Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-20
TELLS WHY He ENLISTED
IN UNITED STATES NAVY.
Torpedoed Twice, Youth Not Con.
tent Until He Becomes
Bluejackct.
PATRIOTISM SHINES FORTH
Clean Of Adventure From "Over
There" in Story Of American Lad,
Who Signed Up Because We Are
ut War;
VIRGINIA EVANS sEwALL.

VIRGINIA EVANS SEwALL.
Here Is a CLEAN from the adventure
over there" Of the fervor and patriot
ism OF an American lad in navy blue
who enlisted in the navy just because
we ARE at war" Dreaming Of pirates
the Spanish Main and all that he had
his full for he was torpedoed twice
but is back on the job for more. what
the boy told is chroniclcd by Virginia
Evans Sewall. the younger daughter of
the late Admiral Robley ID. Evans,
Fighting Bob"
He was pointed out to me az 1.-The
man who has been torpcdoed twice.
looked for man who would. prob
ably, appear grim" or "haggard" or
some of those things which we uncon-
.ciously expect in connection with such
experiences; but this boy was in nowise
different from hundreds OF others who
were crowding the army and navy i.
NJ. Q. A that Sunday evening.
called him over TO the desk where.
with other volunteers / was trying 10
help during the crowded times of tho
carly summer. He came. willingly.
with cheerful grin on his rather ugly.
round face, hastily swallowing a last
and very large mouthful of Cracker
Jack. His white uniform was quite
dirty. his hat far back on his cropped
head and. crowning JOY, brooch and
p rose bud were in his neckerchicf. For
no had been spending 4 glorious after
noon at Eastons Beach. and. like all
apprentice seaman. had done every
thing In his power to be "nonrcSula-
ton" in his appearance.
Perhaps I am foolish, but II 4. these
boys. children almost, with their CHEEKY
faces and nice straight eyes. Just hu-
man boys. and yet with an undescrlb-
bio something that only the service
can give. who bring lump into my
throat.
He stood before mo with a rather
snagsle-toothcd grin.
did you'se call nc. ma'am?'
1T is true" l asked. that you've
been torpedoed twice.
Yes ma'am. twicct."
will you tell me all abou: IT,"
He looked rather blank for a second
and then said:
We'll. ma'au. wuz on one ship an
she wuz torpedoed, an then I wuz on
another ship and she ~uz torpcdocd,
an that's all there Is 10 It."
Taking a long breath and looking
much relieved 10 have rid his mind
of this effort he turned to go, but
said:
no. come back here and tell me all
about II from the beginning, whero
you lived and why you went TO sea
and everything about it."
With a simplicity and dircctness that
were very attractive he began:
We'll, ma'am. l was Twin 10 Glov
orsvillc. N'Nawk. wuz born in E'Yawk
where dcy makes desc gloves. ye
know. and | wuz a leather worker
making good pay, | wuZ. too--an' a
frien OF mine. he comes back. he'd
been away-an' lie says 10 nc. he says.
Gee. It's encitin' in the war zone"
he says. So l beats it away from
GloversTille 10 elphia-ciln', ell
Inc mother nothin' about II, an when |
gifts TO Philadelphia I gifts 4 job on "a
boat. She was named de S. S. Gilt
tcrine."
Sounds more like a tooth wash than
= ship" I mur,nured, and perfectly Sc
rfiously he assured me:
NO, ma'am dat wuz q ship an we
went away on her, an Gee. but we
went 10 some funny places an in de
end OF Febewary We left a place dcy
calls Archangel and wuz going TO
kristiania. an one night while wuz
washin' do supper dishes wuz dc
thoid stevvard-derc comes awful
hump-see, "a dy. just like dat. Bump,
an / says TO rn'sclf, l says, Gee" |
beats it out Oh deck, an say, lady!
Tou know dem decks dcy runs along
dis way, you know, fore an aft calls
II in de navy Well, say, dey didn't rUu
run dat way no moreno, ma'ain, there
wuz grea; big Mole right in front
Of me-say lady, ii wuz 30 big
couldn't ajumred acrost it: so beats
bclt-dey won't let us so on deck
without em--and 1 beats it outside
again. An say, it wuz funny-de two
ends OF dc ship wuz going dis way
holding his hands UP over his head.
Yes" ! said. rather breathlcsa. Go
on. what did you do them"
DO? Well, lady, dcre wuznt moth
en- do. cent iumn ovcrhoa Ri
I did"
Mercy" said. Can you siwm?"
who. me? Me, lady. 1 cant swim,
an It wouldn't have done me no good
II could. cause dat waters too cold.
Say. gee it wuz cold-$n' dem waves!
] tells dc fellers over to Nthe training
starion about dem waves an dey don't
believe me: but. honest TO God. them
waves wuz high like them barricks-
an two or three times dem waves they
come up an fell on top of me, an gee.
{ seZ dis is dc finish Of me. | says,
but de fcllers in dc lifeboat dey has
a. little round light in de bows--a soich-
light dcy calls it. lady, an dey seen
me wild dat an dey picks me up in de
boat"
How long time was that" asked
How long were you in the water?'
Two hours an haf. an wuz
some cold. believe me. Say. lady,
wuz so cold l couldn't move me arms
like dis. See? Loo? You do 1t. jest
Zap an see. OATS easy, amt it? Well,
] couldn't do dat. wuZ so cold"
But" l said. thinking OF exhaustion
and exposure afterwards. after you got
in the boat weren't you ill.,"
Who. me? No. lady, not dat time
wus seasick another time"
NO. said l. mot seasick-ill.
Weren't you ill.,"
No, ma'am, der wuzn't nothin' to
make me sick De put ME in de bot
tom OF de boat an put that light on
me SIDE to warm me up. an give mo a