Anxious Hours
These were anxious hours for the officers and crew alike. Sleep was forgotten, personal comforts were of secondary importance. Lieut. Woodward haunted the steering engine room, pored over blue prints, conferred with assistants, advised and worked with the men. New stems fitted to replace the broken ones, permitted runs of short duration, then they, too, broke under the strain. A quantity of these stems, broken and twisted, were found in a store room, an indication that its former operators had experienced trouble of this nature.
For twenty-four hours the crippled ship made spasmodic runs to the northward; first one, then the other, then both steering engines became inoperative. The Engineer Officer grew haggard. The ship’s doctor insisted that he get some sleep, but a few hours’ restless tossing upon a couch, and he would be seen again, making his way aft to the steering engine room.
The solution of the problem came to Lieut. Woodward during one of these brief respites. Clad in greasy dungarees, reclining upon a couch, following thirty-six hours of constant toil, Lieut. Woodward suddenly jumped to his feet and assembled the tired mechanics, and explained his plan. The machine shop was invaded and a new stem of heavier design and altered pattern was fitted.
Then, under the anxious eyes of the Captain, Engineer Officer and First Lieutenant, a test was made. The throttle was thrown clear over, permitting the engine to race, and the new stem held. It is still holding, like its mate of similar design, after more than 100,000 miles through the wind-swept North Atlantic.
Upper—Clump for Paravanes.
Center—Moored in Brest.
Lower—The Huge Rudder.
Under Water Body of the “Leviathan”
During the voyage south to Cuba, the crew shifted into white uniforms. The port holes were closed tight and painted deep black. All precautions were taken against unexpected attack. We passed close aboard Matling Island, or San Salvador whereon Columbus first set foot in the New World.
We rounded Cape Maysi Light and headed up for the harbor of Guantanamo Bay. While changing troops at the mouth of the harbor, our great draft precluding our entrance, the men-of-warsmen initiated the rookies into the delights of shark-catching.