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Show SAVED BY THE TYKE INSTANCE OF QUICK THINKING ON CRITICAL OCCASION. Probable Total Loss of Manof-War Averted by Mere Apprentice His Warrant Officer's Uniform Uni-form Well Merited. Quito a number of rormcr apprentices appren-tices arc weatlng tho uniforms or warrant war-rant officers In our servlco becnuso they were quick thinking boys on critical occasions. Ono or them was extraordinarily handy with his knife ono day whon tho ship on board or which ho wns serving as approntlco had a Bwell chanco to go to the bottom, but for him. Thoy were having heavy gun nnd conning tower practice. Tho skipper skip-per was doing some firing from his position In tho conning tower by touching touch-ing tho electric button alongside ot him. The apprentice wns acting as the skipper's messenger during that practice. Projectile and charge had been rammed Into one or tho six-Inch guns on tho main deck. Somo confusion In orders came about. At nny rate tho skipper had his finger within a couple or inches of tho electric button ready to press It and thus discharge the bIx-Inch bIx-Inch gun, when tho approntlco wbb on tho Job. Standing just outsido tho conning tower and having rrom thnt position a view ot tho gun ahead to bo flicd, the youngster observed that tho breech or tho six-Inch gun hadn't yet been closed, and there was the skipper on tho very pin point or touching tho button that would fire the gun with the unlocked breech. If tho gun went off In that condition thero wns tho finest kind of a chanco for the rocoll of tho Inimcnso pleco to drive tho gun right thiough tho ship's bottom. Tho apprentice didn't have much tlmo to think, but he didn't need much. Ho figured It all out In nn Instant that If htf yelled at tho skipper that tho breech wasn't locked the suddenness or tho yell might so stnrtlo tho skipper that his linger would Involuntarily como down on tho button nnd thus discharge the gun. Tho boy's ship's knlfo with the big blade was In his loft hand shirt pocket hanging thero for Its lanyard. He had It out and tho blade open In nn Incredibly short spneo of time, and ho mado ono cat-like cat-like dab with the shaip blado or tho knlfo nt the electric wire belonging to tho button that lod right alongside whore the boy was standing by tho conning tower. The blade cut tho wlro In two n fraction of n second before be-fore tho skipper's finger reached tho button, breaking the electric connection connec-tion and In every likelihood preventing prevent-ing a tremendous calamity. Tho boy was only a tyko and not very strong, nud Just as soon as ho slashed the wire ho fell forward on his face In a dead faint an odd thing, too, that, for a boy serving on a mnn-o'-wnr, and yet tho Incident wasn't nny ordlnap- one. Tho skipper raised his head the Instant ho touched tho button nnd saw what had happened; tho looso ends of tho cut electric wire, tho prono boy and all tho rest ot It. Then he darted out of tho conning tower nnd saw tho breech of the big gun still unlocked. He understood It all long before tho boy was brought around to consciousness. That boy had no sooner finished his days or apprenticeship ap-prenticeship beforo ho wore tho warrant war-rant officer's uniform or n gunner. |
