The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-09-16
Inside a Fighting Turret Ship.

For the LIGHT:
once heard an old sailor, who fought in a
monitor, describe the sound of the shots beat
ing against the vessels plates. You know
what it is to be in long railway tunnel-how
intensely dark it is, far darker than StarleSs
night, and how yellow and feeble the light
looks. Well, it is much the same IN the
bowels of turret ship, when all the hatch
ways are closed. Oil lamps swing from the
beams, but they give no lustre, and each fame
seems like little bit of yellow floating in the
air. The men grope about and knock against
each other, some bearing ammunition to the
elevator connecting with the turretS, others
Carrying coal from the bnnkers to the furnaces
underneath the boilers. The engines groan
and rattle, and at times the captains bell
rings a sharp order to slacken or increase
speed Meanwhile, if there has. been lull
in the firing, the men move about feeling
very like timid boy who is alone in a country
lane after dark-not that they are afraid. The
boy looks at every shadow, thinking there is
robber or kidnapper behind it. The men
anxiously await each moment, not knowing
what deadly surprise il may bring forth. And
as the battle goes on, II is not long before
there is a ringing sound that is calculated to
fill the bravest and strongest of nerve with a
momentary terror. 1t is as though the inner
deck and malls were falling in upon them, and
for little while they are unable to realise
what has appened-uncertaln that they are
not on their way to her bottom. Every ear is
stung with the awful sound, and every nerve
is thrilled. The great mass of iron seems to
tumble over on one side and moan
with pain before the vessel rights
herself again and steadies herself tor
ha rat1r thss
compliments paid her with vengeance, and
her bulldogs in the turrets bark and spit fire
at the enemy until we pity that unfortunate,
and wish she would retire from the field. The
turrets are ranged along the deck. They are
about ten feet in diameter, fifteen feet high,
and each one is fastened to massive upright
pillar of iron passing through the centre and
working in a socket on the lower deck. The
pillar is connected by series of cog wheels
with a steam eng inc, which causes It 10 turn
the turret in the direction as the captain re-
qures. Two small port holes are cut in the
plates Of the turret and furnished with solid
iron doors When the guns are to be fired,
they are worked on slides to the portfolios,
which remind US Of the mouth Of dogs ken
mel, and their noses are pointed at the enemy.
A second after they have uttered their
bark, they are dragged in, and the
floors are closed, Just in time, perhaps, to
avoid two return shots which crack like
thunder on the plates outside. While the
gus are being loaded again, and men are has
tenec by the whistle and crash of the shot and
shell, whihh strike the iron walls of the turret-
Above one of the currents there is little IRON
clad Pilot-house, whence the captain directs
the movements Of his vessel. thas no win
dow, and the only outlook is through Sits,
: about an inch wide, in the plates. The intre-
t pid man, whose position is the most danger
Gus Of all, stands there throughout the thick of
the fight, controlling the rudder, the engines,
: and the turrets, by motion Of the hand or a
} tinkle Of bell. You may remember what
: told you in previous article,-I am begin
. ming to look upon you as old friends, by the
, way,-abOut Admiral Worden, the hero of
u Monitor. He was watching the Merimack
# from the Sits III his little lookout box, when 4
e shell struck the outside and knocked him
. senseless. All captains Of turet-ships are ex-
posed to such dangers as this, and even great
: er cnes: indeed, as have said, their posi-
tons are the most perilous.