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HOW ENW BIUJS SmtlTHB PORTER
Leaped Into The Sea. Captured . a Torpedo
And Rendered it Harmless.
'iho torpedo involved in thi s
■tory was originally intended to
■ink an American ship in Santi
ago harbor. It came from Ad
miral Cervera’s torp* do squad
ron.
The hero of the war thus far
is Ensign Irving Van (Jordon
Gillis, who captured the destroy
er b) plunging overboard Ir m
the deck of the toipedo boat Por
ter f thus saving it from. dcstruc
tion. He came from New 'i ork
state.
The story of the torpedo and
the ensign furnishes good read
ing and shows the American
people what kind of boys we
have in our navy. It shews the
World that on our ships there are
heroes on every deck. But its
principal object is to tell tin
tale of how the boy
from the Empire state took des
perate chances and saved the
officers and crew of the torpedo
. boat Porter from an explosion
that would have sent them to
Davy Jones.
Os this act of courage the
world will continue to talk here
after.
So let it be known that Samp
son bad bottled Cervera’s fleet
tightly in the harbor of Santiago
and that there was no safe way
for them to get out. In semi
circle around the entrance to the
bottle hovered the American
■hips, dull and stolid by day ;
black and towering by night. On
the bosom of the Carribean these
monsters tossed and rolled to the
•well, and Cervera chaffed with
in the confines that had been
mapped out for him.
One night the torpedo tubes
of the Pluton opened and several
Sch wartz-Kopf torpedoes, with
their war ncses on, started for
the entrance of the harbor. There
waa a strong ebb tide running,
and Cervera figured that they
would pass through the channel
out to sea, and, guided by the
Providence that Spain always
has considered among its protec
tors, run into some of the Amer
ican ships and destroy them.
THE TORPEDO DISCOVERED.
It was not fated, however,
that this sort of assassination
•houid occur, after exhausting
their motive power, the misplac
ed emissaries ot destruction
ceased their direct action and
floated helplessly around in the
trough of the sea, passing
through the channel of the har
bor out into the open.
The gray streaks of the morn
ing were beginning to break in
the east, the coxswains’ whistles
■" sounded across the lazy sea and
the crews rose from their sleep
on the white decks of the Amer
ican fleet. From the crags and
;> the shore birds mounted
• tkyward, and the sea gulls'
wings touched the fighting tops
oCour ships as they swept by.
. The big, silent throated guns,
trained on the batteries of Morro
and along the fortifications,
( «f«med to yawn their awakening
, *pd the tints of morning splash
id, along the ocean and mingled
with the yellow brass that trim
med our vessels. There were no
W of war.
Capt. Fremont, of the Porter,
with hit glass in hand and En
■ign Gillis By his fide, stepped
in the gunwales of his boat from
•he main companionway and
■canned the scene. Shoreward,
from the staff of the Morro and
along the batteries ot Spain,
floated the fl ig of Alphonso,
i while u ’ ii I down the ecast lay i
the shi] s of Sampson, flying the I
American colors and waiting for
something to turn up.
Indeed, something was to oc
:ur in a few minutes—something
that would thrill (he officers and
men >f the Porter—for in a very
few moments, lb.pt. Fremont
detected something coming to
. ward the ship on the swell of
the tide. Il glistened aft and
was black and porpoiselike for
ward. IP- (lid not require his
glass to detect a Schwartzkopt
. torpedo floating along toward
the Porter. It was not moving
i rapidly, but it seemed to come
. out of the gray mists of the’
, morningas though for sotne
, thing to dost roy.
Ensign Gillis saw it, too. In a
moment he had tossed his ofli
. cer's coat on the deck and had
, slipped hi', canvass shoes. With
, his hands on the rail he leaned
forward and watched the terri
ble instrument coming toward
the ship, rising and falling and
still approaching, nose on, with
each swi ll of the sea.
Gillis cl itched the rail firmly
and prepared to make the jump.
* ‘ 1 >on ’t do it, Gillis; she’s got
hi' war nose on I” exclaimed
(Japt. Fremont, reaching tor his
Ensign.
“I'll fix that, sir,” replied
GillF,leaping into thes-a before
his superior officer could re
strain him. With a couple of
I | strong strokes he reached the I
, side of the Schwartzkopf and
. cii clod’the nose with bis arm.
[' From the deck of the Porter
Fn inont gazed breathlessly at
. (he daring boy tossing about in
I the water beneath him.
|. Gillis quickly turned the nose
of the weapon away from the
, Porter, screwed the firing pin up
tightly, so that it could not op-
■ mate, and then swam back to
I the side of the torpedo boat,
, pulling his prize at his side. Lift-
■ ing his dripping hand from the
. water, he saluted his Captain
. and waited with his arm around
the now harmless torpedo, for
further orders!
He was quickly hauled aboard
’ and the prize was stowed for
-1 ward.
There is no ostentation about
Gillis and he took the honors
1 Leaped upon him calmly.
1 No more daring deed has been
L ' done during this war, and Rear
= Admiral Sampson compliwient
"ied the boy highly fir his brav
|ery. He is a grandson of Rear
Admiral Gillis, retired.
] gw
S CITY uF LIVIN’ 1 SKELIS TON S
1
P 'TARVING lIEEI'GEES Tlllt >NG FAM
INE-. Stricken Santiago.
Santiago de Cuba, July 20. — 1
( I Since 4 o’clock this morning a
Hirer in of skeleton refugees ha;
s I pt tiring into the cry, some
• naked, and all hungry and roit-
i, sore. Mmy had fallen by the way
-3 side.
, she town ot Santiago presents
y : a d smal sight. Most of the houses
. | have been sacked, and the stores
j, have all been lojkid, and nothing
|to eat can be had for love or
! money.
I Lu the streets of the city this
morning, at the entrenchments,
1 at the breast wo; k h and at every
hundred feet or so of the barbed
wire fences were the living skele
tons ot Spanish soldiers.
Otir Today —Congressman John
W. Maddox after a week’s illness
was able to be out a short while
i this morn lug. |
S H, P. WOOTEN & BRO., *
** rtr' *
Successors to J
* .-CT— -- ROME PHARMACY. -> '
* ""
2JJ 309 Broad st.—New Clark Building.
We have bought the entire stock of the “R -
□3 Pharmacy and are prepared to supply y oul s ‘
K the drug, piescription and patent medicine im. gjj
stock is complete and ol the very highe-t gnu eg
' We solicit a part of your patronage am s i.i t
-'IB deavor to the best of our ability toplease you a a > or,
times. We should be pleased to have you call on us.
Full line of druggist’s sundries, toilet, articles and
such things as are usually carried in a lirst-c ass uiug
. store. Cigars and tobacco.
Come to see us. ->
RAW*’
*-M £
2 K '
i
S S. M Stark, a.
43 .«
1 UDUB AND GEMjM B
H
m Dougherty Bldg, 2nd A «
‘ ...:
-X ■
«
. • ___
F. HANSON. * ' NORRIS N. SMITH.
J THE HANSON SUPPLY CO. |
2 Plumbing and Tinning. 2
{Engineers’ anl machinists'
supplies. Stoves, ranges and *
tinware. Gas and electric fix- c
tures. INSURANCE gasoline §
2 stoves. Water meters. |
1 325 Broad st. Phone 32. ®
i? «
51.25 ail Ji 5 > T ; jli s'lirti fir 5
J. A. G.AIDI i -COMPANY
WAITING '■’■’■ESZ
for everyone in Rims to co tie
. in and see the magnificent stor*k
on men’s and boy’s clothing,
* bicycle and golf suits, is wh it
we are doing, but we are hus
"tling while we wait. We will
show you the finest stock o!
* J j ill clothing, made from the newest
vtrMr styles and patterns in fabricks
perfect fitting and handsome, to
be found in Georgia, and they
are above competition in values
for tliO-price.
j
Ihe greatest line of negligee shirts
ever shown in Rome.
J. A. GAITVION c ' I
-.— —■■■■—_- I
Can supply al!
Ours is the Most Complete! x
Department Nursery r±7. t<> OKM
in tn 9 Us S« rates. Wc publish one of I
MHv the Seed, Plant and Tree Catalogues issued,
which will be mailed free. Send for it n.>w, it will pC? 1
•ve you money. Try us, can refer you to customers in every state and territory
11 the Union. 43 years of squsre dealing has made us patron? and friends Lh and t !
Fear. Have hundreds of carloads of ’
FRUIT AND ORNAMENTAL TREES, SHRUBS, ROSES, PLANTS.
We sand by mail postpaid. Seeds, Bulbs, Plants, Roses, Small Trees, Etc. Safe arrival r
e-Uain*un guaranteed; larger by .aprsu or freight 44th year. 3a'fieenhouses. 1 00a-ci
THE St HARRISOM Go- •>??* Gainesville? C '
- -n sl
■To Weal P?optj of Romes
It iswih pleasure that we introduce to our reader• u
o( a new and complete stock of
WMIB IBM
_n>_. jij : . tuuiMijj
AND
Siii/tii Musical ![iisii-u illeil
n th. r.nw Moieley building, 327 B,oa<l , trm ,
wllnro wo would bo pleased to havo y ou ~a U
examine our goods. * dll '
f Tiie stock consists of some of the boat
<4> ? iaims and organs on the market today. \v*
k'cp a fuL line of everything pertaining tea
class music store—Something Rome ha“ needed for
a long time. Give us a call and you wi || fin ,].
music stare that Romans may be proud of
i:-3 IItH- 11 l)l t) t •
s- 1 !I C' h ’ CIJ
(• ’ A . t . • -
the earliest possible date.
B, SaWMBsEiSi
327 Broad Street.
S. P. Davis, Manager.
X \ \ X X X \ XXX XX. XX X XX X X.v X \ \
We keep on liand-.it all times a full stock of
Sheet Music
•* I
• * -V ■ ’ ■
.
F.J-KANE& Q
u 248 B/oad Street.;
.
Sale ol Summer tn
■ Ch
•> X'X X X \ X X x X Xl/J? XXX X X \ \\AS\
N N x \ X X X X X X X.X *• X X X X X X X\ \ \ O
Lawns, Organdies, Piques, Percalf
Gingham and Madras.
xeX
Ready-Made Skirts and W
4*
We intend to close out oursh
stock, so take advantage of
pcries on shoes of the best makes.
Special prices on everything al
F. J, K ANRa.dC I
248 Broad Streat-
{ |7 —
\ mui—wb—w—OT ———
t’prmannntlv cured by using 7>R. WHITEHALL’S Rn v -UMATK <♦
wir ’st and the be«t. Sold by -rnggists on a positive £“, ftra
p..- Sii'tHn s-nt frop < n mention of this pub?
I'.- ‘-R Wur’"'- • VWBIMHII *
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