Document text
7F7
V44-erwiteArt.....
SPARKS, THE MIGHTY MAN
January 4, 1921 (My 19th birthday)
went to the recruiting station on Bast 23rd St. and
wenlisted in the United States Marine Corps, for a period of
four years. Tomorrow I go aboard the SS City of Savannah
destination: Savannah, Georgia.
Sold my sending and receiving set to Bill Moran for
$11. Also my books and manuals on radio communications. The
transmitter is still in fine shape-- had it five years. Consists
a simple helix, small fixed spark gap, spark coil and key,
complete with a pair of Mom Baldwin head phones.
Mother is not so keen on my joining the marines. Didn't
tell her the Manhattan Electric Supply Co. canned me last week.
What she don't know won't eat her It's a long time I been
dreaming of the day when I'd become a commercial operator
sailing ships on the high seas
2
....igam;kiamig=aniftgaimemgoodspia, Cheerio! Corporal James Gordon
Brown! 1 I It's "Sparks, the Mighty Manny -eat last...0
Sparks, a mighty man is he
All he does is pound a key
And listen to the ships at sea
He copies weather and the press
And lister.!Vor an SOS
His rig is all shiny -bright
His hook is clear
When into port the ship does steer
He's ready for a little fun
At the finish of the run
Oh, Sparks, a mighty man is he
He helps to make it safe at seal
ByJ. G. B.
Ian. 4, 1921
January 20. Aboard SS City of Savannah.
We dock at 10 o'clock tonight. Trip uneventful, with fair
weather all the may. This afternoon the ship nosed its way
along the muddy Savannah River. This was the moot interesting
part of the trip. As we went bast the lighthouse, the "Waving
Girl of Savannah" stepped out and waved to us with a white
scarf. This "Waving Girl" is really an old lady. It seems that
3
many years ago she had a sailor sweetheart, and one day the
guy went to sea on a long trip. It was agreed between them
that when he returned she would watch for him and wave from
the lighthouse. Her sweetheart never returned, and down through
the years, this girl has been waving to every passing ship,
thinking her lover might be on board. (Funny no other sailor
took her up on it...)
January 21. Entrained at Savannah and late same afternoon
arrived Port Royal, South Carolina, where I was taken in tow
by a Marine Sergeant. Was assigned to Battalion 'B' where I'm
to into training for two months. First they took me to the
military barbers to have my hair cropped close, then my photo-
graph taken, then innoculations for typhoid. After Aim that
all of us recruits were marched over to quartermasteris store
rooms and issued our clothes and equipment. Drill tomorrow A. M.
at 5. Ho Hum....
4
January 22.
Bugle routed us out of bed this morning, and we lined up
outside the barracks. One recruit failed to snap out of his
bunk at the first call, and the Corporal just dumped the bunk
upside down0 We did some drilling, and then the non -coma
snapped questions at us, such as, What is a Captain's insignia?
How many stars for a Brigade Commander, and so on, and so forth,
etc. Then we returned to the barracks, made up bunks according
to regulations, and waited fur chow call to sound breakfast.
After dhow, there were various drills with and without the rifle,
schooling in seamanship, then we were marched to the rifle
range where we were expected to make a good score with the rifle
and pistol. I was a little gun#shy at first. The officer jammed
my arm in the sling and even kicked my elbow under me, until it
was in the dor rect position. I've al);_t.- to qualify on the range,
or else I'll never see the decks of a U.S. Navy ship... Well,
more target practice tomorrow.
5
May 15, 1921. In four month's time, I managed to make the
grade as marksman and sharpshooter, and finished a course in the
Marine Corps Training School for Radio Telegraphers and Visual
Signal Men. A week ago, was assigned to the Naval adio Station<7
c on the I
for duty as regular operator gunnery sergeant is in charge
of the radio shack, and four marine watch operators-- good eggs
all. Our sleeping quarters are adjacent to the operating room.
When I'm called to take my turn at the night watch, all I have
to do is pull on a pair of trousers and slippers, walk a half
dozen steps to the next room, and I'm on duty.
Being on land duty is not quite what I'd bargained for.
But they say I've got to make good as a land operator, before
they'll ship me out to sea as a full fledged Radio Mariner.
June 2.
Took my first distress call alone last night. I was on
duty in the wee hours, While the other ops dozed. The radio
traffic wave\ engths were practically clear of business, and I
was napping a bit, myself, over the instrument board. I
6
snapped to attention, though, When I heard the shrill note of
a transmitter from some ship on the distress frequency '600
meters'. That SOS seemed to form a picture in my mind of three
red dots, three black dashes and three red dots again. I made
ready to copy the ship's position. I listened for a few moments
to see if any other station would answer. No other station on
the air. So I called the coast guard cutter Yamacraw, docked at
Savannah. After a few calls the Yamacraw answered, and I gave
them the dope. They immediately got underway and proceeded to
the assistance of the SS Asche, a freighter, which had struck a
reef in the Bahamas and was held fast, with practically her Whole
bottom sheared off.
I was pretty excited, but I rapped out those signals clean
and clear. Good old Sparks
June 10. Santo Domingo City.
Transferred here as result of good work connected with the
SS Asche disaster. There certainly are a great gang of men at
this station. The operators are both marines and gobs. When off
7
duty we either hang out at "John's Place", a cafe owned by
an ex -marine, or at the "Little Red Shanty", which is within
a stone's throw of the wreck of the old Memphis. Two of the
gobs live in this shanty, which is well stocked with a summer's
supply of Tiger Beer.
A Naval
tenant is officer in charge of this station.
He's not exactly popular with us, nor we with him. When "Dud"
Grayham blows on the scene, one of the boys will iminimes
4AusaammOmmurighot sing out "Yes, we have no bananas°, which
means everyone had better quiet down and look busy. We've
hung many a joke on Dud, but he's never been able to pin the
trou-Jle on any one man-- consequently he's out to shanghai
AA -4,J gtk.
us one edema, We put rocks in the drawers of his
desk, hung tin cans on his coat rack, swept up all kinds of
rubbish and left it in the telephone booth-- Sometimes we
even carry his office furniture out on the lawn at night.
But that gag's not so good, because we have to carry it all
back again the next day.
8
After long practice, I find I'm able to put away my
Awk, this
full share of lid4uor, and, beginning to like Ifilimmt brawling
a little too well. Most every evening I sit around the open
air cafes, sip a glass of wine, while I keep my eyes open
for a passing fancy. Just for the hell of it, I bought an
outfit of Dominican civilian clothes-- White shoes and a
large sombrero. After dark, I put on these glad rags and
start into town, with Clotilda for company. We talk only in
Spanish and walk right by American HP's who don't know but
what we're just another couple of Spicks. It's lots of fun,
but if I get caught it'll mean a general court martial, due
to the fact thatin a foreign country an active service, it
is against regulations to wear civilian clothes.
November 6.
On November 1, I was appointed to the rank of corporal,
and transferred to Santiago, known as "The City of Gentlemen".
First thing I did on arrival was resolve to leave the liquor
alone, and turn over a new leaf.
9
Jerry, Frenchy and myself were assigned to Headquarters
Company, Fourth Regiment, and are now on detached duty at the
station up on Radio Hill.
December 26.
For Christmas day, we had a tornado. The wind that
struck
the hill was so strong that it swept everything clean.
I just had time to grab my matress, roll off the top of the
hill, and holding the matress as a shield, protect ile myself
fror rocks and flying debris. The following morning the
detachment had to be supplied with new outfits and equipment
as practically everything had been destroyed during the storm.
Well, it's almost a year I've been in the Marines
I never figuredija it'd take me so long to make Corporal...
0
January 3, 19, 1922.
I was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps.
Same day caught a ride on the rails to New York, and am now
10
stoppinE off to see Mother at Nyack. I've only been back
three weeks, but I feel restless and undecided. Beginning
to think of joining the Coast Guard.
0 0
February 12,
I enlisted in the U. S. Coast Guard as radioman 3rd
class, for a period of one year, at the Barge Office, located
at the Battery, Y. Y. C. Have been assigned to duty aboard
the eutter, Diligence, at Stapleton, Staten Island.
With the home port at Base 2, Staten Island, the
Diligence has been ordered to cruise along the New York and
Jersey coasts, patrolling the sea, on the lookout for rum
ships or derelicts reported by radio to be in our vicinity)
eiz.v.& ,(cC.rc /6- 1/4 74#, c. S e- tAkel
to;,,tje ehe radio room is both comfortable and efficient.
Apparatus consists of a 1 -;KW Arc transmitter, a quenched
spark transmitter, and a regulation navy type number 1422
receiver. The Dilif;ence call letters are MM.
11
March 1.
Rum -row is indeed a busy place. The large ships with
cargos of contraband are anchored just outside the 12 -wile
limit all along the Atlantic coast. Schooners of all sizes
and descriptions, sails flapping in the wind, come to
contact the steamers at night. After receiving a cargo,
they hover near the international limit until dark, then
high-powered motor boats without any.aNsiiiiri.rtinning lights
endeavor to make contact, take on a load and make a dash
for shore at such high speed, that it is more often than
not impossible for the cuttersfiwith an average speed of
12 knots or less, to overhaul them or even make them heave
to by resorting to gunfire.
Alone in the shack, I was sitting here looking out
through the port, thinking how uncann," and weird it seems
out here. The uater Maiimmaldwillt underneath, the sky
overhead, and the swish as the ship cuts through the domain
of Neptune and Davy Jones Locker. All of a sudden, I was
startled by the soft thud of a small White object on the
12
deck at my feet. It was a flying fish Who had been attracted
by the light in the shack.
Sunday, May 10.
A thick pea -soup fog enveloped both sides of rum row
today. Bells could be heard jangling every few minutes
from ships that were anchored, and at regular intervals,
long blasts of steam Whistles, indicated that some ships
were under6y. The fog is an advantage to the 'wets'.
During the day reports were received that 150 cases were
landed on Long Island at the town of Easthampton. The fog
is hanging on While the rum smugglers draw in near shore
to make contacts. The 'dry' fleet has doubled vigilance
as pilots of liners reported eight wets off Sandy Hook,
although there isn't much that can be done until the fog
lifts.
0•
May 14.
Night after night under cover of darkness, the
Diligence with darkened ship patroles the area of activity.
13
The rum ships also move about without lights, and the danger
of collision is imminent. On the bridge the officers listen
for the purr of the high powered motor on the rum boat.
Once this sound has been detected, the gun crew jumps to
their stations, a whistle is sounded through the communicat-
ion tube in the shack, the order from the bridge comes:
"Man the searchlight!" The second operator dashes out of
the shack, up a ladder to the hurricane bridge, and turns
on the huge beam, directing it towards the sound of the
motor. In a moment the enemy is brought into the glare of
the rays from the light, and under full speed,is making a
gallant dash for shore with his cargo. Likewise under forced
draft, the Diligence follows in pursuit. The enemy boat
legds us in a zig-zag course, making it difficult to keep
the boat in the radius of the light. All that can be seen
is the wake from the propeller. Shells from the 3 -inch gun
in flashing bursts explode ahead, astern and on either side.
The men aboard the rum ship certainly hate courage to run
that guantlet of fire. Each time the gun is fired, the ship
14
quivers and there is too much vibration from the excessive'
speed. The wind screams by the operator manning the light,
but the chase goes on and on, with the rum ship getting
closer to shore all the time. Perhaps we will lose him, but
no, his motor is now shut off, the red and green running
lights are turned on, INK a sign that he is hove -to, ready to
be boarded. The captain signals the engine room and the
Diligence is slowed down, while the captain hails the rum
ship and orders the master to come alongside, only to find
that during the chase the outlaws have thrown all of their
cargo overboard. Mth all the evidence gone, they could only
be held. for violations of navigation.
I
August 12.
Our skipper is afflicted with a mania for bad weather.
When a storm warning is copied,indicating bad weather along
the coast, he reads it and exclailS: "That's fine.
head right out to sea."
15
While all the other ships of the squadron
are seekin-, shelter, the Diligence is tossing and pitching
in the teeth of the gale, riding it out. Mien walls of green
water sweep over the ship, old man Dunne will jump up and
down in the pilot house in childish glee.f,10ne night after
I had turned in my bunk, a wave struck the ship broadside,
followed by two more in rapid succession. The ship keeled
over and seemeqd as though it would capsize. I jumped from
my bunk to the deck below and made a dash up the ladder for
the port. B this time the Diligence had regained an even
keel again. 171n the pilot housed)suoposedly made fast to the
bulkhead is a weather -worn Imosimint cuspidor, containing a
quantity of liquids and solids, deposited there by the skipper;
mates and bosen. Day or night, at frequent intervals, the
silence is shattered by iiiirker-plunk as a stream of tobacco
juice makes a bulls -eye in the ever filling receptacle.
One afternoon while on patrol, I stood braced in the doorway
of the shack, for the ship was wallowing in a heavy sea.
The vessel had reached the limit of its territory and was due
16
to be turned about. As the wheel was put over,the ship
slipped into the trough of the sea and keeled over on one
side. Every loose object rolled or slid across the deck.
The cuspidor, however, aiiiiiiiiiminidwitswimpaialmbigega* shot up
from the deck and hit Captain Dunne square in the face,
As it fell to the deck, rolling along at crazy angles towards
the bulkhead, the captain's face was E. sight to behold. Nis
Ike gasped for breath ,4a long streaky brown mass slowly dripped
to the deck.
October 28.
On the night of October 251 I was standing the
four.to.midnight trick, while outside the wind howled, and I
felt grateful for the warmth and comfort of the radio shack
with thehip alongside the dock. At 10:30 I copied the
weather, which reported storm warnings being displayed from
Eastport Maine to Cape Hatteras, attended by winds of gale
force. Carefully tuning the receiver on the distress fre-
quency, I listened closely during the silent periods for any
17
weak signals. At 11:05 the air became tense as the SS
Commonwealth sent out a "CQ", stating the ship was disabled
40 miles off Point Judith. One of the side propellers
ha broken, Anchors had been put out, but with a high mind
and heavy seas, the ship was in a pi4roarious position with
150 passengers aboard, and AimaiMillit immediate assistance
WES requested. I answered the operator on the Commonwealth
and told him to stand by while this information was passed
on to the captain. Within the hour the Diligence was underway)
standing out to sea under forced draft. The coast stations
had cleared the air, and I resumed communication with the
Commonwealth.
I asked the operator how the passengers were taking it.
He replied, "They are all huddled in the lounge cabin forward,
nervous but quiet." Through the remaining hours of the night
we kept the transmitters going, exchanging words of cheer and
instructions.
Diligence
At the break of damn, the160111M drew up near the
Commonwealth. She was rising and falling in a heavy sea.
With instructions from the captain, I radioed the Commonwealf
18
asking if they cared to lower a boat. The master replied,
"No, not in this sea." Our vessal. then attempted to shoot
a line to the distressed ship by means of an air gun.
The Diligence was maneouvered as close as possible, and
as she steamed by, the gun was fired. But the wind was too
strong and the missile and twine was carried far beyond the
length of the ship. Each succeeding attempt met with the
same fate, while every man aboard held his breath in suspense.
All the While the Diligence was being swept by heavy seas,
and compared to the size of the other vessel, looked like a
bobbing cork. Finally the cord from the gun caught on a
piece of the Commonwealth's superstructure. Members of the
crew rushed along the slippery deck to make it fast. Next
a small hawser was connected to the end of the twine. And
when this had been hauled aboard, a larger hawser was paid
out. The ends were now made fast in readiness to tow the
Commonwealth to New Port, but we were still held up. As the
0
power was shut down on the cs_Difuwekath, the anchors could
not be h i
d in the ordinary way. The crew had to hoist them
19
by hand. The job was long and tedious, so that it was late
in the afternoon before the Diligence received the signal to
go ahead. The Diligence had to proceed at a low rate of speed
due to the heavy seas and the danger of the tow line breaking
from the strain.. But the following morning, the Commonwealth
was turned loose in the harbor of New Port, safe and sound
with all passengers.
The wind has died down a bit and the sky is clear. The
moon and stars are very bright, but the air is very cold. I
can see the lighthouse beam flashing from West Chop on one
side, and other flashing lights along the coast.
Sparks, a mighty man is he...
All he does is pound a key
He copies weather and the press
And listens for an SOS....
Sparks, a mighty man is he
He helps to make it safe at sea
December 9,
At sundown tonightia gray haze enveloped the two peaks
astern. lit The sky was a shade of light blue, the horizon
20
a deep orange and the sea dark blue as the shadows began to
rolls
creep over it. The ship NUMINK from side to side in a
gentle swell. The floodlights are turned on, making the
foredeck bright as day. The crew stand at their posts. At
the bow the captain standsmilimiimg at times shouting orders
to the bridge, such as: "Hard aport", "A half starboard",
"Wow steady." The electrician in the testing room patiently
studies the wheatstone bridge. The second cook sits outside
the galley on an upturned bucket, peeling potatoes for the
morrow. The automatic clock on the bridge chimes out six
bells. The quartermaster strikes six bells on the ship's
bell, and it is repeated once again in the engine room, where
a piece of iron is used to strike the bells. Then the watCh
is relieved, and life goes on and on in this little world
all by itself out on the deep blue sea.
February 1,
received an honorable discharge for one year's service.
Today my enlistment expired and I
2
Bidding the radio gang goodbye, I stepped down the gang--
/plank patted the steel hull of the ship that now seems to
have become a part of me. row that I am leaving the old girl,
I realize I sorta feel quite some affection for her.