The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-08
READY FOR ACTION.

though several minutes would still
elapse before the action began, hustle
and movement had ceased In silence
and suspense, with quickened breath.
the onset was awaited.
A contingent of fremen, water-tend-
ers and coal-heavers in each fire room
| performed its duties with precision
unvarying and mechanical Stripped
to the waist, with muscles knotted on
arms and shoulders, these grimy. stall
wart men handled slice-bar, rake and
shovel, or dragged from the bowels of
the bunkers fresh supplies OF fuel
They were safe from shot and shell,
but they also were denied all knowi-
edge OF passing events The battle
| might rage over them and about them
without conveying any intimation OF
the fortunes Of the day. Shells might
shrek and tear through the decks
above, dismounting guns manning and
killing scores of men, yet nothing
would reach them except muft1ed and
distorted sounds In the beginning,
when the enemy was first sighted and
the ship put under full speed, they
were informed by their comrades on
deck OF the progress of events Even
after the call to stations for battle
vague and undecided rumors found
their way to the regions below; but after
the forced draught was put on, and all
matches closed, they were cut off as eff
fectually from all further knowledge as
If buried in the catacombs Silent and
intent they toiled, the blazing furnaces
In front OF them, tangled mass of
pipes and connections over their heads.
The whir of the forceddraught fans
make monotonous accompaniment to
the metallic clash of furnace doors and
shovels, the electric light fell upon
their glistening shoulders and cast
strong shadows on their rugged faces,
as with suspense magnifed by igno-
rance and unrelieved by excitement
they did their part.
The main engines worked with
steady rhythmic stroke. On the plat
forms, at the reversing gear, at every
valve and throttle, were stationed men
to make immediate response to every
command, to meet an emergency with
appropriate action. The oilers moved
here and there, filling cups, feeling and
examining every journal, rod, and
crank. Cadets were placed at the
in constant communication with the
coming tower. Everywhere. and in
charge Of all, the veteran chief engi-
neer moved, principal assistant in
charge of each engine, and another in
charge of the tire-rooms. Upon him
was the responsibility of maintaining
seventeen knots until the issue of bat
tie was decided, and his sharp critical
eye, as it fell upon his engines and his
men, was filed with the gravity of the
occasion.
The engineers division was protected
from shell, but not from two other
dreaded weapons-the ram and tor
pedo. A Whitehead striking below
the armor belt might burst with ire
mendous force through double bottom
and coal-bunkers, or grinding steel
prov, backed by the momentum of
thousands of tons, might crash ire
sistibly through armor, beams and ma
chinery to the very heart and vitals of
the ship. These were possible disas-
tiers, which might not even be threat
ened, and which, if threatened, might
be avoided by GOODNESS and skill in
maneuvring; but they would be de-
structive, perhaps overwhelming, if
they did occur.
have certain proportion of death and
wounds from bullets and shells. Those
below would escape this danger, and
probably other dangers; but there was
always the chance of catastrophe.
The powder division" provided am
munitiou and controlled the hoists
which conveyed shell and powder to
the guns of the battery. In the maya
zines and shell-rooms far below the
water-line, on the lower flats, and at
successive stations, men stood to guide
the shells, both great and small, and
the cylinders of powder from the
depths Of the ship to the turrets and
fighting decks. This division also,
in close touch with
the active business of fighting, would
not. have an actual part in it ex-
all hands to repel an enemy who was
gaining. possession of the decks-an
exigency not likely to occur in modern
naval battles Below the berth deck /
its members were completely protected |
by the ships heaviest armor, and upon |
the berth-deck they were partially pro-
tected by the lighter side armor ex-
tending above the belt. The torpedo /
rooms, four in number, were. protected /
by light armor. One of them was aft I
and one forward, with fixed tubes, dis /
charging their torpedoes in line with 1
the keel The other two were on the 4
quarters, their tubes ranging forward /
to threaten any ship attempting to /
ram A crew in Zach room ad justed the F..
torpedoes, put on its fighting head, and
upon placing it in the tube attached its !
percussion fuse. The torpedoes could
be discharged from the several rooms /
or from the coming tower. The ship
carried twelve; three for each tube.
With speed of thirty knots these
torpedoes would run 500 yards-the
limit OF distance at which they would
be employed between moving vessels
in thirty seconds
The crews of the eight and twelve
inch rifles were assembled in the tur-
rets, grouped about their guns, and
straining their eyes at the approaching
foe Time and again their glances
were cast upon every preparation and
every fitting to render doubly sure the
assurance that the moment of need
would find nothing unheeded or for
gotten. Cutlasses and revolve-s were
belted on, rifles were placed near at