The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-15
ihave carried them at his lightest nod
 | through the gates of he'll IRON NERVE

have carried them at his lightest nod through the gates of hell.
 IRON NERVE
 Under his command then, they sailed with a cargo of timber in each hold and a faith in the good providence of God that came very near to the faith of little children. In due course, about 9:45 one morning, a torpedo was seen ap- approaching the starboard beam; ob- serving his role as master of a careless tramp. with poor look outs, the young commander held on his course. At the last moment, however, theshelm was im- perceptibly altered to insure the ship be- ing struck about the engine room, where it might do least damage. Those whom fate has afforded the opportunity of studying the trail of an approaching torpedo will if they recall their sensa- tions, appreciate to some extent the iron nerve requisite to such a maneuver. The torpedo burst abreast No. 3 hold, hurling a wall of water and wreckage to the height of the mast, and blowing a hole in the ships side 40 feet wide. Half stunned and deafened by the concus- sion, the commander raised himself on his hands and knees, where he had been flung, and shouted to the navigator They've got us this time" The navi- gator, who was inside the charthouse. thrust his head out for moment, mois- tening a lead pencil with his lips. T reckon I've got time to finish working out this sight. Sir" he replied with a grin, and withdrew his head.
 The alarm gongs had already sent the guns crews to their invisible guns, and immediately after the explosion panic stations was ordered, followed in due course by abandon ship" The navi- gator, having finished his sight" and -I.- ! ~.l.sw with the panic party" No sooner had the boats been lowered and showed off from the ships side however, than the chief engineer rang up from below and reported that the after bulkhead had gone and that the engine room was fill- ing fast. Peering, on all fours through a slit in the bridge screen, waiting for the inevitable periscope to appear, the commander bade him hold on as long as he could and keep enough steam to work the pumps; when the water had extin- guished the fires, and then only the engines were abandoned and the staff remained concealed. This they did, crawling eventually on to the cylinders to escape from the rushing flood.
 PERISCOPE BREAKS SURFACE
 Shortly after the torpedo struck the ship the periscope of submarine broke the surface couple of hundred yards distant, evidently watching proceedings with deliberate, cautious scrutiny. Nov ing slowly through the water, like the fin of a waiting shark, the sinister object came gradually down the ships side, within five yards of the breathless boats. and not 10 yards from where the com mander lay, his pipe between his teeth. beside the voice-ppes that connected him with the assistant paymaster, R. N. R., who, concealed in the gun control posi- ton, was awaiting the order to open fire. From the altitude of the bridge, the sub merged whale-back hull was plainly visi- ble to the figure crouched behind the bridge-screens, and the temptation to yield to the impulse of the moment, to open fire and end the suspense. shook even his iron nerves. A lucky shot might pierce the lead-grey. shadow that moved 15 feet beneath the surface; but water plays strange tricks with projectiles, de- ,Hecting them at unexpected ricochets, at angles no man can foretell; moreover, the submarine was in diving trim. The odds against broadside overwhelming her be- fore she could plunge into the depths and escape were too great. So the comman- der waited with self-control that was al- most superhuman, and, prone beside their guns, unseeing and unseen, his men waited, too, with teeth clenched and sprawling limbs riged in the mastery of