THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



99 



A VIEW OF THE STERN OF THE U. S. S. BALTIMORE, SHOWING MUCH OF THE 

 PARAPHERNALIA WITH WHICH A MINE-LAYER IS EQUIPPED 



The four placarded affairs are marking buoys ready to be dropped overboard. Smoke-making 

 apparatus, depth-charges, and a towing-spar are also within the camera's vision. 



The ships' complement; 

 officers and men. 



totaled 4,000 



THE START IN SECRECY 



We may pass over, lightly enough now, 

 the trials and vexations of the next four 

 weeks, viz., breakdowns, losing anchors, 

 fogs, elusive stores, men coming without 

 pay accounts, and accounts coming with- 

 out the men. It all wound up in four 

 crowded days at Newport, taking final 

 coal, water, stores, and 500 men for the 

 mine depots. 



We would have been justified in stay- 

 ing another week or two, our training to- 

 gether had been so meager, but the sense 

 of urgency was strong and none of us 

 felt like waiting longer. 



At midnight Saturday, May 11, in all 

 secrecy, without signals or lights, the 

 squadron got under way for Scotland. 

 Leaving harbor, the San Francisco was 

 closely followed by the Quinnebaug, but 

 off Brentons Reef we waited for the 

 others — and waited. Presently they all 

 appeared, and we were off — only 17 min- 

 utes late, after all. 



Never shall I forget the blessed peace 

 of the next forenoon, that quiet Sunday 



of smooth sea and steady, uneventful 

 steaming, headed at last toward our goal. 



The peace and quiet did not continue 

 long. Soon after lunch fog shut in and 

 the ships could be seen no more until next 

 ■forenoon. It was rather early for such a 

 test, but all ships kept together well and 

 were in good station when the fog lifted. 

 It was just in time, for immediately the 

 Quinnebaug' s steering gear went wrong 

 and she turned directly across the Housa- 

 tonic's bow, having a narrow escape. 



This was the beginning of a series of 

 events which made the two weeks' pas- 

 sage a continuous expectancy. Fortu- 

 nately, I had kept the Sonoma, one of the 

 large mine force tugs, with the squadron ; 

 so that when a ship broke down one 

 morning the tug could tow her for a 

 whole day, while the other ships re- 

 hearsed for target firing. 



The German submarines that arrived 

 on our coast May 25 were on their way 

 over while we were crossing. I had been 

 warned of them, and after the disabled 

 ship was repaired the squadron spent an 

 afternoon in gunnery practice — doing 

 very well, considering our hasty prepara- 

 tion. After that we felt we could give a 



