"'An ominous stillness seemed to pervade the atmosphere—a stillness which was oppressive and awesome like that which reigns in the home where death is.' Only the dull rumbling sound of the engines broke the silence. Soon all the fellows who were on lifeboat watch were gathered in a group about the smoke stack, where they had procured a number of life-preservers from a near-by locker and arranged them for beds in available places on the deck. Here some reclined as best they could and others sat up telling stories or woke the echoes with their ringing songs. Sleep became impossible, and no wonder, for they were too glad to sleep, even had the rest of the gang permitted it. Soon a lusty-lunged Gob, the 'Caruso' of the gang, was singing the official song of Mine Squadron One in his deep sonorous voice, which drowned all other sounds. The title is 'The Force of Mine,' and it goes like this:
We sailed across the water,
We sailed across the foam
For fourteen days and fourteen nights
We sailed away from home.
But now three thousand miles away
We love our country more,
Let's give three cheers for Uncle Sam
From off the German shore.
"The rest of the fellows all joined in the chorus:
It's a mine here and a mine there,
Over the ocean everywhere;
Now our ships can cross the sea
And win the war for Liberty;
Uncle Sammy brought his ships
To France' and Belgium's shores.
That force of mine has done its share;
We've fixed the U-boat fair and square;
When victory comes they'll all declare
That mines have won the war.
"Then the strong voice of 'Caruso' again was heard:
We may not look like dreadnaughts,
But from all present signs
Davy Jones has told the Kaiser
That "we're there" on laying mines.
Awhile ago the subs, you know,
Thought they had the gravy,
But when they hit our mine fields, Oh!
They leave the Germany navy.
"By this time the crew on the boat next the Roanoke had caught the spirit and both lookouts joined in the swelling chorus:
It's a mine here and a mine there,
Over the ocean everywhere.
Now our ships can cross the sea
And win the war for Lib—
"Just at that part of the chorus we felt a crash which broke suddenly into the song with the thrilling tones of the siren's danger signal. Instantly those on watch rushed to the lifeboats and hurriedly unlashed them, ready to drop at the proper signal.
"Our ship carried eight hundred and forty mines at the time she was struck.