Winamac High School - Totem Yearbook (Winamac, IN)

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THE TOTEM ii THE WHITE ARROW ' ' What do you think Japan means by sending spies over to these isl- ands? ' ' asked Lieutenant White of Admiral De-wey . They seem to be very anxious about something. I saw several Japs taking photograplis of the forts and garrisons the other day. I don ' t know what makes them so inquisitive just now, responded the admiral, but I fear they are not taking .these photos for mere me- morials of these islands. Nor are we the only ones who are puzzled con- cerning their actions. Yesterday I saw a Jap come up to Fort Washington in a row boat, went on the lieutenant, and, judg- ing by the bold and determined way in which he went to work measuring the walls and guns of the fort, he thought he was not in sight of the ship. He went over the walls with some kind of an instrument- and, after completing this work, he took some chalk or paint and made vari- ous signs on certain parts of the wall. One larger than the rest caught my eye ; it was a long arrow which pointed toward the water. This seemed to be the most important be- cause of its size and position. Where were all the men at the fort, that he could do all this without attracting attention? asked the ad- miral. I don ' t know how lie knew that on that day and at that time he would •find the fort vacant, as the whole gar- rison was out target practicing with the other garrisons of the island. It looks suspicious, for he evidently knew this before he came. Lower a boat at once and we will go over and see what he has left on those walls, ordered the admiral. A boat was equipped and in motion towards Fort Washington in an in- credibly short time, for the Oregon was one of the most efficient men-of- war on the blue waters. President Taft had ordered Ad- miral Dewey, who had been retired, to the Philippine Islands about six months before this event. The ad- miral was commanded to make a re- port of the present condition of the navy there, and also to look after the naval affairs of these islands until the Mexican trouble was over. The Oregon had been in the harbor of Manilla for about a week before this occurrence took place. The Japanese had been sending men over there ever since the beginning of the Mexican rebellion (about two years before). At first they had tried to gain the friendship of the natives and Ameri- cans. It was not long until they car- ried cameras under their coats, tak- ing snap-shots of things that would interest their military geniuses. They

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10 THE TOTEM.

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12 THE TOTEM soon became intimate enough with the natives to inquire concerning - the number of men, guns and other equip- ments of the forts. However, the in- cident of the day before was the bold- est manoeuvre as yet discovered by the Amercians. When the boat reached the fort the men there had already assembled and were discussing the meanings of the marks and signs which they had dis- covered the night before on returning from their practice. The admiral made a careful study of these signs. He found the arrow pointed to the water, which had attracted Lieutenant White ' s attention. In rowing up to this mark for closer inspection, the oars struck something under the water This something proved to be a copper wire, one end of which was fastened to a hook inserted in the wall of the fort about a foot below the surface of the water, the other to something very firm at the opposite end. The crew followed it to find, if possible, to what it was fastened. To their surprise it led across the har- bor directly towards the Oregon. On the other side of the man-of-war they found the wire again. Get a diver ready as quickly as possible and see where that infernal wire goes under this man-of-war, ordered the admiral excitedly. In a few moments a diver had dis- appeared under the ship. About five minutes later ho returned to the sur- face. That copper wire, he began, is fastened to a cylinder about ten inches in diameter and three feet long. By means of these wires this cylinder is held in place about fifteen or twenty feet from the surface. I could not loosen it with the tools ' I had, but will get some more, loosen it and examine the contents. Not while this man-of-war is within half a mile of it, shouted the admiral. Man, do you know what that cylinder contains 1 ? It answers to the rixact description of an ar- rangement for blowing up the capitol that was being tested by some anarch- ists in the United States. But they were discovered. If this cylinder is struck by a submarine traveling at a terrible rate of speed, it will cause an explosion that will not leave enough of this vessel to keep as a memento. All hands on deck and get out of this place as soon as possible. The admiral had hardly said this, when out across the hai ' bor and the ocean, arose a deep hollow roar, as though some great toi-rent had sprung up from the bottom of the sea and was bearing down upon them. Every second it grew louder and more ter- rible. Shouts of horror were heard from those on the mighty Oregon, m their anxiety to get from that place. The engines were soon sending the spray and foam behind as they rushed away at the ship ' s topmost speed. They saw as it drew near to them that the approaching horror was a submarine. It was going directly to t he place where the Oregon had been a minute or so before. It left a white furrow as it rushed madly on to that awful explosive in the cyl- inder. The men on the Oregon, by