Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1898 — Page 1 Advertisements Column 5 [ADVERTISEMENT]

a mountain of shot—tons of metal —on the foe in such quick succes s'on that he reels under the blows. Accuracy and rapidity combined are the vital, the conquering mentsin modern ironclad warfare, and a nation that is not thoroughly up to date in them both had better keep strictly out ot the business. “But,” and here the captain looked solemnly thoughtful, “it must certainly convince all who ■ have closely studied and watched the immunity of our vessels in all sorts of danger that Providence has been with us on more than actual battle days. Take the mirac* ulous escape of tin Marblehead and the Texas in their daring, reckless work with mines and torpedoes off Guantanamo. McCalla is a fearless daredevil, but it brought my heart into my mouth to see the way he juggled with sudden denth on the Marblehead. 1 expected every moment as he and the Texas played with fierce contact *orpadoes laid by the euemv. that one or both of them would be blown to bits. We don’t have to multiply illustrations. Only those who have been on ttie*scene and personally witnessed the incredibly charmed life of mu warships—how they escape without a scratch in battle, and how th y veer continually around danger in other forms-r- can understand how clearly all these wonderful occurrences point to Proyidence on our side.—Mail and Express. The Sublime The London Sat Touch. urday Review is is right in say ng that Gaptaib Phillips’ exclamation, “Don’t cheer, boys, those poor devils are dying,” is as fine as Nelson’s. “Kiss me Hardr.” It is indeed; but finer is the same Captain|Philiips’ action In asking his men to offer thanks to the Almighiy. The full story is in a cable dispatch to the New York Jour'* nal from on board the battleship Texas: The Spanish admiral’s ship was already burning, and at 11:05 down came the yellow and red flag at her stern, and we swung in abeam. Theu in a moment there was a mighty explosioL on the Oc[uen .‘o, and oui boys s.t up a cheer. °Don’t cheer, boys,” shouted Captain Philip, “these poor devils are dying.” « * * * * « Commodore Schley, oomiu r alongside the Texas in his gig, after his visit to the surrendered Colon, oalled out cheerily to Captain Philip: “It was a nioe fight, Jack, wasn’t it?” _ Three loariug cheers and a resonndinT ti;er went up from the Texas veterans as h greoting to their old commander, a d then Captain Philip oalled all hands to the quarter-deck, and, with bared head, offered th nka to God for Ihe victory—an almost bloodliss victory on ou side. “I want to make public acknowledgement here that I believe in God, the Father Almighty, ’’ said Captain Phili y, “I want all you officers and men to lift your hats and from your hearts offer silent thanks to the Almighty. ” Every at went off, and there was a moment or twolof silence, and then the overstrained nerves were relieved again by three mighty cheers for the heroic capta n. Verily, suen a thing as this glo* rifles tie Americen sailor more than his victories, and <casts alight on the American c aracter that can give us renewed hope. In one of the tense moments of life it is the better angel of ouv nature testifying to the truth of our national motto.. “In Go iwe trust.” Those wordsof Captain Philip wi 1 live. They will live with the great things that have been uttered in the world T hey have, indeed, the tenderneAS in them ot - Nelson’s “Kiss me, Hardy,” but they have a reverence that lifts them beyond tliat. Nel» bOD, in those dying words, typified tne truth of the poet’s line:

The bravest are the tenderest, The loving are the daring. Captain Philip’s words lift our nature beyond itself into the Ferwne state in which there Is rev rent a< knowledgment of belief in the power that make 3 for right*' eous .ess- “Heaven is above all,” said Shakespeare. Descendants of Shakespeare’s Englishmen invob* voluntarily expound that line of acknowledgment in the moment of victory. Su.ely few things greater that this have honored humanity. It ;s another t stiraony, and the highest of all, to the splendid character of the American sailor. The chperof the Trenton'is one of the finest things in history. In ;he hurricane at Samo.», when the German warships and our warships were driven ashore in the vain endeavor to get out to sea, the British ship Calliopo, having more powerful engines, was able to stand out to she passed victorious ov r the elements the Trenton, helpless m the storm, drifting on the beach, swarmed with our sailors, who, as one man broke into a cheer at tneir more fortunate British brethren vho were steaming by to safety. “Blood is thicker than water,” is a saying of Commodore Tatnall's ov r forty years ago, when breaking through the meshes of di, lomacy he and his Failors went to the rescue of the sorely beset British admiral in Chinese waters. Glorious as is the history of the British navy, surely it does not surpass in deeds of heroism and moments of high renown the records of oui own American navy, although it has the great Nelson at its head and in its ranks tVose hundreds of sailors who lined up on deck i ndwent down with the Birkenhead. ..Ins dionapolis News.