Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-30
'WEATAER|NG THE GALE
IN ANCIENT DESTROYER
vivid Description of Storm at Sea
~ In Hunt for Subma.
rineS.
JUST HANG ON AND DUCK
Whilo Craft Aims Bow First at
Skies and Then at the Antipodcs.
Tons OF Water Sweep Her From
Fore to Aft.
BY CLAIR PRICE:

al ~ MEDlTERRANEAN BASE, Octo-
Ter 2o.-From certain area Of sea, the
oase had received far too many allos
(submarine warnings" and o SIS
within the last wee. So the admiral
told the United States ship L.ttle Miss
Munet to go out and strafe whatever
she could find to strafc. and IF you're
sunk I'll send out somebody else" So
Little Miss Muffct went out one night,
FEELING bit lonesome without her
usual convoy, to strafe whatever snc
could find to strafe. Special service is
what the navy calls 1t.
1t was leaden day. which speedily
Waned into night as black as lamp
olaek. The sea was tumbling about in
made up It's mind yet whether to be-
como senJi BILE and quiet down. or TO
become irritated and have TT. The
glass was down-had been dropping
Now. little Miss Muret had had one
experience at the hands OF a bad sea.
as. the result OF which the fleet engi-
neer at Manila had ordered her to re-
main with in the three-mie limit the
rest OF her natural life. 1t was
typhoon In the China Sea in 1910. for
nVe old American torpedo boat de-
stroyers which came around from Ma
lila Tia t. the var zone last summer.
nor does 1t hint at the long. narrow.
tin look OF her. But IL Is as far from
her right name as anything | can think
or Just now.
During the evening. the kind. which
had been veerinE through all $50 de-
srees OF tho compass, succeeded in
misS up It's mind. and , .I mid mid.
from the north northwest which in
creased In the early morning to full!
sale. With al the might Of the broad
From eighteen knots, Little Miss
AuRet had cut down to hftccn TO avoid
damage In bucking the head seas. From
twelve she cut down to eight. Then
she "let 'cr rip"
ONE, Of NATURES MOST
MAGNIFICENT SIGHTS
Now there is no more magnificent
sight In nature than tho drive OF
huge. breaking sea. There Is no fierccr
Jun than to know that the ship under
your feet manipulated by your wit, Is
strength of the sea. But the bes, place
10 tingie with the JOY o! II Is the deck
OF IA battleship. not the reeiins bridge
OF r an OLD ds',o9y Sf9r 20 do nu, 70 han.
on and dueS For the spray came
ny.nk over the bridge, not in driving Irvine
@ SiHsS l ea' tho so plain O and his bridse
gang gasping for breath. y, first, IN
spite OF oilskins, the moisture ,rickled
81 S9'o rh.ir A seae G squeiched at
every step and before dawn they we're
soaked 10 the skin.
screen TO which they cluns, All they
could see were long, tall cresis OIL
glowing phosphoreseenee, which were
lowered for fecting instant over
their. bows and broke with a deafening |
:ioise as tons OF water surged across
in hoods ten fee, deep. Up from under
them. Little Miss Munret shook herself
fice. lifted her nose clear--'good old
her with - ivet-shaking crash thai
made. her CULVER in every plate. and
buried her nose under tons Of waters
Her motion itself vas enough to
yifically as che took the seas. slamming |
FELT over. hurting her bridge gang at /
arms, length along the rail. She /
tumbied back pointing her nose at the .
Ing Crash into the next sea. II was all
her helmsman could do merely 10 keep .
h nits,t FEE! :! che yo Gsisi'
: : ACCOMPANIES STORM
The noise was deafening. The gale
5 sreeehed sh h;o her sc ant rigsnSS
a aga ssins, TIE bridge screen. The furi-
ous music Go Of gale far ont on dee9
which man can know. For the sea
is the supreme indifference. day.
a andef ihf s
mere JOY 1t affords her. To-day. YOU
stretch out on the fddley. not caring
row, you make yourself solemn oath
that. II you survive this time. you'll
never leave dry land again. But other
some Of them day are at tho bottom
OF the sea. and some are still afioat.
When the morning watch came on at
t.;. 60. Ii H.,
bridge rail and shouted into his ear:
Whats it like aft?"
Ehe morning watch replied in mono |
himself hear. he might have said taai
there was foot of water in the ward
room. the phonograph was PLAYING |
yecords and smashed crockery, from the
pantry we're sculling around and ne
himself had rescued box Of cigars:
it Under the Sheets in his bunk. As
for the cabin. all the drawers had
opened and dumped. litter OF SOCKS. |
shiIts books and braG in>o
steward was waddling on all fours.
The &c captain sent 1,I the messenger Pc
twent l minutes later s a he ca asa grop
handed. The galley was hooded and
the cook was somewhere in the conec-
focstle. He had tried TO sort him
out and interest him in little worn,
but he finally had to give it up.
The dawn came up dark and over
cast, revealing loose falls Strengthened
out In the gale from two davits. ana |
a seething maelstrom aft. in which |
torpedo-tubes and other deck fittings |
were like boulders in the bed o, i.
torrent. They were corkscrew,ng
through world OF. racing grey mons,
ters. capped with foaming crests.
Presently the navigator white ia ced |
and seasick almost to the pofn- OF
collapse. sigzagged on to the pr:.Ee |
and into the charthouse
The captain followed him.
Little streams OF water trrck:ed |
ACROSS the chart from his sleeves. as |
he fuddlcd with dividers and para,
ruler.
AEATHERS THE GALE
AND is READY TO SrRAFE, |
{ II put her here. SIR" he said final
ly,; pointing with his dividers to the |
end OF q pencil mark on the chart,
How much for ths?" asked tho
captain, meaning the gale.
I've allowed two knots to the
nor'west, sir"
Deviation"
One and half degree east, sir"
Think We could do couple O. de-
grees moro to the right?"
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