The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-01

we're to be put in the turret when Big
Betsy was fired, and as he did not want to
be partial, the men of the gun crews could
settle it among themselves which were to
represent the absent sheep
just then the ammunition carriage shot
up from the magazine with 1856 pounds of
powder and an S25-pound shell, and soon
the hydraulic machinery had both safely
slowed away within the gun. Betsy was
given an elevation of three degrees, and the
order fire" was given, Lieutenant Nichol-
son standing with his hand on the breecn
Of the gun when the lanyard was pulled.
If the 10-inch guns roared the 12-inch
gun fairly howled. A green sailor said the
report sounded like the ''crack of doom"
and it did, Great as was the conclusion
the Monterey never even delgned to shake.
In no part of the vessel was the slightest
tremor perceptible, and yet Lieutenant
Carlin, on the bridge, and the two helms
men at the wheel were right over the gun.
Betsy recoied 42h inches, and, as before.
the automatic carriages worked perfectly.
returning the gun to battery position ready
for firing before the she'll. going at a We
locity of 100 feet per second, had struck
the water twelve miles away. The turret
never moved.
Then came the first delay. The by
oraulic safety springs for the gun Alice
have not arrived. and the springs had to
be taken from behind Betsy before Alice
could be fired. While this work was 60
ing CD all hands walked to the turret aft
and watched 10-inch Tom Thumb and
Commodore Mutt take their bath after the
hard days work described. First the
muZZles OF the guns were depressed until
they pointed down or the deck. Then a
3inch fire hose WAS pat in the breech OF
the guns and full force of water turned
on.
Judging from the amount Of dirt washed
out the 10-inch boys needed bath. When
the guns had been thoroughly washed a
round block of wood, about THREE feet
long, covered with sheepskin, was inserted
in the breech, after rope had been run
through the gun from the muZZle and fas-
tened TO the block. The rope was then
fastened to the capstan, and with all that
leverage it took the strength OF three men
TO drag the block through the gun. 1t is
needless to say that tie rifles were wiped
dry. Another block, exactly like the one
described, but with the sheepskin satu-
rated with fine oil, was then dragged
through the gun, and the bath was finished.
By this time Alice in the forward turret
was ready for firing. The charge was:
335 ounds powder, S25-p0und shell, three
degrees elevation. 1t was The old story
a deafenng roar that could be heard for
miles and shell flying out twelve miles
over the ocean 10 land and explode, thro w
ing up mountain of water. The gun re-
coiled AK inches; the turret never moved.
All these heavy shots having failed to
even start leak in any part of the ship or
hydraulic machinery, to say nothing OF
not having started a bolt In the machinery
in any way, and having also failed to
shake the Monterey in the slightest de-
gree it was decided tn load the Alice
again, this time with 400 pounds of powder
and AN S25- pound shell. The machinery
had proved TO be perfect, the shlD-Stanch
in every place, but it was determined to
fire one more shot. 1t is now TO be regret
ted that this course was determined upon,
for through it the only accident occurring
on the whole voyage happened, and
marred what was otherwise flaw less trip
in every way.
In ramming the shell into the gun it in
some way got twisted and stuck. An at
tempt was made to get it out, and Fran
Payne, one of the head machiGists at the
Mare Island Yard, who has worked stead
lily on the guns and tuIrets of the monitor
for months, got his LETT hand caught be-
tween the shell and the hydraulic ram as
the shell sprang back. His hand was SO
badly crushed that Surgeon G. +. Wtnslow
and Passed Assistant Surgeon WE. Arnold,
who are attached TO the Monterey, found
it necessary TO amputatc the index and
middle fingers and the top of the little
finger. The third finger was badly crushed.
The operation was performed in the ships
ter equipped, than the Receiving Hospital
of San Francisco for surgical cases.
The accident delayed the reloadiDg OF
the Alice so long that it was concluded not
to fire another shot.