WARSHIPS IN THE MAKING.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3252, 4 September 1917, Page 2

WARSHIPS IN THE MAKING.

By JEFFERY FARNOL Author of teur Gen " Build me straight, 0 worthy Master ! Staunch and a goodly vessel, That shall laugh at all disaster And with wave and whirlwind wrestle!" —Longfellow. HE was an old man. with the indefinable courtliness ot hearing that is of a past generation; tall and spare he was, his white head bowed a little -by weight oi years; but almost with my iirsf glance' I Seemed to recognise him instinctively for that worthy Master Buikler of "goodly vessels staunch and strong. So the Master Builder I will call him.

He stood beside me at the window, with one in the uniform ot a naval cajviain. and we looked all three of us, at that which low might behold unmoved. "She's a beauty," said the captain; "she's all speed and grace from cutwater to sternpost." ■ I've been building ships for sixtyodd vears, and we never launched a better. * said the Master Builder. As for me, I was dumb. She lay within a stone's throw, a miirhty vessel huge of beam and length, her superstructure towering proudly aloft, her missive armoured sides sweeping up in noble curves a superdreadnought complete from trucks to keelson. " Yacht-like she sat in the water, all buoyant grace from lofty pnfw to tapering won liter, isnd to me there was something sublime in the grim end latent power, the strength and lieautv of her.

"But she's not so very big, is she!' inquired a voice behind us. The captain stared; the Master Builder smiled. "Fairly," he nodded. "A\ liy do you "Well, T usually reckon the size of a ship from the number of her funnels. and " "Ha.!" exclaimed the captain, explosively. "Humph!" said the Master Builder, gently : "after luncheon you shall measure her. if you like, but no\\\ I think, wo will go and eat." During a most excellent luncheon the tailk ranged from ships and books to submarines and seaplanes, with stories of bittle and sudden death, tales of risk and hardship, -of noble coufra.ge and heroic deeds, so that I almost forgot to ent and was sorry when at last we rose from table.

Once outdde. I had the good fortune to find myself between the captain and tho venerable figure of the Master Builder, in whose company I spent a never-to-be-forgotten afternoon. With them I stood alongside thi.s noble ship, which, seen thus near, seemed mightier than ever.

' Will she be fast?" I inquired. " Very fast for a dreadnought," said the captain. "And at top speed ijhe'li show no bow-wave to speak of." added the veteran. See how line her lines are fore and aft!" "And her gun power will be enormous," said the captain. Hard by I espied a solitary being, who stood, chin in hand, lost in contemplation of this large vessel. "Funnels or not, She's bigger than you thought?" I inquired of him.

He glanced at me, shook his head, sighed, and took himself by the chin again.

"Holy smoke!" said lie. ''And you have been building ships for sixty years?" I asked of tile venerable figure beside me. "And more," he answered. "And my father built ships hereabouts so long ago ;:(s IS2O and his grandfather before him."

"Back to the times of Nelson and Rodney and Anson." said I: "great seamen all. who fought great ships! What would they think of this one, I wonder?"

"That she was a worthy successor." replied the Master Builder, letting his eyes, so old "and wise in ships, wander up a*nd over the mighty fabric before us. "Yes," lie nodded, decisively, I " she's worthy —like the men who will fight in her one of these days. "But our eenmies and some of our friends) rather thought we had degenerated these latter days," 1 suggested. "Ah. well." said lie, very quietly, " thev know better now, don't you think V " Yes." said I; and again, " Yes." "Slow starters always," continued he, musingly; "but the nation that can match us in staying power has yet to be born.'' So, walking between these two, I listened and looked, and asked questions: and of wha.t I heard and of what I saw I could write much; but for the censor I might tell of armour-belts oi enormous thickness, guns of stupendous calibre, new methods of defence against sneaking submarine and torpedo attack. and of devices new .and strange: but of these I may neither write nor speak, because of the aforesaid censor. Suffice it that as the sun sank we came, all three, to a jetty whereto a steamboat lay moored, on whose limited deck were numerous figures, divers of whom beckoned me on So with hearty farewells I stepped: aboard the steamboat, whereupon die snorted and fell suddenly aqttivei' as she nosed out into the hroad stream, while. 1 stood to wave my hat in farewell. Side by side they stood, the cr.ptain tall and bread and sailor-like in lie blue and gold—a man of action, bold of eye. hearty of voice, free of gesture; the other, his silver hair agleam in the .setting sun, a man wise with years, gentle, and calm-eyed, niv Master Builder. Thus a - the distance lengthened 1 stood watdiing. until pra-ont!y the.' turned side by side, and so were gone. Slowly we steamed down the river, a drab, unlovely waterway, but a wonderful river none the less, whe-o banks teem with workers where ships are building: ships by the mile, by the. league, ships of all shapes oi all size-, shirs of all sorts and for many different purposes. Here are great, cargo boats growing hour bv hour, wit l ! liners great and small: here 1 saw mile on mile of battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines of strange design, with torpedo-boats of uncanny shape, tramp steamers, wind-jammers, squat colliers, and squatter tiers—the.': 1 last surelv the ugliest craft that ever wallowed iit water. Mine-lovers were here, with mine-sweeper., and hospital ships—a heterogeneous collection of well-nigh every kind of ship that floats. Some lar: finished and ready for launching: others just begun, were only a sketch, a hint of what soon would be a ship. On our right wer > shins, on our left were ships and more dons, a long persueciive - ships bv the million tons, until i'iv eves crew awearv of ships ami I went, below. Truly a wonderful river thi>. u dv in its vc.i-y {be p'o-f wonderful river evee mac see; a sigbi I shall never forget, a sight 1 shall always as- "into

'The Broad Highway," "The Amaleiiun." etc. with the stalwart figure of the captain and the white hair and venerable form ol the .Master Builder as they stood side by side to wave adieu. Beneath the shadow of a mighty bridge 1 stepped into a very smart launch manned by sailors in overalls somewhat grimy, and, rising and falling to the surge of the broad river, we held away for a destroyer that lay grey and phantom-like, low, rakish, and with speed in every line of her. As we drew near. her narrow deck looked to my untutored eye a confused litter of guns, torpedo-tubes, guy ropes, cables', and windlasses. Howbeit, I clambered aboard, and, ducking under a guy-rope and avoiding sundry other obstructions, shook hands with her commander, young, clear-er.'ed, and cheery of mien, who presently led me past -I stunip«y smokestack and' up a perpedicular ladder to the bridge, where, beneath a somewhat flimsy-looks ing structure, was 1 the wheel, brassbound 1 and highly bepolished, like all else about this crowded craft, as notably the binmacle and certain brassbound dials, on the faces whereof one might read such words as Ahead. Astern. Fast, Slow, etc. Forward of this was a platform, none too roomy, where was a gun most carefully wrapped and swaddled in divers cloths, tarpaulins, etc.—wrapped up with as much tender care as if it had been a baby, and delicate at that. But, as the commander casually informed me, they had been out patrolling all night and "it had blown a little' —wherefore I surmised the cloths and tarpaulins aforesaid. "I should thin." I ventuml, observing her sharp lines and slender build, "I should think she would roll rather frightfully when it does blow a. little." Vt ell. -he does a bit," he admitted, "but not so much. "Starboard!" said lie ever his shoulder to the bearded mariner at the wheel. "Take us round by the Tiger."

"Aye, aye. sir." retorted 1 the bearded one as we began to slide through the water.

j "Yes, she's apt to roll a bit perhaps, j out she's not so bad," he continued. | jiesides, yen get used to it." Here he fell to scanning the haze ahead through a pair of binoculars, a haze through which, as we gathered speed, ghostly shapes began to loom, portentous shapes that grew and grew upon the .sight—turret, superstructure, | and embattled mast. Here a mighty battle-cruiser, yonder a super-destroyer, one alter another, quiet-seeming on this autumn morning, and yet whose grim hulks held latent potentialities of destruction and death, as many of them have proved but lately. : As we passed these silent monstrous shapes the commander named them in turn, names which had been flashed ;'onnd the earth not so long ago, names i which shall yet figure in the histories to come with Gronville s Revenge, Drake's Golden Hind, Blake's Triumph, Anson's Centurion, Nelson's Victory and a , score of other deathless mimes —glorious names that make one proud to be ot the race that manned and fought thorn. I Peacefully tiiev rode at their moorings, the water lapping gently at their steel sides, hut. a,s we steamed past, on , more than one of them, and especially tht» grim Tiger, I saw the marks of the Jutland battle in dinted plate, scarred ; tunnel and superstructure, taken when | tor hours on end the dauntless six withstood the might of the German fleet, j So, as we advanced past these battle- ■ scarred ships. I felt a sense of awe, t iht indefinable uulift of soul one is conscious of when treading with soft and reverent foot the dim aisles of some , cathedral hallowed by time and the dust i of our noble dead. i "This afternoon," said the commander, offering me his cigarette case, " uvey're going to show you over the j Warspite—the German navy have sunk i her so repeatedly, you know. There," ! he continued, nodding towards a fleet 1 of squat-looking vessels with stumpy masts, "those are the auxiliaries—coal j and oil and that sort of thing—ugly ; beggars, but useful. Hdw about a i whisks - and soda?"

! Following him down the perpendicular ladder, he brought me aft to a; hole in t]i;■ deck, a small licit*, a round lio'e, into which lie proceeded to in.sert himself, lii'at his long legs, then iiis broad shoulders —evidently by an artifice learned through much practice. Finally hi.s jauntily capped head vanished, and thereafter from the deeps below his cheery voice reached me. 1 descended into a narrow chamber divided by a iongish table aaid flanked by berths with a chest of drawers beneath each. At the further end of this somewhat small and dim apartment and north-easterly of the table was a small polished s'tove wherein a lire burned; in a rack against & bulkhead were some half-dozen rifles, above our head was a rack for cutlasses, and upon the table was a decanter which the commander had unearthed from some mysterious rearss. and he was very full of apologies because the soda had run out. So ivc sat a while and (piaffed and talked, during which he showed me a favourite rifle, small of bore but of high power and exquisite balance, at sight of which i straightway broke the Tenth Commandment, lie also showed me a portrait of his wile (which 1 likewise admired >. a picture taken by himself and bv him developed iu some dai'K nock aboard. Alter a while we crawled into the air again to -find that we were approaching a certain jetty. And now, in the delicate manoeuvre ot .'.ringing to and making fast the vessel, my companions, myself, and all else were utterly forgotten, as with voice and hand the commander issued order on order until, gently as a nestling bird, the destroyer came to her berth and was made last. Hoteupon, having shaken hands all round, he handed us over to other naval men a.- cheery as lie. who in due season brought us to the depot ship, where luncheon awaited ih. 1 have dined in many places and have eaten with many different folk, but never have 1 enjoyed a meal more than this, perhaps because of the padre who presided at my end of the table. A manly cleric t!iis, bright-eyed resolute ol jaw, but humorous of month, whoso white choker did not .seem to offset the viriliuv of him. A man. 1 judged, who preached little and did mush —a si dor's padre in very truth. He told me how. but for an accident, be would have sailed with Admiral Craddock on his last ill-fated cruise, when so many died that right and justice might endure. " l'oor chaps!" viid 1. "Yes," -aid he. gently; "and "et it is surely a noble thing to die greatly !" And .-urely. surely for nil tho.se who in cau-e jn>t have met death unflinchingly arc!' unafraid, who ha'- .- taken bid 1 upon that which we call life ::.nu catried it through and lusvond the portals of death into a sphere of nobler and gival'T living - surelv to such a.s

these strong souls the Empire they served so nobly and loved so truly will one day enshrine them, their memory and deeds, on the brightest, most glorious page of her history, which shall be a monument more enduring than brass or stone, a monument that shall never pass away. >So we talked of ships and the sea and of men until, aware that the company had risen, we rose nJ>o, and donning hats and coats, set forth, talking still. Together we paced beside docks and along piers that stretche away hy the mile; massive structures of granite and concrete that had only come into being. so he told me, since the war. Side by side we ascended the broad gangway, and side by side we set foot upon the battle-scarred deck whose timbers here and there showed the 'whiter patches of newer wood. Here he turned to give me his hand, after first writing down his name and address, and, with mutual wishes of meeting again, went to his duties and left me to the wondeiN of this great ship. Crossing the broad deck, more spacious it seemed than an ocean liner, 1 came where my travelling companions were grouped about a grim memorial of the Jutland battle, a huge projectile that had struck one of the after-tur-rets, in the doing of which it had transformed itself into a great convoluted disc, and was now mounted a.s a memento of that tremendous day. And here it was that 1 became acquainted with my midshipmite, who looked like an angel of sixteen, Itore himself like a veteran, and spoke (when his shyness had worn off a little) like a British fighting man. To him I proffered the request that hi l would pilot me over this great vessel. which he (blushing a little) very reaidiiv agreed to do. Thereafter, in his wake, I ascended stairways, climbed ladders, wriggled through narrow spaces, writhed round awkward corners, up and ever up. "It's rather awkward. I'm afraid, sir.'" said he in his gentle voice, hanging from an iron ladder with one hand and 'a foot the better to address me.

" You see, we never bring visitors this wav, as a rule "

"Good!" said 1, crushing my hat 011 firmer. "The unbeaten track for me — lewl on !"'

Onward and upward lie led. until all at once wo reached a narrow platform, railed round and hung about with plaited rope screens, which he called .splinter-mats, over which 1 had a view ot land a.nd water, of ships and basins, of miles of causeways and piers, none of which had been in existence before the war. And immediately below me. far, far down, was the broad sweep of deck, with the forward turrets where were housed the great guns whose grim muzzles staled patiently upwards, nozzling the aiir almost as though scenting another battle.

And, standing in this coign of vantage, in my mind's eye I saw this mighty vessel as she had been, the heave of the fathomless sea below, the whirling battle smoke about her, the air full of the crashing thunder of guns as she quivered beneath their discharge. t heard the humming drone of shells coming from afar, a hum that grew to a wail—a shriek —and the sickening crash as they smote her or threw up groat water-spouts high as her lofty lighting tops• I seemed to hear through it all the ring of electric bells from the various ure-controls, and voices, calm and all unshaken by the hellish din, uttering commands down the many speakingtubes. "And you," said I, turning to the youthful figure beside me, "you were in the battle?"

Ho blushingly admitted that lie was. " And how did you feel ?" He wrinkled his smooth lirow and laughed a little shyly. "locally, I —T hardly know, sir." ] ;\sked him if at such times one was not inclined to feel a trifle shaken, a little nervous, or —might one say—at raid l ? "Yes, sir,'' lie agreed, politely, "I suppose so; only, you see, we are all too jolly busy to think about it." "Oh !" said I, taking out a cigarette; " too busy! Of course. 1 see. And where is the captain during action, as a ruler" "As a matter of fact, he stood just where you are, sir. Stood there the whole six hours it was hottest." Here!" J exclaimed. "But it is quite exposed." My midshipmite, being a hardy veteran in world-shaking naval battle.?, permitted himself a smile. "But, you see, sir, - ' he gently explained, "it's really far safer out here than being shut up in a gun-turret or - down below, 011 account of er —er, you understand, sir?'' "Oh, quite," .said I, and thereafter thought a while and, receiving his ready permission, lighted my cigarette. "I think." said I. a.s we prepared to descend from our lofty perch, "J'm sure it's just—er—that kind of thing that brought one Francis Drake out of so very many tight corners. Bv the waty, do you smoke?" My midshipmite blushingly confessed that ho did, and helped himself from my case with self-conscious fingers. Reaching the main deck in due season, 1 found that I had contrived to miss the chief gunner's lecture on the great guns, whereupon who so agitated and bitterly apologetic as my midshipmite, who there and then ushered me hastily down more awkward stairs and) through narrow openings into ai place ot glistening, gleaming polish and furbishment, where, beside the shining breech of a monster gun, muscular arm negligent} - leaning thereon, stood a round-headed, broad-shouldered man, he the presiding genius of this (as I afterwards found) most sacred place.

His lecture was ended, and lie was addressing a few well-chosen closing remarks in slightly bored fashion (he had shown off his ponderous playthings to divers kings, potentates, and bigwigs at home and abrond, I learned), when I. though properly awed .by tho gun, but more especially by the gunner, ventured to suggest that a. gun that had been through three engagements and had been fired .so frequentK must necessarily show seme signs erf war The gunner glanced at me, and 1 shall never forget that look. With his eyes on mine, lie touched' a lever in negligent fashion, whereon silently the great breech Hipped away with a hiss and whistle of air, and, with his gazo always fixed, lie suggested that 1 might glance down tho bore. Obedient«" 1 stooped, whereupon he spoke in this wise : "if you cast your eyes to the right abaft the breech, you'll observe slight darkening on iillin's'. New glanein t leit of piece, you'll per-ecive slight darkening of i illin's. Now casting your 11 eyes right lorranl. rou'll remark slight roughening ol riflin s towards iiuiz/lo el pie e, ano'— there y are. sir. One hundred -ml twenty-seven times she's been lired by my 'and. and good for as many more —I'oth of us. Arternoon, <re'itie!r.eii. and thank ye." i:i =•; wliieb be touched a lever in the s'ame jie.'l'' : ««{ fashion, the mighty oreeeli-b'- • ! bivk into place, it lid i w;','V ' ''UiiiMy into the outer Here ! to; 1; se tve of my midshipmite, Vil:>! Mood among a crowd of his fellows to uatcli me down the gangplank, and T M e.-l v hither J was led, very

full of thought, as well I might he, until, rousing, 1 found myself on the dock of the famous Warspite which our iocs nre so comfortably certain lies :i shattered wreck off .Jutland. Here I presently fell to discourse with a tall lieutenant with whom I went below and aloft; he showed me the wonder of her steering apparatus, and pointed to small hand-wheel in the bowels of thM huge ship whereby she had been steere# limping into port. He directed my gaze also to divers vast shell-holes and rents in her steel sides, now very neatly mendeld by steel plates held in place by many large bolts. Wherever we went were sailors, by the hundred, it seemed, and yel 1 was struck by the size ;<nd airy spaciousness between ducks. "The strange thing about the said n<v companion as we mounted' upward again, "is that he is so amazingly accurate with his big guns. As we steamed into range he registered direct hits time after time, alid hU misSes were so close the spray was flying all over us. Yes, Fritz is wonderfully accurate, but" —here illy companion paused to flick some ichist from his braided cuff—"but when we began to knock him about a bit it was funny how it rattled him —quite funny, you know. Hh shots got wider and wider, until they Mere falling pretty well ai mile wide —very funny!" and the lieutenant smiled dreamily. "Fritz will shoot magnificently if you only won't shoot back. But really I don't blame him for thinking he'd sunk u's. You see, there were six of 'em potting away at us at one time—couldn't see us for r-pray " "And how dfd you feel just then?" T inquired. "Oh, rotten! You see, I'd jammed my finger in some tackle, for one thing, and just then the light failed us; we'd have baggxl the lot if the light had 1 held a little longer. But next time—who knows? Care for a cup of :ca . J '' "Thanks," I answered; "but who','3 are the others?"

Oh, by Jove! 1 fancy your party's gone—l'll see!" This proving indeed the case, I perforce took my leave, and with a midshipman to guide me, presently stepped aboard ;i boat which bore us back beneath the shadow of that mighty bridge, stark now against the evening sky.

Biding citywards through the deepening twilight, I bethought me of the midshipmite who amid the roar and tumult of grim battle had been "too busy" to be afraid; of the round-head-ed gunner who, like his gun, was ready and eager for more; and of the tall lieutenant who, with deaith in many wful shapes shrieking and crashing about him. felt "rotten" -by rea.son*of a, bruised linger and failng light. And hereupon 1 felt proud that I too was u Briton, of the >)ame breed as ' these mighty ships and the splendid fellows who man them- these Keepers/ of the sea, 5 who in battle a.s in do their duty unseen, unheard, it is their duty. Therefore, all who are so blest as to live within these isles, take comfort and courage from this —that, despite raging tempe-it and desperate battle, we, trusting in the justice of our cause, in these iron men and mightv ships, may rest secure, since truly worthy are these, both slhip.s and men, ot the glorious traditions of the world's most glorious navyBut as they do their duty by Britain and the Empire, let it be our inestimable privilege as fellow-Britons to do our duty as nobly both to the Empire and to* them.- The -"Outlook," New York.