The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-07-30
POWER OF NAVY
Lies in Men Who Feed Hungry
Mouths in Engine Room.
Deep in Cavernous Recesses of Great
HuIls Firemen Bend Backs That
Traditions of Nation May
Be Upheld.

"The power of the navy is in me-"
Big Jack Dempsey, fireman recruit,
thus unburdened himself as he sat
with legs dangling on the turret OF q
big United States battleship.
Around him seethed the preparation
for war. From the huge navy yard
shops arose the din and clamor of a
mighty force rushing the final work to
place in readiness the big steel fight
ing machines which are to play an inn
portant part in unfolding the honor of
our nation. On the parade ground adj
iacent, a couple of hundred bluejack-
cts were running Il quarter mile oval,
hardening up for their work ahead,
writes a New York correspondent.
Something of the inspiration of this
vitality energetic scene glistened in his
eyes as he swept his pipe stem in
short semi-circle before him to EN-
phasize the night of which he was
master.
Huge of frame, horny of hand is
Dempsey. 1t was only two days ago
that he drifted into the navy recruit
| ing Office to offer himself to his coun-
try.
whether it's sailorin' or soldierin'. L
told 'em at the recruiting Office. it's the
same to me so long as 1 can serve me
country. Anyways, that man can
serve and do his duty in time like
this is the best way
$50 l enlisted as a fireman, the
greatest branch of the service of the
United States navy.
"When a man has put In few years
on the job, there is somethin' about
the fireboX of engine that pulls you
to it, once you have fed the big, hum
CRY mouths that are always open and
rOarin'.
Every man in his task, says 1, and
(. I'm a fireman by inclination and force
Of habit. And it is me duty to play
fireman for Uncle Sam when he needs
me above all others.
!, "Once 1 stocked on a tramp steamer.
j and it was there i learned the power
of me calm.
:, 1--WE wuZ down where the heathens
and the fever wuz thick as mud, and
|. when the sickness took hold of the off
GERS and crew until they wuZ only g
: handful of US left to navigate the craft
/ What with the fever raging We had 6
L powerful time. One afther another the
boys below down with sickness, and i
: was then the real trouble began.
o 1T wuz the captain himself who
Ii came down TO talk to US. Boys h
saTfAa. f X f IL tft t 4 Aetfbut wft6it Inc off
3 GERS, but for the love of heaven, ms
ship will perish if me firemen deser
he me in this, me hour of need
d THAT is why say the power of tn,
se navy is in me. When the coal stop
the battleships stop, and the enem.
:, can take yer at his own time"
~ Across the slip between the big shi
IL and the next door the sailor drill ha
spread out into an open door exercise
IL. They were the "men behind the guns,
IN an integral part of the great f1ghtin
lg mechanism which is soon TO spread it
We influence worldwide in the might
TO conflict facing this nation. I locke
TX sideways at the man beside me, VIII
represented the silent working fore
C. of the American battleships, but hi
ps gaze was lifted above the immediat
to animation of moving units. 1t reste
Is in the smoke-clouds coming from th
he huge stack of an adjoining vessel.
he 1.-THE boys hev started work fl
er Uncle SAM" he observed, with a touc
of pride. And I knew that down |
~ the cavernous recesses of that gra
he steel hull, other Representatives of IL
k power of the navy" were bendir
an their backs to the end that the trad
ur tons of the American navy might
to upheld and the honor Of the flag mai
ay tanned upon the seas.