Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-07-05

our way. The enemy was shooting mighty close
too. The trenches were awfully hard to pick up.
although we were only about $50 yards away.
They were on a hill and had carried their dirt
away.
'The battalions made slow progress on the
TANKS on account of the thick nndrrhrush. The
enemy had an immensely strong natural position
md had they had a few machine guns and some
barbed wire they could not have been rooted out
without great loss of life.
IA call went up for a hospital apprentice, as
Corporal Frnzce had been shot in the head. He
had been working hard getting his gun pointed on
the enemy and had just succeeded.
"'You are right on them now; give them fits"
were the last words he said.
"His pointer was also shot in the head ana two
others were wounded In the arm. A corporal In
the Thirteenth company was shot twice While
operating n Benet-Mercier. He refused to leave
his gun and had to be carried away, struggling to
get back into the fight.
"While this was going on our other guns be-
gan to come up one at n time ana we "bthlheo
fire superiority over the enemy, who shot very
wildly from now on. This last is an AFTER Jnds'
ment. At the time they seemed to be just miss
ing me. / don't know how the other men felt,
hui I expected to be shot any minute anu just
wanted to do us much damage as possible to the
enemy before cashing in. Several members OF
our platoon did cool and creditable work IN chans-
ing cartridge extractors and repairing Jams uh-
der fire.
"We faced the enemy as much as possible whlie
repairing the guns, as we had n horror Vi oeihe
shot In the back.
zone Of the sweetest sounds | ever heard was
the cheering of the infantry battalion as 1t charged
the right flank trenches of the enemy GunnerS
Sergeant Ralph was among the first of these. he
had a pistol fight with the rebel general III com
mand. Ralph and some other man win n rhe
-. a ,am. - -HanA tIn rnVnn ttrpn RACNlf-pTlv
general.
1--WE moved IN tn the trenches after the battle
and reformed, getting our equipment together.
"Corporal Frnzee died soon after being hit ana
was buried within a few feet OF the place where
no had fought so well. The enemy lost very
heavily, and if Santo Domingo was not mn island
some of those birds would be running yet
Mai. Gen. J. Franklin Bell. now In command
of the eastern department., with headquarters on
Governors island, won the medal in the Philip
pines. AS colonel of the Thirty-sixth infantry he
was proceeding along the San Antonio Porac ROAD
TO head of a band of insurgents who had attacked
the Ninth infantry ut Guasua and Santa Rita.
Colonel Bell, mounted. was riding near the head
Of the advance pnrty and had with MN Lieut.
Col. William r. Grove. Major Straub, two mount
ed orderlies and about twelve scouts on foot.
Just at dawn the party was fired upon from
what seemed a fairly large body OF insurgents
:. hidden In the brush. The American fire dislodged
. the enemy, about seven of them running down ttF
road around n bend. The scouts pursued them
!. but Colonel Bell saw at once that the men, VIII
. their heavy equipment, were being easily o"tdls
tanced by the lightly clad Filipinos. and he dashe'
I after them on his horse.
v Before Major Straub or the two mounted order
Y lies knew what he was doing, Colonel Bell wa
o far down the road In the midst Of seven strua
n CLING insurgents, firing with his revolver an
slashinp nhont with his saber.
d The mounted men galloped TO his assistanc
8 and the infantry supported him as best they coul
q with rife fire, although 1t was almost imposslol
to shoot, SO tangled UP were the insurgents m
Colonel BELL.
" The officer would have been perfectly justine
- In remaining with his troops. even behind the
y and merely directing the d~islodging assault, m
for charging alone and driving into the jungle
. least seven Fillpinos, with two officers amor
them. the Medal Of Honor was awarded to him.
re Two Of the few medals awarded In the vi
~ npainst Spain went to q second class fireman al
al a cOppersmith on board the battleship low
- While the vessel was cruising In Cuban watei
ne July q, 1898. at about seven o'clock Ia the NOR
ing. a manhole gasket blew out IN one Of !
de boilers In Are room No. 2.
as Under 12O-pounds pressure. live steam roar
10 outs into the room and boiling water swashp
:. around the floor.
"a "a In the adjoining compartment were Robe
~ penn. pecond.class fireman. and p. b. keefer,
T.. coppersmith. Hearing the wild roar Of the
Gaping steam they dashed to the door Of .
~ room No. 2.
The men who had been working there, blind
Al by the escaping steam. foundertng In the scn
m. ing water, had been 10 overcome that they COZ
m. not get out. One OF the coal passers had aires
sunk to his knees and was dropping forwa
he In a matter Of seconds he would have topp
"a 80. Aun svnkoe and hoOn hOllod IN death. 3.
III Undauntsd BY the terrifying roar Of the ste