USA > Vermont > Orange County > Bradford > Stories of old Bradford > Part 11
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They both started over the sides of the ship for their boats. Captain Clark was going so fast that Tommy had to run to keep up with him. He scrambled hurriedly down the rope ladder and leaped into the little boat. He was just in time ! The men had started the boat the minute the Captain had climbed into it. He was so busy thinking that he had for- gotten all about Tommy.
The Oregon looked very big besides their smaller boat as they approached. Tommy was proud of belonging to such a big ship. It was painted a dull gray color to match the sea and the sky so that the enemy could not see it com- ing easily.
When they had climbed up the rope ladder and were on board again, Captain Clark gathered his officers about him. "Lads, the Spanish ships are coming! We're going out after them. By the time we get through with them they won't look as beautiful as they do now."
There was a message from Mr. Milligan, the chief en- gineer. Tommy carried the answer back to him.
"Great Jumpin' Neptune !" the engineer exploded when he had read it.
"What's wrong now?" his assistant, Offley, coming in from the starboard engine room, asked.
"Why, Cap'n says we're to head immediately for Cuba without having our engines and b'ilers examined at a Navy yard first, as I suggested. Says he can't spare the time."
"What!" exclaimed Reeves, Milligan's other assistant, coming in from the port engine room. "Did I hear you right? Surely you can't mean we're going further out without having our b'liers checked first ? 'Tain't safe !"
"Safe," roared Milligan. "It's plain suicide-that's what is is !"
"Here, lad ! Go tell Lyons to come in here." Tommy sped away for the assistant engineer in charge of the fire rooms.
* The officers names are authentic. From "The Vermonter," Vol. XI. No 10, May, 1906.
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On the way back, they were joined by Jenson and Leahy, who operated the hydraulic pumps. They were two of the many inexperienced but enthusiastic naval cadets who had come on board at Key West.
"Why, Dunlap and I agreed, on the race from the Pacific, that we were running an awful risk to force them there b'ilers the way we was. But Lieutenant Nicholson said 'twas Capn's orders an' a matter of life an' death that we travel at highest speed to get here. Dunlap and I both agreed soon's we got to the East Coast we'd have her overhauled and inspected first Navy yard we come to. Ain't that right, Dunlap ?"
Dunlap, the acting assistant engineer, nodded morosely. His face was an angry red.
"Well, if Cap'n Clark says steam ahead, believe me, he knows what he's doing," Naval Cadet Jensen interrupted, his brown eyes shining enthusiastically.
"Yes, I'd follow Cap'n Clark to the ends of the earth any day," agreed Naval Cadet Leahy.
"Lot you young squirts know about it," growled Reeves. "You'll be followin' Clark to the bottom of the ocean 'stead of to the 'arth. Fhy, man, these bilers have been heated and strained to the limit all the way from the Pacific." He laid his hand affectionately on a part of the engine. "I ain't l'arned as much outa books as you kids, but I know engines from A to Z. I been tendin' 'em ever since I was a kid."
"Yes. I've run the fires top speed," agreed the faithful Lyons.
"What's a cap'n know about engines, anyway?" Offley asked bitterly. "They don't l'arn much about engines just readin' about 'em in books. Takes real experience. Engines are temperamental critters - like hosses."
"But if Cap'n Clark' says she goes to Cuba without inspec- tion, I reckon she goes." Milligan squared his tired shoulders and pushed back his gray hair from his prespiring face with a dirty, grease-stained hand. "An' I reckon we'll all stick by whether it's suicide or not." He glared at them. "Wonder what
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he's in such an infornal hurry fur anyway? By the great horn spoon ! If a man ever knew what he was doing in war !"
Tommy knew, but of course he couldn't say. He knew that Captain Clark had a great respect for these faithful engineers and that they were doing the most important work on board the ship. He was proud that he, an unimportant young boy, shared a secret with Captain Clark that even they did not know.
"Reckon if they crowd these here b'ilers much more they'll have a 'Jonah' on board," Costello, the boatswain, mut- tered darkly.
Tommy knew from the sailors that a 'Jonah' meant some- thing that brought bad luck.
Suddenly Chief Engineer Milligan whirled on him savage- ly. "Here, you pop-eyed lunkhead !" he roared. "What'n tarna- tion you gapin' at? Shake a leg and get yourself abaft. Tell Cap'n that I obey, but ag'in my better judgment. Be off with you! By the great horn spoon, folks has gotta move around here !"
Tommy wasted no time in carrying the message to the Captain.
The race was on. Tommy watched fascinated as the boat took the high waves as a spirited horse hurdles a high gate. They were going so fast that the ocean seemed to be flying past them. When they struck the westerly and southwesterly winds the white spray flew over the forecastle to the poop. The wind whistled. Tommy clung to a brass ring in the wall and watched the white foam crashing against the hull. He heard the labored chug of the engines, the singing of the cables. His heart pounded with excitement. He know now that Clark felt certain that Cervera's fleet was trying to sneak into the Santiago harbor unseen, and that the Captain hoped to get there in time to blockade the harbor and bottle up the whole Spanish fleet so that it couldn't get out. The whole outcome of the Spanish-American War might depend upon whether or not the Americans succeeded.
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But down in the engine room, Tommy heard more and more grumbling, as the engineers, with grease-streaked, sweaty faces, worriedly watched the over-heated boilers and straining engines.
"We'll never make it," said Reeves.
"If we do get there, she'll collapse and we'll sink or be stranded," said Offley.
"Ensign Johnston says the Brooklyn's left us."
"Left us !"
"Yes. Ensign Johnston says the Brooklyn signalled that Schley had found it necessary to return to Key West for coal."
"And we came all the way from California !"
"Yes," agreed Lyons, "but Cap'n was very saving of the coal. And we could have stopped in South America. Seems the Secretary of the Navy was so worried about the danger Cap'n was running that he sent a message to Rio, saying that if Cap'n thought it necessary he could stop in any South American port long's he pleased and the Secretary of the Navy would be responsible."
"This old boat may not be as fast as some of the others, but I guess she can do her stuff," Cadet Jenson boasted proud- ly.
"How fast is she going?" Tommy wanted to know.
"Sixteen knots an hour," was the reply. Tommy knew by this time that a knot was a nautical mile of 6,080.27 feet.
Milligan shook his head. He looked worried. "Yes, she can do her stuff, but there's a limit to anything. All those in favor of sending a protest to the Cap'n say, 'Aye.' "
The "ayes" won. Tommy carried the protest to Captain Clark.
The Captain frowned as he read it. Tommy, looking into his strained, tired face, wished with all his heart that he could do something big to help him.
.
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Clark turned suddenly to the waiting boy. "Tommy, you are a Vermonter like me. And Vermonters don't quit. That's something we have to be proud of, Tommy, being Vermonters. All the way out here I've been bolstering up my own courage by remembering what Sedgwick said to the Sixth Corps when they started on the march to Gettysburg in the Civil War. This is what he said, 'Put none but Vermonters in front and let the rest keep up !' " His hand rested lightly for a moment on Tom- my's shoulder. "Tommy, you and I have got to win this fight. As Vermonters we've got to set an example of courage for the rest."
Tommy's eyes were shining. "Yes, Sir!" he answered proudly.
Captain Clark rose suddenly. "Come on, Son. We'll go down and tell them."
There was a sudden strained silence as the Captain, him- self, appeared in the engine room.
"Men," said Clark in his friendly, companionable way, "I appreciate the hard and faithful service you have been giving me. I appreciate the difficulties under which you have been laboring. I know that you are more familiar with the mechan- ism of your machines than I. I appreciate the anxiety and worry you have had concerning the ability of the Oregon to meet the strain we are subjecting her to. If this were a voyage of trade, I would heed your protest. I would consider your better judgment and turn back. But, men, this is war! The fate of our country may hang upon the success or failure of this mission. I hope to reach Santiago in time to bottle up the Spanish fleet. I don't know whether we will have any help there or not. But we must get there quickly before the Spanish can guess what we plan to do. There is not a second to waste. I must disregard your protest and order the ship on, even though I risk the loss of the Oregon and perhaps of all our lives. It is for your country. We have a hard fight before us. I can promise nothing, but with God's help we will win. I have faith in the Oregon and in the Oregon's crew. I know that now that you understand I shall have your loyal help."
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Tommy's face kindled with pride as he listened to the Captain's words. Surely, here was a leader for whom one would be willing to fight and die! Tommy noticed a change come over the sullen, sour faces as the men listened.
When the Captain had finished speaking there was a silence in the engine room.
"Can I count on you?" the Captain asked quietly.
The ayes rang out unanimously. There was no further protest from the ship's crew.
At II a. m. on the 29th of May, 1898, the Oregon joined the American fleet which had just been sent out under Rear Admiral Watson on the northern coast of Cuba. Next day the battle-ship of New York arrived, and they sailed for Santiago. Admiral Sampson conducted the Indiana, the slowest vessel, in toward Santiago. Then he took up a position far to the East from where he could best watch.
As they were racing along the Cuban coast around Cape Maysi, Admiral Sampson signalled from the New York to the Oregon asking, "Can you keep up such speed ?"*
"Yes !" Clark signalled back.
Later the New York signalled again. "Are you sure you can keep this speed without injury to boilers or machinery?"*
The heat in the engine rooms was so terrific-almost un- bearable. Clark talked again to the exhausted, perspiring men. "Can you stand this heat just a little longer?" he asked, look- ing anxiously into their sweat-beaded faces.
"Aye, Aye, Sir!" they responded.
Captain Clark signalled back another "Yes!"
The American squadron was now in position. The Span- ish fleet was still in the harbor. The Oregon and two other ships patrolled at night with picket launches to be sure that the enemy did not escape in the dark.
* Quote from "The Vermonter" Vol. XI, No. 10, Biography- Spooner.
* Quote from "The Vermonter," Vol. XI, Biography-Spooner.
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One night Captain Clark allowed Tommy to go along with a picket. It was fun for Tommy. He felt the cold chills race along his spine as the men dipped their oars quietly into the waves and the small boat slithered cautiously through the dark, not knowing what it might meet at any instant. Then for hours they dropped anchor and lay in the shadows close to the enemy ships, speaking only occasionally in hoarse whispers, watching as a cat watches a mouse hole. If the enemy should hear their cautious oars or whispers, Tommy knew that they would be captured. Just before dawn they slipped back through the fog and lightening shadows and reached the Oregon in safely.
The Oregon's race was ended, but there was still no rest for her tired men. On June 10th seventy marine guards from the Oregon and one other ship landed on the eastern point at the entrance of the Bay. The American flag was now on Cuban soil.
Once Admiral Sampson ordered the Oregon to run in and silence the Punta Gorda battery. The Spaniards were driven from their guns. This was Tommy's first taste of war. Al- though he had always longed to be in a battle, he had hard work to keep himself from running away and hiding in a bunk or down in the hold. White faced and shaking, he stood his ground, however, until Captain Clark ordered him below deck.
Then an unexpected thing happened. Someway, in spite of all precautions, the Spanish fleet had managed to creep out ! On July 3rd at nine o'clock, it was discovered standing outside of the harbor! The Spanish had decided to take a wild chance and run for their lives! Tommy saw them coming out at high speed, turning sharply to the west.
Admiral Sampson had given them but one general order before leaving the American ships. He had said that if the enemy should try to escape, the American ships were to close in to pursue them. Since Admiral Sampson was no longer near enough to send them orders, Commodore Schley on the New York was now commander-in-chief. But he had sent no orders ! He was not even on his deck! So here they were-a fleet of ships with no one man in charge!
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Captain Clark did not wait for orders. The fires under the Oregon's boilers were all glowing brightly, thanks to the faith- ful men. The Oregon was the first ship to start forward after the Spanish. The other ships, which were faster, followed her lead and soon passed her.
The Spanish fired at the American ships. The American ships fired back. A spray of torpedoes and shot hit the decks and water about them. Spurts of flame flashed through the black smoke.
"Clear the decks for action !" shouted Lieutenant Allen. A gong sounded.
The men and officers started for their quarters. The ship was "battened down"-its exits closed. Men took up their sta- tions at the guns and the port holes. Other men got the ammu- nition ready.
Tommy saw Captain Clark coming up onto the deck. He looked very fine in his white linen uniform. Tommy knew that he was still thinking about Vermonters leading.
The Oregon was steaming in toward the harbor. They were four miles away. "How could they ever reach the harbor in time?" Tommy wondered. Now they were three miles away. Two miles.
"Faster, faster," Tommy urged silently, as if by wishing he could push the ship ahead. They seemed to be in a world of darkness. Tommy thought it was the Iowa that had just passed. She was gaining more ground, heading toward the har- bor. Now the smoke was so thick that they could not see the other ships. He heard the guns just ahead.
The smoke cleared. The Iowa had changed her course ! She had moved sharply westward. She was in the very path of the on-rushing Oregon. The Oregon was almost upon her. They were going to have a collision !
"Hard a'starboard !" shouted the Captain.
Tommy shut his eyes before the crash that he knew was coming. He opened them again at a shout. The Oregon had just cleared the Iowa. But now a new danger threatened ! The
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Texas, which had been hidden by the smoke, loomed up on the right! In trying to avoid the Iowa, the Oregon had headed straight at the Texas.
"Texas on the bow side !"
"Hard aport!" shouted the Captain.
"Oh, God, don't let us hit her !" Tommy prayed. He saw Captain Clark leave the port side and run across the deck to the starboard side. His face was white and worried.
"If we swing any more to port, we'll hit the Iowa, Cap'n !" The Captain raced to the port side. "Keep going !"
Tommy sighed with relief. They had cleared both ships. He felt weak and shaky.
"Head for the Spanish Maria Teresa !" shouted the Cap- tain. "We'll capture or sink her! Run between the American ships."
The Oregon was firing as fast as she could with her bow guns. The vibration shook the ship. Captain Clark kept chang- ing the orders for range so the shot would hit the enemy ship.
Tommy ran here and there doing errands, carrying mess- ages. There was no time to write them down. He had to re- member them. The boy realized that never before had so much depended upon him. One lapse of memory, one slip of the tongue, one twisted or half-forgotten message and the Ore- gon and all aboard might be lost, the enemy might escape, an American port might be burned, the whole war might be lost.
'"Golly, if one of those big shells or even a piece of one should strike me, I'd never know what hit me," thought Tom- my. "There just wouldn't be any Tommy any more. And if this ship should be blown up by a mine, we'd all be blown to bits."
It didn't seem important any more. All that was im- portant was to dodge those flying missiles, to stay alive as long as possible so that he could help. He was needed. Every man on board was needed. So Tommy ran, skidded, dodged.
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Captain Clark sent an order to the officers telling them to use their own judgment about changing their gun range. It was impossible to give orders fast enough. He told them to watch the fall of shot to see whether to shorten or lengthen the range.
Commodore Schley had still sent no orders. They had long since lost sight of the Brooklyn. But now suddenly it loomed out of the darkness to their left. Captain Clark looked pleased to see it there.
The Brooklyn signalled a message. Was the Commodore sending an order? He had still not been seen above deck. Would Tommy, a mere boy, be entrusted with the message? He watched breathlessly.
Ensign Johnson handed him the message. He carried it to Captain Clark. "Follow the Flag," read Clark. There were no other directions or orders.
"M'm !" mused Clark. "Could mean 'close in.' Anyway, that's what I intend to do. Strange, no orders come through !"
Tommy looked for the Teresa. It had lost ground since being attacked. She was nearest to the shore at the right. The other Spanish ships had passed her and were running away to the west. The Oregon had now passed all of the American ships except the Brooklyn which was farther South to her left. So the Oregon was nearer to the Spanish ships than was any other American ship.
Suddenly there was a shout. Tommy saw puffs of smoke rising from the Teresa. The Oregon gave her a raking fire. Suddenly the Teresa burst into flames! The burning ship, so proudly named for a Spanish queen, turned and sped for the shore.
Another signal came from the Brooklyn. Tommy hurried to Captain Clark with the message. "One of our compart- ments filled or filling with water."*
Would the Brooklyn sink? If so would the Commodore go down with her? Tommy had heard that a captain never de-
** Same source - "The Vermonter," Vol. XI, No 10.
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serts his sinking ship. Would she leave her position and run for shore?
Captain Clark turned to Lieutenants Allen and Nichol- son. "I think this means that if she sinks or heads for shore I'm to pay no attention to her but carry on the chase alone."
Tommy saw that the Teresa had reached the shore. She was now nothing but a great mass of hungrily leaping flames.
The Oregon now headed for the next ship, the Almirante Oquendo. Captain Clark had ordered that the Oregon finish each ship before tackling the next.
The Brooklyn had signalled that the enemy's ships look- ed as if they had been made in Spain. Clark signalled jokingly back that they would end in Cuba.
They were gaining on the Oquendo. Soon that was on fire, too, and heading for the shore. In the light of the flaming ships, Tommy could see men like figures cut from black paper, climbing down from the Oquendo into their tossing life boats.
Suddenly there was a splintering crash. The Oregon shiv- ered and shook like a leaf in the wind. Tommy was thrown headlong upon the deck. Flashes like lightning splintered the smoky darkness. Tommy thought that he had been struck. He rolled over and sat up, surprised to find that he was still alive ! He tried to get up. His head hurt. It seemed as if jagged flames were racing through his head. He scrambled to his knees. Another fragment of shell hit the ship, knocking him backward again. There was a rasping, wrenching sound as if the shell had torn away part of the ship's hull. Through the darkness he heard the clang of signals, the hoarse shouts of offi- cers. Was this the end of the Oregon? It seemed to Tommy to be the end of the world! Were they sinking? Tommy tried again to get up, but the pain in his head made him fall back. A man to whom Tommy had spoken but a few moments ago had fallen near him. Apparently he was dead. Tommy felt sick. The smoke had cleared away, but everything was growing black again for Tommy.
When Tommy came to, he was still lying in a huddled heap where he had first fallen. Everyone had been too busy
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to even miss him. The man who had been lying beside him was gone. Then Tommy saw him farther down the deck loading a gun. He had not been dead after all, but merely stunned. Tommy was relieved. He clambered stiffly to his feet. It was good to be alive ! The Oregon was still safe-that was all that mattered.
The Spanish Colon and Vizcaya were just ahead. The Oregon was speeding toward the Viscaya now, firing fast. It was twenty minutes of ten. Another piece of shell struck the Oregon's hull. The Oregon raked the Viscaya. Great, treacherous orange columns of fire leaped from the Viscaya's hull. She ran for the shore in flames. The Spanish Colon was still running away to the west. The fire from the Viscaya was so hot that Tommy could hardly bear the heat. His own skin seemed to be burning. He choked in the smoke and gasped for breath. All about him the air was full of flying pieces of charred wood, sparks, and cinders. The Viscaya's mast began to shiv- er. Tommy saw men, toppling from the crow's nests or watch towers of the trembling mast. It swayed uncertainly, then fell with a crash. He could hear the shouts of the man. It sounded as if they were cursing in Spanish. Tommy ducked just in time to avoid being hit by a burning piece of wood. The Vis- caya lay abandoned now. Tommy watched fascinated as the outlines of the once proud Spanish ship withered and curled like a burning paper doll.
Tommy could not tell whether the American ships be- hind them were firing or not. No orders had come through. It was now eleven o'clock. All the Spanish ships had been driven ashore and burned except the Colon.
The chase for the Colon began. That ship had gotten a good head start while the other ships were fighting. She was too far away to hit. Clark ordered the firing to cease. He talked with the lieutenants who were posted about the big guns.
For thirty miles the Oregon chased the Colon. On and on the two ships raced through the foaming waves. The Colon was headed toward the United States. One Spanish ship could do a lot of damage. Besides, if one ship escaped, the victory was incomplete.
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"I'm afraid our guns can't stand the strain yet," Tommy heard Captain Clark say.
"I beg to differ with you, Captain," Lieutenant Nicholson replied. "I think they can now."
"All right. Fire!" ordered Captain Clark.
The guns started roaring again.
Captain Clark climbed back up onto the top of the thirteen inch gun turret, in front of the conning tower .* Tommy could see his white figure outlined against the smoky sky. The dark visor of his white cap glistened in the pale light. Behind him was the six inch turret, from which came the guns trained to starboard. He stood fearless, calm, erect-a strong, splendid lonely figure in the midst of stormy waves, flaming ships, and battling men.
Tommy felt a thrill of pride. "That's my Captain," he said to himself.
The eight inch shot did not seem to reach the Spanish ship. Captain Clark ordered the men to stop firing it and use only the thirteen inch guns.
At last the proud Colon was humbled. She had put up such a game fight that Tommy felt almost sorry for her as he watched her flag come slowly down in surrender. Tommy looked up proudly at the Stars and Stripes still waving tri- umphantly on the Oregon.
Tommy watched the pennant signals of the Brooklyn ex- citedly. He was beginning to learn the code. "Cease firing," he made out. Ensign Johnson, watching the boy's moving lips, smiled and helped him with the rest of it. "Congratulations for the grand victory. Thanks for your splendid assistance."*
The New York brought up Admiral Sampson.
Tommy was more interested now in the sinking Colon than he was in the Admiral. He saw that the Colon was set- tling fast. An American boat was sent out to her. The men climbed aboard and tried to save her. It was no use. She was
* Description of Clark obtained from looking at a copy of a painting by Frederick Vinton.
* "The Vermonter," Vol. XI, No. 10.
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sinking too rapidly. The men gave up and climbed back into their boats. Just as they reached them, the Colon rolled over onto her side. Tommy knew that this was the end of the Colon.
It had been a splendid victory for the Americans. On the American side only one man was killed and only one man seriously wounded. There had been no casualties on the Ore- gon. The Spanish had lost all of their ships. Five hundred of their men had been killed and seventeen hundred captured. Captain "Jack" Philip of the Texas had called to his men, "Don't cheer, boys. The poor fellows are dying."*
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