New Britain herald., 1927-05-28
70 no! FOR life
i ON A DESTROYER
''Come Back on Big Ship, Ez'
+. Gok' Chorus to Lindbergh

uVN VuvluN W uuuuVl6u
'sWhat Price Glory" Is the ques-
ton former service men who served
on destroyers In the United States
navy are asking when they read OF
the offer OF the government OF a
destroyer for the return Of Captain
Charles Lindbergh to this country
from his triumphant conquest Of
France and all Europe. 1T is sure
an ungrateful government that
wants to take the JOY out Of life by
making an aviator suffer the five
days life on a destroyer such as
''Lindy" would have to il he comes
home on one OF them" says George
Lawson OF this city who served all
during the war on one OF the ships
that made life miserable for the
German submarine officers.
Speaking Of life on destroyer,
Sailor Lawson gives a graphic ac-
count of some of the happenings on
board during the trying days of
1878 while serving as a member
OF destroyer crew which conveyed
troop ships to the shores of France.
Today In the service the destroy
srs are oil burners, the old system
OF coal burning having been done
away with since the end OF the war.
"Now," the former COB says, things
are different because during the war
we were required to put our oil on
with shovel whereas now they put
1t on with q hose
Below decks on a destroyer, the
many Of them bordering on being
tiny. No fresh air could be had and
II a member Of the crew wished to
get a breath OF pure ozone. 1t was
necessary to go on deck. Up above,
he would get the full blast of the
belching smoke from the tunnels
full In the face with SCOT, cinders
and all other refuse while to escape
It. II way was made to the forward
deck, there he would receive the full
force OF heavy wave square In the
back and be forced to hold on for
life to escape being washed over
board.
Goodnight, and Sweet Dreams
Getting into bed at night, it Is
necessary to strap himself in or else
hit the deck with thud with the
first broadside OF a wave.
III Captain Lindbergh wants to
come home fast, let him take de-
stroyer" is the chorus from the ex-
gobs of the destroyers crews" but
NJ he wants to come home whole,
let him get the biggest ship afloat
and ride home on that"
Conditions such as these exist not
when a destroyer is in a storm but
In an ordinary sea where the waves
are considered calm. In the bowels
Of the ship, "gob" is tossed about
on all sides and when the boat is
making speed, cutting through the
waves, making turns, taking the
seas broadside or any way. bruised
hips, elbows and other more painful
injuries become a momentary &C.
currence.
Captain Lindbergh spent 80 un-
comfortable hours in a plane on his
trip from New York to Paris" the
chorus continued, but five days on
4 destroyer would make him fit
subject for the hospital and he
would think his airplane trip q
pleasure"
Captain Lindbergh had five sand
wiches and water to drink but the
ex-gobs assure him that after rolling
about In a destroyer, he would have
no stomach for sandwiches or
water.
Then again." the ex-gobs con-
tinued, III he should strike a gale
on the Gulf Stream. he would pray
to be in his plane fighting the ele-
ments in the open air rather than
meeting hard steel in a destroyer"
Nothing To Do But Work
Description of a coal burning de-
stroyer bears out the warnings Of
the men who know. The ship has
. carrying capacity Of $50 tons OF
coal giving it . radius OF 1000
miles. The ship returns to port
every four days to coal up. The
first day Is spent in getting every
thing ready. The second is spent in
getting the coal on board. One
crew gets on the lighter. another
on tho stage and the third on deck
to have the bags OF coal passed up
and dragged to the bunkers. Coal
dust settles everywhere and on the
third day. from the bottom up, the
crew hauls to and washes and
paints. On the fourth day. the
ship IL put in trim and away from
port she goes. Outside OF all this
work, the members of the crew have
al the rest Of the time to them.
selves.
During the war, the destroyer or
which Sailor Lawson served, did
coast convoy duty on the other side
Of the big pond. Every fourth triI
out, the ship would do land marx
duty. that is. It would stand out te
sea and sight the conveys Of troop:
coming In and give them the bear
ings direct to their port. Then the,
would be escorted to their anchor
age.
Most OF the conveys which hi:
ship met, Sailor Lawson explains
were made up of "spiggoty Tramps,
pioh wi ~; nl, 49,