Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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NO SAFE PLACES The Danger to Men 01 About ] Philadelphia Kee WASHINGTON, April 8.-There has | been a great amount of speculation ? lately as to the safest spot on a mod ern man-of-war in a sea-fight. It has been asserted that men below in the engine and fire rooms and in the bunk ers are bound to have the best of it, not only beoause their duties keep most of them below the waterline, and therefore out of the way of the raking of rapid-fire batteries, but also be cause they are shielded above by pro tective decks and all around by boiler and machinery protecting armor. The men who hold to this view forget all about the matter of torpedoes. Some other amateur sea fighters of the land, landly, take the view tl?at the men on deck have a better show in a naval engagement, for the reason that they have a chance to swim for it, and be picked up by the enemy as prison ers of war, if their vessel is sunk. ( They assume, of course, that the en emy is in the habit of picking up the castaway members of a defeated and submerged ships crew". This is by no -neans a safe assumption. The enemy nas often rescued and held as prison ers of war the members of the crew of a beaten ship, but just as often has permitted them to keep right on swimming. So long a period has elapsed since there have been naval fights between entirely civilized Pow ers that the two countries that next engage in battles at sea will have the responsibility of creating new rules of warfare, and one of the rules ought to cover this point. In any event, speculation as to whether the deck force or the gang below will have the better of the bar gain in a pitched sea fight must be based almost wholly on theory. Capt. McGiflin, the lion-hearted American naval officer, whose observations on the sea fight of the Yalu form about the only practical basis for considera tions about battles between modern ships, should surely have known something about the safe spot on board a naval vessel. He was on the deck of his ship, the best of the Chi nese fleet, during the entire action on the Yalu. The writer asked him, soon after his return from China, if there were not moments during the fight in which he felt like making a run for it. "Bun where?" was McGifiin's in quiry. "Lcan't truthfully say that I - felt like bolting for it at all^ during tiat mix. I didn't have time to think of anything like that. There was too mach going on on deck, anyhow, and I didn't want to miss anything. The most cowardly man becomes quite for getful of danger in a sea fight, as a rule. "We ' had three men-lubberly coolies-who were found hiding aTay up forward on the berth d-jsk when the fight was finished. The men who found them nearly ?at them to death. A very great feeling of curiosity ani mates all hands in a battle at sea. Chinamen are about the least curious men in the world; yet the deck offi cers on my ship had great trouble in keeping the membirs of the black gang, tihe firemen and coal-passers and .even the machinists, down below dur ing the action. They kept poking ?heir heads above the main deck, lift ing off the hatches for the purpose, to -see how we were making out. On the whole, I think the men below are more nervo? during a fight than the men ?on deck. They are a bit 'afraid of what they can't see. It's just like .the fear of a man lying in bed in a ?dark room when he knows there is a burglar within a few feet of him. The men on deck can see the whole game, and the smoke and the roar infuse the devil of battle into them, and they simply don't care whether thc ship remains on top or goes down. They literally enjoy the fun. A lot of our gunners were positively hysterical with deligkt. Some of them laughed like wild men. They muttered to themselves and howled like drunkards. Indeed, half the ship's company look ed to me as if they were three parts drunk after the fight, yet there was no grog. They reeled about, with silly, drunken expressions on their faces, although they knew we were licked. "But as for running, where would a man with any sense run during an action, even if he felt that the<matines of the ship wouldn't shoot him down for cowardice? There is no sweet berth when your ship is cleared for ac tion. On deck or below, fore or aft, every man's chance is about equal, all things considered. The commanding officer has no better show than the rawest landsman. I'd rather be on deck any time in a fight. I don't be lieve I could be induced to take an engineer s trick during an action. Not that the engineer or any of his gang stand in any more danger than thc deck force engagod in fighting the ship: but the uncertainty that chokes thc man below is wearing, as all of our engineers and some of the Japanese engineers after it was all over, told mc." Common and perfectly equal as the dsnger in which all hands on board a IN A SEA FIGHT. :i Deck and ."Below is Equal. 'tiing lelcgram. modern man-of-war unquestionably stand during a fight, there are, of course, some stations that appear to be more ticklish for the men assigned to them than others. Kor example, there is probably not a sea soldier in thc United States marine corps to-day who is not figuring on the insignifi cant show he will probably have for his life if, in the event of his ship getting into action, he is detailed with a picked few of his mates to man the rapid-firing guns in the fighting tops. At first glance the fighting top of a modern ship of war appears to be quite the "nost dangerous spot on the ship, fore or aft, in case of action. There has never been any good oppor tunity to test this, for fighting tops, (rightly called military masts) are of comparatively recent development, and during, the Chino-Japanese naval engagements no systematic attempt seems to have been made on either side to raze the fighting tops to the docks or into thc sea. The propor tion of killed and wounded in the fighting tops during those engage ments was considerably less than on the deck. Tn a sea fight between ex pert manipulators of ships, however, there can be no doubt that the vessels will go each at the other's military masts with enthusiasm at thc very outset, for bhe purpose of silencing the deadly play of the rapid-firing guns, which are capable of making terrific havoc on an enemy's decks. The rapid-firing guns only would be used for the purpose of chopping off or knocking over the enemy's fighting tops, for a fighting top is a small mark in long range shooting, and no gunner would be so foolish as to waste big gun projectiles in an attempt to shave a mark the chances of striking which are about as a thousand to one against him. But rapid-firing guns are accu rate, and their projectiles are power ful enough to do for the strongest fighting top that ever reared its ugly, circular head from the deck of a ship of war. The sides of the fighting tops are armored, but they are not armored sufficiently as to render them impene trable to the projectiles of ordinary rapid-firing gun?. The sea soldiers man the fighting top guns, and it may be set down as something mighty cer tain that in the event of war the duels between the marines in the fighting tops will be sanguinary features of the sea fights. The bluejackets who are stationed in the magazine during a sea fight are certainly no better off than their mates, either above or below deck. Each commander*in a naval battle knows precisely where his foes mag azines are located, and there is likely to be some tall aiming for magazines in the next naval war. To those who are unfamiliar with the gtneral ex pertness of modern great gun marks manship and the extraordinary accu racy of some of it, it might seem pure foolishness for a gunner to make an attempt to hit any especial part of an enemy's ship at a range of several miles. Those who think in this way, however, have only to bc referred to the bit of marksmanship performed by one of the 13-inch gun crews of the battle ship indiana the other day. This crew, using service projectiles and charges in practice, put two 13 inch shots right through the same hole. This sort of marksmanship is hy no means unoommon in the United States navy, the standard of which for great gun expertness is as high as that of any navy in the world. It is no unusual thing for the gunners of American men-of-war engaged in big gun'practice to tear the canvas targets to ribbons, at the very longest effec tive ranges, before the practice is well begun. This being the state of the great gun marksmanship at thc present time, it is reasonable to sup pose that the men in the magazines in a sea fight should have no especial causp for being happy over their fel lows above their stations. One great gun shell plumped well over a maga zine, even though the magazine be all far below the water line, is likely to cause enough trouble to induce the magazine men to wish they were on deck, if they have a chance to think at all. Moreover, there is such a thing as a heavy projectile penetrat ing an artnored ship below thc water line, as was proved on thc Yalu, and if this should happen at a point of the ship where a magazine chanced to be located, the men hauling ammuni tion and manning the hoists in the same would never know what happen ed to them. Then there is always a likelihood of shells exploding on deck and bits finding their way through thc open magazine hatches-and such a I thing would Le dangerous enough. I Thc magazine men. moreover, have to ! work in practical darkness. Maga zines of modern men-of-war are nf course fitted with no standing lights of any sort. In times of peace, when the gunners mates and inspecting of ficers wish to examine the interiors ol' magazines, they carry portable incan descent electric lights with them, but in handling loose ammunition during actual fighting even these portable electric lights would be deemed dan gerous, so that the magazine men would have to grope for it and take out their nervous curiosity as to what might be happening to their ship or fleet in wondering. Thc officer would have no advantage whatever over the enlisted man in the matter of greater safety in a modern naval engagement. The sword-carry ing men with the range-finders were lopped off with complete impartiality in thc Yalu fight. An officer in com mand of a gun has even a bit the worst of the chance in comparison with the men handling the gun, for in order to get a line on the enemy he must ne cessarily expose himself to the ene my's scientific rapid-fire play, while the gunners have the protection of the gun shields and barbettes. Even the commanding officer is no better as a war risk than the humblest mess at tendant in a fight. His station on modern ships will generally be in his ship's conning tower, and, well as conning towers on ships of war of to day are protected, eminent naval au thorities havent much faith in their invulnerability. Conning towers are necessarily in exposed spots - al most always away forward, beneath where the bridge ought tobe, but isn't when the ship is cleared for action and gunners of the enemy arc natural ly expected to do what they can to ward sending the commanding officer of an antagonistic ship into the next world before his time. The man in the bunkers, viz. the humble coal passer, is likely to have a dismal, unsatisfactory time of it dur ing the progress of a fight. Ile sees absolutely nothing, but what he does not see is more than atoned for by whai he hears. Any man who has J r ever listened to the intonation of great guns during target practice from thc shelter of a half empty coal bunker is likely to remember the twenty times amplified thundering that threatens to rip his ear drums in twain. Theo retically, the coal passer is supposed to shovel buckets full of coal and trundle them along the trolleys in the mellow light of many 16-candle incan descent lights, and as a matter of fact all modern ships' coal bunkers are lighted. But the writer, who has crawled through the bunkers of many a modern man-of-war. American and foreign, has found that standing elec tric bunker lamps rarely illuminate. The glass around the wires is smashed in the process of coaling ship, and, of course thc lamps do not work. Naval constrictors are still trying to find some scheme to illuminate bunkers. The co:il passer, standing his watch in thc bunker of a ship in action, then, has thc additional gloom of darkness to fight, unless he violates a rigid reg ulation by carrying an open light into his bunker. He does not know when an armor-piercing shell is going to pass directly through thc bunker he is working in, and altogether his station in a fight is not a desirable one. Nor has the fireman or the water tender a very cheerful station. Both of these members of the black gang, of course, are in the boiler rooms, and they have perpetually before them thc possibility of si great shell ripping its way through a boiler, thus insuring them a death by scalding. The oileris another mau of thc black gang who has a title to feel nervous when his ship is fighting for he is always more or less tangled up in the machinery, apparently en deavoring to see how near he can ap proach death without actually compas sing his own, and in the event of a shot dropping through the deck and among the intertwisted masses of ma chinery, he is liable to be torn to pieces by thc same, "racing wild," as the engineers call it, even if he is not done for by the explosion. "The soft spot," as an old gunner's mate put it, "is about five fathoms be neath her, in a diving suit." Curiosities of the Bible. The following Bible curiosities are said to have been gained by a study of thc good book by the Prince of Gran ada, heir apparent to the Spanish throne, during his 33 years' imprison ment at thc place of Skulls Prison, Madrid: "In the Bible thc word Lord is found 1 ,S5:> times: the word Jehovah, (?,S35 times, and the word reverence but once, and that in thc il th verse of thc llltli Psalm. Thc 8th verse of the 118th Psalm is thc middle verse of the Bible. The ?Uh verse of the 8th chapter of Esther is the longest verse. Thc 35th verse, 11th chapter of St. John, is the shortest. In thc 107th Psalm four verses are alike, the , 8th, 15th, L'lst and .'Hst. Mach verse of the 1.36th Psalm ends alike. No names or words with more than six syllables are found in thc Hilde. Thc 37th chapter ol' Isaiah and. tho 19th chapter of ll. Kings art-alike. Tin word girl occurs but once in the Pi llie, and that in thc 3d verse and -Jd chapter of Joel; and lin- word boy bul ?mee. Zech. 8:5. There arc found in both books of thc liible 3.580,481-! let ters and 773,093 words- fresliyfertan ?ii ri- ir. A torpid liver robs you of ambition and ruins 3-our health. DeWitt's Little Early Risers cleanse the liver, eure con stipation nntl all s tu tn ar h and liver trou bles. Evans Pharmacy. Took His Lusl Cent. Lung experience behind the bar has j taught Mike Lougherty, of Phoenix- ? ville, the difference between a deserv- j ing case and a counterfeit. Ile knows j how to steel his heart against the I earnest plea of a worthless charaeter "for just one drink on tick." So when "Wry Face Mike." a notorious bum of the town, wandered into the bar over which Dougherty presides one night last week the experienced bartender was on the qui vive. "This is a touch," said Dougherty to him- j self, and he waited development*. ! The man with the picturesque pet name was in no hurry. He dwadled about, casually commenting from time to time on the condition of the weather, the likelihofd of war with Spain, and the general political situation. The subject of politics naturally led up to the question of drink. Mike drew a coin out of his pocket, lodked at it, sighed, and put it back again. "He's got the price," thought Dougherty, with surprise. "Say."' remarked "Wry Face," by way of introduction, "I want a drink, and I want a night's lodgin'. I can't ! have both unless-" "Save your breath." interrupted j Dougherty, "you'll make no touch ; here." "Would you take a man's last cent fur a drink?" asked the other pleas ingly. "Sure: in a minute." "Huh! take a man's last cent?" "Yes." "Solong as yer git decoin. ye're satisfied," he continued, with a sneer. "Yes." "Wry-Face paused and pondered fora minute, then he said: "Minime whisky." He poured out a "snifter" and drank it off with a gusto. Then he drew thc coin from his packet and laid it on thc bar. "There yer are. That's me last cent." That's what it was, and nothing more. Simply a copper penny. He was gone before Dougherty recovered from the shock.-Philadelphia Record. Pitts Carminative aids digestion, regulates the bowels, cures Cholera Infantum, CholeraMorbus, Dysentery, Pains, Griping, Flatulent Colic, Un natural Drains from the Bowels, and all diseases incident to teething chil dren. For all summer complaints it is a speeific. Perfectly harmless and free from injurious drugs and chemi cals. The Housekeeper Should. Always rub a little soft (not melted) butter over thc top of bread dough when in a mass, and after being moulded iuto loaves, this prevents a hard crust. Always make starch with soapy water, which will give a better gloss to thc linen and prevent the irons from sticking. Always open canned fruit or vegeta bles an hour or two before they are needed, that thc flavor may be im proved. And always empty the con tents of a tin can into a glass or china di&h as soon as it is opened. Always keep steel ornaments in powdered starch to prevent their rust ing. Always invert the wash tubs and put a little water on the bottom of them, so they will not dry out and leak before the following wash day. Always see that the shoes are prop erly cared for when taken off at night, straighten and smooth out the wrink les, draw down from the instep and pull up from thc heel. Xever paper a wall that is inclined to be damp, without first making it impervious to moisture: which may bc done by applying a varnish of one part shellac to two of naphtha. The disagreeable odor will soon disappear, and. after paperiug, there will bc no. more trouble from moisture stains. Xever read, nor sew. nor write im mediately after coming from compara tive darkness into a bright light, if you have good eyes and would keep them good. Xever add salt to new milk used for gravies, stews, etc., until just before serving, if you would avoid curdling the milk. X'ever despair when the linen seems hopelessly scorched from an over-heat ed iron; soak the stain in hike-warm water, squeeze lemon juice on it, sprinkle a little salt over it, and place it in thc sunshine to bleach. -X. ?? -- "I would not be without Chamber lain's Cough Ilemedy for its weight in gold.' writes D. J. Jones, of Holland, Va. ''My wife was troubled with a cough for nearly two years. I tried various patent remedies, besides nu merous prescriptions from physicians, all of which did no good. I was at last persuaded to try a bottle of Cham berlain's Cough Ilemedy. which promptly relieved the cough. The second bottle effected a complete cure.' ' The 25 and 50 cent bottles are for sale by Hill-Orr Drug Co._ DEAN'S PATENT FLOUR. EVERY BARKEL GUARANTEED. Our Mill writes us that we, upon their re sponsibility, "may guarantee every Barrel of Dean <fe RatliilYs Fancy Patent, Dean <fe RatlifiVa Patent. Dean's Patent, Dean & Ratline's Choice Family, and Dean & Katbffe's Standard, and that, they mean every word thev say.'' This is a gilt edge guarantee, and we stand ready to make it good for them If you can get a guaranteed Flour at the .?ame price as a wild-cat article, why not buy the one that is guaranteed ? We want to say that we have the Cheapest line of Shoes in town-all new styles, Bress Goods of all kinds, and Light and Heavy Groceries, To Buit a poor man's pocket book. All we ask is a tria', DEAN & RATLIFFE. 1p9r Partie? owing us for GUANO will please come forward at once and close ! their accounts by Note, as we requiro this to be dono hy May l3t. D. & R. I Are always away up-to-date, With prices seldom beaten, With latest goods in the State, * Which are "out of sight" when eaten. Selling Pickled Shad is their latest fad, And Graham Flour is their pet ; It's mighty hard to beat their lard, And their Hams are the rage yet ; Their Canned Goods the famous "Royal Scarlet" brand, Many medals have won as purest under the sun, And Blanke Bros. Candy finest in the land, For sale by H. B. FANT & SON, who give the best goods for the "mon." Phone 89. Free City Delivery. Fine old Apple Vinegar. COTTON IS CHEAP AND SO ARE SBOCnOBHIg. LIVE AND LET LIVE IS OUR MOTTO ! WE have a choice and select Stock of FAMILY and FANCY GROCERIES, Comdsfcuig uf almost everything you univ need to eat. Our Goods are fresh, were bought for cash, ami will be sold as low as the lowest. Please give nie a call before purchasing your Groceries. Thanking all for past favors and soliciting a continuance ol' thc same We are yours to please, * Qr. B\ BIGBY. DUKING THE SPKING MONTHS While business is supposed tobt* dull, wo havo decided to oller GREAT IN DUCE M EN TS in our large and well selected Stock of . DRY GOODS, NOTIONS, HATS and SHOES. We have several thousand dollar." worth of the?? Goods tint WM are coing to sell for less than same Goods can be bought for elsewhere No wind-work ?diout ihU;. Come see for yourself. Wc carry a Splendid Stock of Heavy Groceries, And make Specialties of Fine Flour. M liasse*, Coll?e, Tobacco and Sugar. If von will honor UR with a visit when you want lo buy your next bill, wo will appreciate it and make it mighty interesting for you. < Jonie see for yourself. Yours for Traffic, BROWNLEE & VANDBVERS. i ?- - ~jrMnrrfr ~> rm n I n ,-rn? RAGS, SAGS, RAGS ! I am again buying Rags-Save them up and bring them and your Hides ! If* y o IA need a good STEEL BANGE OR STOVE AT bottom' prices, either for Cash or ou time for a good Note don't, fail to see my line. I will swap you a New Stove for your old"one or for Cattle, and give you the market price for your Cattle. Now is the time to get you a good Stove before cotton-planting time Tiuware, ('rockery, Glass, Lamp Goods, &c, A. SPECIALTY. Thanking you all for past favors, and soliciting a continuance of same Respectfully, _ .' mm T. BIJRRTSS CRESCENT BICYCLES" MORE of them sold than any other There must be good reasons for this, when the same condition prevails every year. They must have merit. Why You Should Ride a Crescent ! The price as well as the quality is guaranteed. If you buy a CRES CENT you will never be annoyed by having a duplicate of your wheel adver tised at Department Store prices. CRESCENTS are sold through Bicycle Dealers, who protect and stand hy their customers. We sell the CRESCENTS as cheap as they can be bought anywhere in the wide world. Buy where you are assured fair treatment. 83,000 Crescents sold in one year. Best liked where best known. SULLIVAN HARDWARE CO. W. W. SULLIVAN, Manager Bicycle Department. Furniture Store ! OF -- Still in the Lead ! They have the Largest Stock, Best Quality, and Certainly the Lowest Prices ? OTHERS try to get there, but they miss it every time. New, beautiful and select Stock of Furniture, <fec, arriving every day, and at PRICES NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE. Here you bave the Largest Stock ; therefore, you can get ;ust what you want. Here you have the Best Grade of Furniture ; therefore, you can get Goods that will last. Here you have thc very LOWEST PRICES ; therefore, you save good big money. flfcsT Come along, and we will do you as we have been doing for the la? forty years-sell you the very best Furniture ibr the very lowest prices. HS- The largest Stock in South Carolina aud the Lowest Price in the Southern States. New Lot Baby Carriages Just S?eceived. F. TOLLY & SON, Depot Street, Anderson, S. C. THIS 8S iMO FAKE ! swelry Palace OF - WILL. R. HUBBARD'S, NEXT TO r. and M. BANK. Has the Largest, Prelltest and Finest lot of . . . XMAS AND WEDDING PRESENTS XN THE CITY. Competition don*! <';it any ice with me when it comes to prices. I don't buy poods to keep. 1 want the people to have them. Gold ann Silver Watches, Sterling and Plated Silverware, Jewelry. Clocks, Lamps, Chiua. Spectacles, Novelties of all kinds. Rogers' Tripple Plate Table Knives SI.50 per Set. A world beater. WILL R. HUBBARD.