Connecticut western news., 1896-05-21
FIRE NEAR POWDER.
FLAMES IN THE COAL BuNkERs OF
 THE BATTlEshlP INDIANA

whIl. sirht.eers rattsd the Indisn.s piH Guns, Jack T@rs Fourh, Fir. .sd Emp tied the Powder Magazine -- Splendid Discipline shown.
 BROOKLYN, May 2o. = While pretty women and smartly dressed men idi.d about the decks of the battleship Indiana snd proudly pstted her mighty guns some of the men whom Unole Samuel has hired for fighting purposes were busy removing powder from the magazine with precision and rapidity.
 There was Are in 6 coalbunker. and ths bunker was near the magazine. But the pretty women and the idling men who were visitors didn't know what all the activity meant until it was over. They thought it was part of the show The lsndsmen who watched said, "Splcndid fellowsw and She women. "oh. sn't 10 lovely l''
 When they learned afterward what poe abilities had been astir beneath their fcst. they concluded that Lieutenant Com mandsr Swift was worthy of his sword.
 The Indiana les in the coal dock of the Brooklyn navy yard. where the East river and wallabout channel meet The trouble was in reserve bunker, which, in addt ton to holding few tons of coal, acts ss a protection for the boilers. 1t is quite near the steam, and 1t was that the off, cors believe, which caused the coal Co catch Ire
 In each bunker thsre is an electric Ire signal, which reports promptly when there is danger, telling It's exact location These signals sometimes give false alsrma | But on this occasion the crew went through the fire drill in earnest It was the first time sinoe the Indlana has been In conn mission.
 An alarm was sounded and the matter was reported to Lieutenant Commander | Swift the executive officer. in . twin- kling. There was no noise or excitement. | The visitors went on examining the suns The executive hurried below, wsnt st once to the bunker from which the alarm came and found 10 hot He guessed that the coal had been ignitsd hy spontaneous combustion. There are steam pipes oon- meeting with every compartment In second or two the steam was turned into this particular bunker and whatever fire was there was speedily s1tinguisbed Orders For steam Given.
 The order for steam had been followed immediately by one to pass up ammuni- tion--a purely precautionary measure to I moro formidable than was expected Man after man, as many as could work without orowding. dsrted Into the mag srins and out as the steam was forced Into the threatening oosl bunker. The leisureiy movements of the visitors on ths decks above contracted strangely with the rapid movements below.
 The Indiana's men were working just as they are expected to work when she is in action. They were as cooi as the clarss punch in the lieutenant lander cab in above. much cooler than the pesli9e men who had come to see them and thsir fighting gear
 It was their first actual experience out side of practice. and their discipline was perfsot Their officers watched them with pride thinking, no doubt. that one day is might bo necessary to do the trick again when tho batteries were roaring and she armor ringing under the enemy's frs.
 Whom tho bunker was cold, the oosl was removed and the powder carried back to the magazine
 On deck the trim officers and men on duty had paced to and fro without seem Ing to notice the unusual activity, though they knew the cause well enough. Some of them were telling She visitors about ths groat fighting machine and what would | what would happen If the magazine were fired.
 And then. when the orsw-tbe Indi- nna's complement is 4t0-hsd been ss quarters for an hour and 10 was all ever. 6 sweet summer girl said to the embryo Farraaut at her side:
 There seems to be something unusual going on. What are all those men running around for"
 And he, pulling at little mustaohs. told her with hns nonohalsncs;
 "Oh, there was little bit of fire be- low. Somewhere near the magazine, I be- lisve. Jolly, don't you think"
 The lieutenant com mnnder spoke enthu. siasticsliy of the conduct of the men. say Ing they had stood their first test admire bly.
 And now tho men and women who pat tod the guns are thinking.