Julius Furer (FFG 6) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE SNIPE ' S LAMENT NOW EACH OF US FROM TIME TO TIME, HAS GAZED UPON THE SEA, AND WATCHED THE WAR SHIPS PULLING OUT, TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY FREE. AND MOST OF US HAVE READ A BOOK, OR HEARD A LUSTY TALE, ABOUT THE MEN WHO SAIL THESE SHIPS, THROUGH LIGHTNING, WIND AND HAIL. BUT THERE ' S A PLACE WITHIN EACH SHIP, THAT LEGEND FAILS TO TEACH. IT ' S DOWN BELOW THE WATERLINE, IT TAKES A LIVING TOLL A HOT METAL LIVING HELL, THAT SAILORS CALL THE HOLE: IT HOUSES ENGINES RUN BY STEAM, THAT MAKES THE SHAFTS GO ROUND, A PLACE OF FIRE, NOISE AND HEAT, WITH BLOOD OF ANGRY STEAM, WHERE BOILERS LIKE A HELLISH HEART, THAT BEAT YOUR SPIRITS DOWN. ARE MOLDED GODS WITHOUT REMORSE, AND NIGHTMARES IN A DREAM. THEY HAVE NO TIME FOR MAN OR GOD, NO TOLERANCE FOR FEAR, THEIR ASPECT PAY NO LIVING THING, THE TRIBUTE OF A TEAR. FOR THERE ' S NOT MUCH THAT MEN CAN ' T DO, THAT THESE MEN HAVEN ' T DONE BENEATH THE DECKS, DEEP IN THE HOLE, TO MAKE THE ENGINES RUN. AND EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY, THEY KEEP THE WATCH IN HELL, WHOSE THREAT THAT FROM THE FIRES ROAR, IS LIKE A LIVING DOUBT, THAT ANY MINUTE WOULD WITH SCORN, ESCAPE AND CRUSH YOU OUT. WHERE TURBINES SCREAM LIKE TORTURED SOULS, ALONE AND LOST IN HELL, AS ORDERED FROM SOMEWHERE, THEY ANSWER EVERY BELL. THE MEN WHO KEEP THE FIRES LIT, AND MAKE THE ENGINE S RUN, ARE STRANGERS TO THE WORLD OF NIGHT, AND RARELY SEE THE SUN. WHEN SHIPS CONVERGE TO RACE TO WAR, UPON AN ANGRY SEA, THE MEN BELOW JUST GRIMLY SMILE, AT WHAT THEIR FATE MIGHT BE. THEY ' RE LOCKED IN BELOW LIKE MEN FORE DOOMED, WHO HEAR NO BATTLE CRY, IT ' S WELL ASSUMED THAT IF THEY ' RE HIT, THEY MEN BELOW WILL DIE. FOR EVERY DAY ' S A WAR DOWN THERE, WHEN ALL THE GAUGES READ RED, TWELVE HUNDRED POUNDS OF STEAM, CAN KILL YOU MIGHTY DEAD. SO IF YOU EVER WRITE THEIR SONS, OR TRY TO TELL THEIR TALE, THE VERY WORDS WOULD MAKE YOU HEAR, A FIRED FURNACE ' S WAIL. AND PEOPLE AS A GENERAL RULE, DON ' T HEAR THE MEN OF STEEL, SO LITTLE ' S HEARD ABOUT THE PLACE, THAT SAILORS CALL THE HOLE. BUT I CAN SING ABOUT THE PLACE, AND TRY TO MAKE YOU SEE, THE HARDENED LIFE OF MEN DOWN THERE, CAUSE ONE OF THEM IS ME. I ' VE SEEN THESE SWEAT SOAKED HEROS FIGHT, IN SUPERHEATED AIR, TO THEIR SHIP ALIVE AND RIGHT, THOUGH NO ONE KNOWS THEY ' RE THERE. AND THUS THEY ' LL FIGHT FOR AGES ON, TILL WARSHIPS, SAIL NO MORE, AMID THE BOILER ' S MIGHTY HEAT, AND THE TURBINE ' S HELLISH ROAR. SO WHEN YOU SEE A SHIP PULL OUT, TO MEET A WARLIKE FOE, REMEMBER FAINTLY IF YOU CAN, THE MEN WHO SAIL BELOW. AUTHOR UNKNOWN

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