In grounding she had driven, bows on, across one hummock and upon a second one, resting on both. The diver's sketch showing the result of his examination, suggested a ship's model resting securely on two saddles.

DIAGRAM 2.-Motor Schooner General Pershing, aground on Florida Reef. Drawing made from sketch submitted by diver, Chief Gunner's Mate Turpin, of the Marblehead.

The pocket shown in the sketch on either side of the vertical keel was probably caused by a nearly successful attempt to tow the stern off to port into deep water.

With two kedges out and three ships towing off the port quarter the Pershing's stern began to swing very slowly to port. Degree by degree the stern swung out two points, and the tidal current, increasing in velocity, set against the starboard quarter and added to the forces swinging the stern toward deep water.

Unfortunately the increasing tidal current also set one of the towing ships down upon the other two, which were towing in tandem, and she let go and ran clear.

With three ships towing, the forces were almost balanced. The sudden release of one of the tow lines allowed the Pershing's stern to swing back on the shoal, and her momentum ripped out the chock through which the tandem tow line was led, and carried away the towing bitts on the Pershing.

The ship swung back with sufficient force to stick. She could never again be swung in azimuth, but five days later was finally pulled directly astern and floated.

It is a part of this story to note that when the tandem tow line carried away on the Pershing it created considerable havoc.

Rigging and wreckage and splinters were flying. All hands on the Pershing ran to places of safety, except one man; or rather, one boy; a nineteen-year-old signalman named Velasco, who stood where he was-and he was in a very dangerous place-and signaled to stop towing. It was 1.00 p.m., October 2, when orders were received to proceed with the Cincinnati and Albatross to the rescue of the schooner aground near the harbor entrance.

The Albatross was then underway. The Cincinnati was underway forty minutes later, but stopped to get a wire towing bridle from another ship and arrived on the scene at 3.00 p.m.

The Albatross had already run a line to the Pershing's stern and hauled until the line parted; but without result.

The light-house tender Ivy came up, and rendered valuable assistance. A conference was held on the Pershing, attended by the commanding officers of all ships present.

Ensign Quinby of the Cincinnati, also attended this conference. He remained on the Pershing as wrecking master during almost continuous night and day work during the week that followed, and did excellent work, calling forth particular expressions of appreciation from the master of the Pershing in a letter of thanks addressed to the officers and crew of the Cincinnati.

Ensign Quinby-please remember the title of this narrativewas enrolled as a seaman second class, U. S. Naval Reserve Force, more than a year ago; but he had no seafaring experience before joining this ship, seven months ago.

At the conference on the Pershing it was planned to lay out kedges astern to keep the ship from working further on the shoal. The tide had just begun to rise and the captain of the Ivy, with local knowledge, believed it to be advisable to begin towing at once, in the hope of hauling the ship off at that night's high tide.

This plan was tried, but failed.

Early the next morning, October 3, the work was begun of laying out kedges astern and on the port quarter of the Pershing.

The Cincinnati's sheet anchor was used as a stern kedge. The sheet chain was unshackled at 30 fathoms and the eye of a wire hawser was shackled to the end of the chain. The wire, which had been passed outside of everything from aft, was bighted down on the poop and stoppered clear for running. The Cincinnati then worked into position astern of the Pershing, let go her

sheet anchor, and sent the end of the wire to the starboard quarter of the Pershing. The sheet chain was buoyed with new fiveinch line, with ample drift, for use in recovering the anchor.

That morning, October 3, another order was received, for the Cincinnati or Albatross, or both, to proceed immediately to the rescue of the tank steamer Edward L. Doheny, aground on Maryland Shoal, three and a half miles to the westward of American Shoal light.

The Albatross stood to the eastward immediately. The Cincinnati finished laying out her sheet anchor and then followed the Albatross.

Ensign Quinby was left, with the Ivy, to continue the work of laying out the kedges, and heaving them down hard as the tide fell. Lighters had been sent for, as it was evident that the Pershing was hard and fast aground. The work of lightering the cargo was begun. The effect of this work will be referred to later.

Upon arriving at Maryland Shoal it was found that the Doheny had her bow high up on the reef, upon which she had struck at 3.00 a. m., almost carrying away the beacon.

The Albatross and Peoria were lying off preparing to tow in tandem. The Albatross had already attempted to tow the Doheny off, but had been set into dangerously shoal water.

The Edward L. Doheny is a modern steel tanker 415 feet long. She was in ballast, and went on the reef bows on, heading to the westward.

A conference was held on board the Doheny.

Ensign Johnston of the Cincinnati, with a signalman, was left on board the Doheny as wrecking master.

Until the United States entered the war Ensign Johnston's seafaring experience had been confined to tennis courts, where he rode the crest of the wave, and won the championship of the world.

But to return to the Doheny. When the ship struck the reef in the night, and began to pound, the captain, being unable to back off, wisely flooded tanks until she rested easily, and then waited for daylight and assistance.

The ship's stern, fortunately, was afloat, and her propeller clear.

With a kedge astern and ships towing, the Doheny pumped out ballast forward and flooded aft.

The Albatross and Peoria having parted a tandem tow line, the Cincinnati anchored close to the reef on the Doheny's port quarter, veered down and ran a wire hawser to her starboard quarter.

When all was in readiness the Doheny backed full speed, the Cincinnati hove in on her chain and steamed ahead, and the Doheny floated clear, at about 4.00 p. m., October 3.

The Cincinnati got the wire hawser on board and all ships returned toward Key West, in time to resume work on the Pershing without losing a tide.

It may be well to explain more clearly the situation on the Pershing. She is a large wooden five-masted schooner, with twin auxiliary engines. But one engine was out of commission.

The ship had recently run through a hurricane and had lost several of her spars. Wire rigging falling over the side had fouled her port propeller. She was loaded with lumber, long heavy timbers. The deck load was covered with oil, which made the task of lightering the cargo not only dirty work, but also slow and difficult. There was practically no water ballast or other easily shifted cargo, which might have lifted her bow or stern clear of the shoal. For five days and nights kedging and towing continued. Large working parties of seamen from the Naval Training Station and seamen and marines from the Cincinnati, assisted the small and inexperienced crew of the Pershing in discharging the heavy timbers and loading them on lighters.

It might have discouraged the working parties to know that the result of their arduous labors was to decrease the draft of the Pershing less than two inches a day. But they did not realize it.

It was necessary to continue the work of lightering cargo because the ship lay in the coral sand like a great log, and there was doubt as to the ability of the available vessels and gear to haul her off the shoal.

A twelve-inch hawser parted under heavy strain, and this for a time seemed the last resource.

But a large new wire hawser was found in store, and on the night of October 7, the Cincinnati and Ivy were anchored in position and ready for towing as the tide neared the flood.

The Cincinnati had shortened in on the twelve-inch hawser led to the Pershing's port quarter, let go both anchors and veered to a long scope of chain.

The Ivy towed off the Pershing's starboard quarter.

The Cincinnati hove in on both anchors until there was a strain on the chain, then steamed ahead slowly on one engine, then on both engines, gradually increasing the speed of the engines and heaving around on the anchor engine as the hawser straightened

out.

At 9.15 p. m., October 7, shortly before the top of high water, the Pershing slid about half her length astern. This probably brought her bow upon the eastern shoal, leaving all the rest of the ship afloat. Another light pull brought her entirely afloat. The Ivy slipped and got clear and anchored.

The Cincinnati held on and towed the Pershing well clear, when the Pershing cut the twelve-inch hawser and anchored. The men on deck cheered.

The word was passed to the engine room, and three more cheers came up through the fire room ventilators.

It had been all a part of the day's work, with an element of novelty to spice it.

The Cincinnati got the twelve-inch hawser on board and anchored for the night.

The next morning the Ivy and Peoria towed the Pershing into port, and the Cincinnati proceeded on other duty.

This was the work of youth and inexperience. Spirit and versatile intelligence carried it through.

Men who began with ten thumbs ended the week with a better proportion of fingers.

A number of the petty officers taking active direction of the work, boatswain's mates and coxswains, were less than twenty years of age, with less than a year of sea service to their credit. The executive officer of the ship was absent.

Lieutenant F. B. Stump, U. S. N., navigator and acting executive officer, the man who had full charge of the details of the work, is not yet twenty-four years old. He was graduated from the Naval Academy eighteen months ago. His direction of the work was in no sense nominal or perfunctory.

It was necessary for the captain to remain on the bridge during the many hours of towing.

The youthful executive officer, with young and inexperienced officers and petty officers, was in full charge aft.

He had to make many trips between the ships and arrange for working parties, food, relief, and make all preparations for tow