Show THE rIm MISSOURI Tho The disaster to the United States battleship Missouri the other day might have been worse but bul for tOI the presence of at mind of or one of ot tho the gunners named Monson onson He Ho was wP standing near the th open door of or the tho magazine when hell the 11 first m explosion occurred Obeying u II quick Impulse ho he jumped Into the magazine and amid closed the door after him po so o as us to prevent any sparks of ot fire Oro from entering that place The Thc expected that thol another explosion would occur and ond steered Moored for tor the hop hopIng hoping Ing to bench beach the tho ship before tho the final catastrophe Hut nUL presence of ot mind mill hUll haul already saved time tho This IH la tho the second time that the tho presence of or mind of ot American seamen saved the he Missouri from destruction Il tion Tho The North Atlantic squadron was maneuvering oft off The Tho vessels Ye wore moving In III two to columns the Missouri and the Illinois leading about MO 00 yards apart The Th steering gear became disarranged and tho the ship lurched for Cor tho the Illinois Captain tord commanding this thin vessel ossel at n t once unco swung his own ship In III the time direction and on got oaf out of oC tho the Missouri s sway way nosh wa The Tho danger however was tune no noet not yet et passed The steering apparatus was fixed and a tho the ships shillS resumed their places placed In the tho lines Again the rudder became unmanageable and once mama mOl the tho threatened to ram the Il JI Illinois Captain Bradford then Ihen ordered his engines reversed that the ship might cross croas the tho bows bowa of ot hla his vessel euel but hut Captain Cowles almost at nt the ennui samu lino reversed the engines and the two vessels moved movell slowly together Now thu Ihu captain of oC the tho Illinois gave IIVO evidence of ot his hla seamanship Waiting OB as the ships came CIUllO together until the th bow Jaw of at the he Missouri lord had passed too the turning center of the tho Illinois he ho put pul his ids hisholm helm holm hard hand a and turned his stern slem away awn from Crom the tile other othor vessel He lie could not clear the tho bow but ho compelled a glancing blow In h a n non vital spot rather than u a 1 direct bID blo blow The rho latter would have hae sent tho the Illinois to the bottoms bottom and very probably havo damaged tho the Missouri beyond repair In this way a great disaster was vas HI averted A Gorman German critic orille thinks that thaI tho the ac ae accidents that have occurred recently In tho lice American navy lira are bad symptoms toms It must raise the Iho question he ho pays fays 1111 of ot what tho Americans are arc tf tc think of or their nays navys readiness for or ac no action nolion lion tion and aul fighting value Wo We would II think though that nn OK long Ions as na mo are our ships hills and ami RUHR gone are nrC In ht charge thare of Qt such non men as Captain Bradford and Gunner Mate they thoy are aro typical I there thelo Is little cause for tor misgiving |