Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-10-26

I'D NSNJs NS-iOS
ever thought OF the little motor launch.
es. They seem jumpy in their nerves,
judging by the way they handle the
searchlights. Probably they think
some new engine of warfare IS attuck.
Ing them, like the tanks which SO sur
prised them in the trenches one flne
day.
Umph! Suddenly l am blinded.
think for hundrcdth of II second TINT
am shot, and my head is splitting 1t
Is searchlight, the rays full and
square i'll my eyes. The gunner fires
into the source of the light. It"scems
to be coming from gunboat. If he
hits her lie will be lucky, for 1t Is i'm
possible for us to see anything
We cnn hear the "woomph. woomph"
Of shells dropping into the water
around us. We have made up our
minds that 1t is all over, but two of
the other bouts, not being blinded by
the searchlights, turn their fire on our
tormentor. If the Germans hold on
us we are gone, but they seem to be
In frenzy, and while they sweep
round, trying TO pick up the other craft,
we change our course, and they do not
seem able TO find us again. They fire
on every stick OF driftage and spar
that darlscns the surface of the H.
Eliminated water.
Out Over the Dangers of the Mines.
When tie rising sun began TO streak
the sky we were safe. Why off to port
lay the monitor we had passed tho
night before, ana the Brass Hat, In
command of the expedition. signnled
us to run over to her and take &c
count.
The monitor was one of type much
in evidence during the first years of
the war, mounting heavy guns forward
In an armorcd turrct. The guns were
made IN America, and most OF the
monitors were named after American
generals.
They were used OH work that took
them constantly into tho mine fields,
and for that reason they must have
special protection against mines and
torpedoes. Just how this ID accom-
plished / do not feel at liberty to tell,
but because Of it an amusing incident
occurred. The first motor launch was
running ut rather low speed in toward
the monitor, so rs to come alongside.
All of n sudden we saw her sort Of
climb out of the water, bow first, heel
over and lie there rs though she had
run up on n bar.
A couple Of "matloes" (sailors) on
the deck Of the monitor began swear
In M la,
NJ. L. was thrown Off his feet by the
shock which stopped the boat. The
swearing was not confined to the mon
itor's men. The NJ. l.. had run high
and dry on to the shelf which forms
a part of the more or less intricate
protection against torpedoes and mines
that modern monitors carry. They had
to use crane to get her Off.
We'll, we had roll call and found
only one man slightly hurt. A bit Of
shell had struck him in the shoulder.
A piece the size of mans palm was
imbedded in the side of one of the
NJ. LIS. We had got Off mighty lucky.
l might say here that Inter six 9th
er boats made the experiment again,
and only one got back to England, so
1t isn't such n soft assignment. In
that single craft were oil the men
from the five launches who had sur
vived the hell they ran into. And
there was plenty of room. for those
who had been lost were many.
Under orders the survivors of that
raid RETAINED from telling what nc
tually happened, but In general 1t is
true that the Germans must have re-
allied what occurred on the first expe-
dition, and they were ready. The ele-
ment Of surprise, which saved US all
from going to kingdom come, was alb
sent.
The officer in command of the one
which was not destroyed cruised
around in the glare of the searchlights
until he had gathered In every living
thing thnt still struggled in the water
a mans job in that searching glare Of
light and hail of shells.
The Hero.
"The sky was red over his head"
said one OF the men he picked up,
because of the vast number of illu-
AlhiatiHS pOlllUS ullu TOcAclS the HUNS
were using besides the searchlights
and the shells that were bursting.
! There was light enough 10 take NOV
ing picture of the scene.
ANY human being would have run,
but that chaps devil or god. He
shouted orders to his men as though
he were ut maneuvers and fished us
out of the water with boat hook as
coolly as If he were merely picking up
a buoy and couldn't understand what
all the racket was about.
After he got me on board saw
him fall with the blood squirting from
his leg. He grabbed n bit Of rope,
made tourniquet himself, using the
barrel of his revolver 10 twist it tight,
and directed the work until lie had all
Of us on board.
! "How we ever penetrated that bar
rier OF fire and lead and steel don't
know, but we came through and limp
ed into port under our own power,