Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-04

TO sea Barrett naQ SteereQ his course
to the east. The first day showed him
nothing to stir him further, but at
sunrise Of the second day he had sight
ed great biplane in the clouds. In
stantly he flashed the news back to the
shore by wireless. The official reply to
him said that the presence Of air craft
could now be of no significance. What
was the Salem doing In the position
from which it signaled? The admins
tration particularly desired the pres
ence of Messrs. Banland and Gordon
at Port au Prince as soon as possible.
Barrett, with the code communica-
ton In his hand. turned quietly to the
quartermaster.
Follow the plane as long as 1t is in
sight, and when 1t disappears continue
in It's direction" He went himself to
the telephone to the engine room.
"Can you give us any more, Mr.. Han
lon?' he questioned the chief engineer.
. I'll try, sir"
Within the hour the biplane had dis
appeared, but it had remained in sight
long enough TO guide the Salem. Dur
ing the remainder Of the day the scout
ship rushed east at full speed, and at
night, with all ports covered and with
the switches Of the lighting circuits
thrown out, Barrett had driven his
ship on through the darkness. No
light from another ship. no sound OF
another's engine. no smell of another's
smoke had reached him or his 1ooE
during tie night. Dawn had discovered
to him only an empty sea, gray and
rugged. obscurel little by mist. The
day brought no other ship within the
circle Of the horizon. but now 1t was
another dawn and now. as Barrett
scanned the water. he saw crate
floating t
He passed it and came upon another
crate with bright yellow bits-peeiing
Of orange. they were-floating beside
1t. He looked TO the other side-pota.
to pa:ings floating there. He was by
them and now was passing bits of
bread, vegetable tops. more potato par
ings and scraps Of all sorts-the leav-
ings from the plates of 10000 men
who had eaten their ratfons at the
same hour. the flotsam from n feet.
Lieutenant Commander Barrett set
his helm hard to the right When the
Salem had circled he ordered again
formally to Hanlon to give full speed
ahead" He must have passed the pp-
preaching feet few miles of In the
morning mist. Their course, as well
as he could reckon from the scraps on
the sea. was more to the south than
he had expected. he had overrun them
and now was in their pursuit.
Lieutenant, Marston, the second in
command, came quietly to the bridge.
his revolver belt ,buckled about him.
"Mr Banland and Mr.. Gordon both
seem to be asleep. sir Shall | have
them walked or--shall I leave them as
they are?'
81 was thinking about them Bar
rett replied as evenly. "I'll see to
them -.
Smoke ahead. SIR" lookout in the
foretop hailed. more to the left.
Destroyers to the right and turning
about" ~ ,,r
"Aeroplanes approaching US. sir.'
The hail came this time from the bow,
and the sailor there was pointing up
and ahead Barrett shifted his glasses
from the four vessels rushing toward
him to the dim, soaring specks high
above in the sky. They descended as
they approached.
They went up high at first to make
sure we were alone" Barrett comment
ed to Marston.
eyes, sir. Looks like now they may
try bomb attack"
Il think So" Barrett took pad and
pencil from pocket and wrote slowly
and carefully:
Large feet sighted about 5S.37 west,
3s42 north, steaming west apparently
at about sixteen knots. We make out
definitely thirty vessels. destroyers and
cruiser, accompanied by air craft,
coming toward us"
| He .reread it and handed it to Mar
ston. "Code that and have 1t sent at
once" He gazed again at the aero
planes and the destroyers and looked
back at the engine room dial. 1t show
ed revolutions Of the turbines which
| told that the Salem was still making
about twenty-six knots. The engine
room crew could not be asked to do
! better, but for what they would be re-
| uuired to do Barrett believed they de-
served a word Of explanation. He
stepped to the engine room telephone
! and spoke to the chief below:
| Three destroyers and cruiser-ap-
parently the Falcon or one Of her class
ARE coming for us, Mr.. Hanlon. l
have just sent word that we have
sighted large feet We are going to
try to pass the smaller vessels and get
as close as possible to make out the
main feet before we sink. II we are
unable to signal to you after the action
begins keep us full speed as long as
you can"
Il understand, sir" Hanlon's voice
replied. 49,
The anti-air craft gun on the forward
deck-it was q small quick fiirer with
double telescope sights-moved as the
crew trained 1t upon the aeroplanes
swooping down. The pointer looked
back again to the bridge. The planes,
which had passed far ahead of the de-
stroyers and of the cruiser, were with
in extreme range.
y "Ten those men they are not to fire
under any circumstances until ! tell
them to; they must not even aim. We
are not to start thfs."
| The anti-air craft quick firer ceased