The Sunday Oregonian., December 11, 1921, Magazine Section, Image 83

VOL. XL
PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, DECE3IBER 11, 1921
NO. 50
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Warlike Activities of Uncle Sam's jPjjj
Pacific Fleet and Forced Gold-laced JKE( Br' 1
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Torpedo defense tactlci. Identically the
aame practiced In the aubmarine zone
In wartime, were ordered by Adjnlr1
Burrace In San Diego bay the other n.cht.
8earchllffhta played from the maets of 140
warships, lighting up the night with criae
cron abaft of brilliance. Motor launchea
were lowered and followed op the beams
of light, patrolling every foot of space In
the bay. But It wasn't a mere maneuver
for purposes of drill this time. It was a
very ear. Ml life and death performance,
although no rstlle craft were about.
CHARLIE SHERBNO nd Philip
Watklns were S years old and
considered themselves able sea
men. Had they confined their nauti
cal activities to the customary shav
ing and mud puddle their adventures
would not have been described at
some length in the records of that
fairty well-known seafaring organi
sation the United States navy.
But Charlie and Phillip the other
day wandered far from their homes
In the fashionable Coronado district
down to San Diego bay. Here they
found a rowboat beached on a sand
bar. Being small boys they climbed
in and shoved off.
Po the first time in their lives
they were actually by themselves on
water with water In all directions.
For the first time in their lives they
were companions in adventure to the
sailors who trod the decks of those
big warships now riding at anchor
in this self-same San Diego bay.
When Charlie Sherbno first gave a
thought to the matter of moving and
controlling the boat, he discovered
that the boat had only one oar and
that the oarlocks had been torn away.
He tried to work this oar against a
Siuge iron nail but couldn't make
much headway. He called Phillip and
the two caught the oar-handle. They
were still unable to affect the direc
tion of the skiff in any way, though
it was undoubtedly moving and at a
fairly rapid pace.
They finally gave up not in de
spair but through impatience. The
sun was shining at that time and the
water was dancing with gold and
silver lights. Sea birds were wheel
ing overhead. The air was punctured
with the incessant putt-putt of motor
boats. There was an occasional shout
from one of the big.ships.
Charlie Sherbno sat and took in the
scene. His gaze wandered from the
fighting tops of the warships to the
flotsam bobbing on the wa'ters. He
was filled with a variety of emotion
that he was having some difficulty in
classifying. But the occasion de
manded a tribute of some kind, so
Charlie turned to Phillip and deliv
ered himself as follows:
"Golly. Ain't this fine!"
Phillip answered in kind. It was
quite the finest" thing within his rec
ollection and only confirmed him In
his belief that the free life of a sailor
was the only worth-while ambition
for a boy in his right mind. He at
tempted to explain this to Charlie,
but Charlie was pretty much taken
up with his own feelings. He made
a poor audience.
So the boys silently sat and dipped
their hands in the water. A man on
the fast-receding shore hailed them
once and they shouted back a Juvenile
version of "Ship ahoy!" The sun was
getting lower now. They were stil.
at one with their nautical surround
ings, but after while they began to
feel another and a more fundamental
sensation. In other words, they were
hungry.
"I think we'd better go home," sug
gested Charlie.
Caught By the Tide.
Phillip agreed. They attacked the
oar again. Both of them threw their
weight against it without result. The
boat was still moving slowly but in
a different direction from the one
they wanted to go.
"What'sa matter?" they asked each
other. Neither could answer. It so
happened that they were caught by
the tide, but how were they to know
that? And if they had known it the
knowledge wouldn't have done them
much good. Their undeveloped mus
cles would have hardly prevailed
against this ebbing current, even if
their oars had been in good shape.
The sun was down by now. The
air was growing1 chill. A brisk wind
sprang up. Through the gathering
dusk they could see the faint out
lines of houses on shore. A few hours
before these houses were the tame
dwelling-places of tame little boys
who had aover known the thrill of
going to sea. Now they were places
of comfort and security. Phillip and
Charlie began to wonder what was
going on at home.
"Let's holler," suggested Phillip.
They hollered. Nothing came back
except the faint, echoing ring of their
own voices. They yelled again. This
time the sound was a bjt strained
and scared.
"Guess they didn't hear us," 'said
Charlie.
They sat still and shivered. Char
lie noticed that his feet were in
water. Their skiff had been shipping
a few seas. Charlie, knelt and with
cupped hands began to bale out the
water. Phillip joined him. They
worked feverishly, not because they
felt any danger from that source, but
because it made them more cheeful to
be at work. After a while the boat
was fairly dry. The night was as
black as pitch. There was no moon
and there were no stars. The boys
put Out their hands and felt for each
other. They were wet and scared.
They lay down in the bottom of the
skiff and started crying. A little
while later they were fast asleep.
Meanwhile things were beginning
to happen on shore. At No. 1304. Fifth
street, Coronado, Mrs. Watkins was
thinking that she would have to pun
ish that boy if he didn't learn to come
home in time fof dinner. Pretty
much the same sentiments were being
turned over in the minds of the
Sherbno parents.
But dinner time came and went and
the boye hadn't returned. Mrs. Wat
kins, now thoroughly alarmed, got
in touch with -police headquarters.
Marshal J. H. O'Donnel took charge
of the search and a systematic comb
ing of Coronado and environs began.
This brought nothing.
Every probable source of news as
to their likely whereabouts was visited
and Investigated. Finally, in a nearby
home, a little tousled head had one
of its close-growing ears sharply
pinched. "Watcher want?" sleepily
inquired the aroused youngster, dig
ging his fists into his eyes.
"Where did Charlie and Phillip go?"
asked his mother.
"They went down to the ocean to
take a sail in a rowboat," replied the
one child who was In on the big ad
venture. The confidante of the lost twin
turned over on the other side and re
sumed that careless sleep which in
the span of life comes only to the
child . Nor did he stand in the least
danger of being aroused again that
night, for hardly had the words left
his mouth than adult legs were run
ning from the house and the new clew
was on Its way to Marshal O'Donnel.
The crowd of men and boys and
distracted women were soon at the
beach, but as they looked out into
that inky blackness they realized
their helplessness and the plight of
the little fellows carried out on the
ebbing tide. Nothing short of a ship
with a searchlight
The Vin y Takes a Hand.
In a flash one of the party made the
suggestion and a moment later the
marshal was speaking over the tele
phone with Rear-admiral Guy H. Bur
rage, commander of the destroyer
force of the Pacific fleet, riding at
anchor in the harbor. And 1ST less
time that it takes to record It, the
crews of 140 ships, including the
flagship, the cruiser Charleston, the
tenders Melville and Prairie, three di
visions of 18 destroyers arrfi. the train,
obeying that Instant comprehension
of duty traditional in the United
States navy, were on the job to find
the lost boys. The destroyer flotillas,
with the thoroughness with which
they used to scur English waters for
the skulking -U-boat, began the task
of finding wher-e, under the blanket
of night, the two little lands were
concealed.
It was as spectacular a hunt as ever
was seen. As the ships gathered
speed the nlght-divpelllng shafts of
a hundred searchlights played hither
and thither across the bay. as if they
were the fingers of mighty angels
groping for the lost children. Bit by
bit, square by square, as if the op
erators were guided by a gunnery
chart, the bay was illumined, until
finally, far. far out. the light of the
destroyer Bailey picked up a tiny
speck and made It 'nto a rowboat and
disclosed on its stern the forms of
two sleeping boys.
But, as kids do at home, when some,
one lights the nursery, they refused
to allow the searchlight to awaken
them. They Just turned on- their sides,
mumbled a bit and continued sleeping.
It was not until they felt about them
the powerful arms of an American
bluejacket, who had leaped from a
launch into the captured runaway
skiff, that they were awakened. And
even then they weren't particularly
frightened. They did not realize the
peril they had passed. What- struck
them most forcibly was that a real
sallorman, and a big fellow at that,
and one of the great warships they
had gazed wondleringly at that after
noon, had effected their rescue. They
enjoyed all the thrill of it and none
of the hazard.
But the best thing of all about that
adventure was when they were
clasped against the warmth of their
CAarles SA&rhno Jow Prefers Ice Cream
Con.es o Sea Vby-aGsS
mothers' embrace. And it was then Just to show that he meant it little
that mothers and little sons mingled Phillip whispered his vow in the ear
tears while the ones thanked provl- of Laddie, his big pet collie, who
dence and the others lisped forth that welcomed him home with short, sharp
they never, never again would go barks and much licking of his littls
forth to sea in a boat, alone. And master's ears.