The three men from the train fol.
lowed the boy down to the boat and
preceded him On board. The ensign
his name was Wayne-steered the
launch swiftly across the water to.
ward Norfolk. All about the anti.
air craft guns were going necessarily.
w CuuCtA VulsCS luIShCuGu Will luc
of the firing. but for a few
moments he silently studied the sill.
houettes of the ships lying further
down the river and in the ro.as.
The big, four funneled. two masted
destroyer which had started the firing
was the Cummings. The Cassin of the
same class was just beyond. A little
farther of the larger and newer de-
stroyers. Aylwin and Balch, both had
brought their anti air craft guns into
action. A couple of great cruisers
they had the two turrets, four tunnels
and the cage foremost of the Montana
c%lass-spat a shell now and then, but
for the most part they were silent
Sailors sprawled over their sides with
paint pots and brushes, daubing big
splotches Of gray owe the lead colored
paint. The superstructure and fun.
nels Of the cruisers, the turrets and the
barrels Of the long guns were already
dappled, SO that the outline Of the
ships, even when close by. was vague
and broken.
80 oCyVuO lAc SIUkSCEO uuu ,cCullLCiCN
by 4 dozen small torpedo craft, lay
three monster warships. each with a
single gigantic funnel. two tall cage
masts and four huge turrets, two for
ward and two AFT. They were notified
like the cruisers. gray and darker gray.
At q distance Of eight miles or ten-at
which such ships should fght-the
mottling must make doubtful their sill
houettes, but at three or four miles
Wendell knew them-three of the most
powerful superdreadnaughts Of the
American first line of battle.
The blood burned in Wendell's face
rs he saw them, and he raised mis-
prismatic glasses to his eyes. (Which
is which? 2" he asked Of Wayne.
THE Nevada is nearest" Wayne re.
piled. 1.-THE Oklahoma lies next"
Wendell nodded. He had made out
through his glasses the distinguishing
lines Of the two nearer monsters.
Their lower turrets. bow and stern,
mounted three guns each, three Of the
huge fourteen inch riheA The other
tuxrets showed but two guns apiece
ten fourteeninch rifles on each vessel.
THE next is the Pennsylvania? !"
Wendell referred. All OF its four tur
rets showed three guns each-twelve
fourteen-inch guns together.
"Yes. sir. She came in just this
morning"
"rben the Arizona's at the nav,
;yard?"
Eyes. SIR. We're taking on ammuni
ton"
II see." Wendell looked an instant
across the water to the estuary OF the
Elizabeth. where the city OF Norfolk
Isy on the left. PORTSMOUTH,. with TIT
navy yard. was on the right. H'
turned his glasses then back to the
roads and the bay beyond. whats
out fartherT"
Some Of the mine layers. We've
put out most Of the mines at night. OF
course, but the regents aircraft were
here right after daylight and spotted
most Of them, so were adding a few
more now-mixing the dummies and
the real ones"
Wendell nodded. Aloft in an aero
plane at Pensacola he had seer how
distinctly the mines. hidden by water
from lookouts on ships decks. stood
out to the pilot and observer far yer
head. Every mine at the entrance of
the bay might be spotted on such a
sunShlny day. but the observers in
the air could not tell the real mines