Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-12
RICHMOND TINES D1sPATCH SATURDAY, JANUARY 12 1918

in the Pacific. II occurred July s. and
| through 1t l came upon an old acquaint-
ancc.
July 8 is the date in my little pocket
diary that has after 1t just the one
word. Manila" Looking at 1t now, the
whole affair comes back wildly. and
tho wonder that tho ten souls on the
| Manila got through II by chance alive
and through no fault OF tho Ger
mans.
! I cannot help admitting now that
we-the American prisoners-were
happy when we sighted the Manila.
There is just that strange working
on the human mind in such imprison-
ment as we had been subjected TO as
makes one welcome any event. even IL
! it may not turn out we'll for our fell
! lows.
STILL IN THE DOLDRUMS
WHEN MANILA IS CAUGHT
| We were still In the doldrums. and
at the moment had on more sail than
usual 1t was a squally day. with the
! light coming in spots and sometimes
| just flashes as the clouds broke. and
/ the sea was running bit--it was
fact. was dark and dirty and rainy:
tho kind that would make any break
In the dreariness seem worth while.
Captain Petersen of the johnson and
| were standing aft on the poop. when
from the lookouts came the cry that
! turned the attention OF all toward the
! Manila.
| A little bit more and she would have
J Ont n Cfryh f0r IL =,
doesn't ride high. and what with the
rain and the spotted sky and the gem
eral lowering look of things-it was
about o'clock in the afternoon-she
might not have been picked up. with
a fair amount of luck.
But with the sighting of her there
was a great SQUIRTING, the men running
to their stations, officers bawling and
the engines beginning to work for tho
business OF the chase.
| Captain Petersen and I felt rather out
OF 1t. standing there as spectators and
prisoners. and then the work OF the
minute got into me and my blood be-
gan to stir. and by the time it had come
/ to a question of using the guns 1t
seemed TO me had much hand in
the work as any one aboard.
! And, in a way, it was we'll did, for
! in the end It was who pointed out
/ to Graf bon Luckncr that the Manila
| had hove to and caused him to order.
! Cease firing" at time when he would
! have been more pleased than not to
! have sent a shot straight into the
schooner and make an end of an irri-
! tating task.
| There were four guns on the See
adler-two machine guns that could
be shifted anywhere on the railing and
! two four-inch guns that were used to
do the real business.
| Both the latter were forward. d.
rectly under the forecastle head. And
! both were hidden by blinds. had
seen. on first coming aboard. how they
were laid out. but it was something
more to watch the Germans go into
action. il even against an unarmed
schooner. with ruses that Captain Kidd
would have used had they been me-
chanically possible in his day.
The four-inch guns were set close
to the bulwarks. and SO they could not
be seen. when under cover. except from
the raider herself.
MANILA UNDER FULL SAIL
WHEN RAIDER FIRED ON HER
| How the battery worked when COM
| ing from under this blind-camoufiaEe.
| | take it, is the word to use here.
though 1t wasn't much in use when the
Slade began her last voyage-was
thing to watch.
The Manila was plunging along
with full sail when the Seeadler picked
up the pursuit.
The Diesel engine-built for a much
larger ship than the raider-was spin
ming the brass propeller, and the raider
quivered as she plunged her nose down
and the stern stuck out of the water.
but with that and the superior sail
spread she crept up fast on the
| schooner, and as Petersen and l were
watching. and. almost without know
ing it. making bets on whether she'd
get away or not. the Germans opened
| fire.
| The guns weren't hidden now! The
! gallant rails had been dropped, the
top railing. on hinges, had been swung
out. and the long noses had a clear
sweep. The gun crews looked navy
| like enough now to please any one.
bending. standing at attention, hold
ing their mouths open so tho noise OF
the shots wouldn't break their ear
drums.
The first shot sent great clatter
through the length OF the Seesdler: a
sharp and echoinE noise, and the flash
lighted the forepart OF the ship with
a red glow under the thick skies.
They got her." some one cried.
mo. there she goes"
They haven't got the range YETI
She'll get away"
Not chance"
The excited chatter was all about us.
The poop was too far from the scene
OF action for me. left Captain Pc
| tersen and hurried forward The Ger
mans paid no attention to me, and I
| remained by the gun stations till they
had fred the last OF the three shots
that brought the Manila around
And during that time there was a