injured men received prompt attention from the surgeon and his
assistants, but Corporal Murray was beyond mortal aid. He died ten
minutes after the accident.

He was a good soldier, jolly and light-hearted, and a great favorite
with the crew. The peculiar feeling of antagonism which is supposed to
exist between the sailors and marines did not obtain in his case.

In the navy the hammock which serves the living as a bed by night is
also their coffin and their shroud. It so served Corporal Murray.

[Illustration: "WITH A FRIGHTFUL ROAR THE DEFECTIVE CARTRIDGE EXPLODED"]

Shortly after four bells (six o'clock) on the evening of the day on
which the accident occurred, the boatswain's mate sent the shrill piping
of his whistle echoing through the ship, following it with the words,
doleful and long drawn out:

"All hands shift-ft-ft into clean-n-n blue and stand by to bury the
dead-d-d!"

When the crew assembled on the gun deck in obedience to the call, the
sun was just disappearing beyond the edge of the distant horizon. Its
last rays entered the open port, showing to us the dead man's figure
outlined under an American flag. The body had been placed upon a grating
in front of an open port, and several men were stationed close by in
readiness to launch it into the sea.

The ceaseless swaying of the ship in the trough of the sea, the engines
having been stopped, set the lines of blue uniformed men swinging and