Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-03-26
Fire Quarters In Action.


Fire!- startling cry at all times,
but one which at sea adds tenfold
Significance to the dread alarm, andi
brings terror to the heart of the bravest,
and shakes the nerves of the strongest.
Accustomed as is the man o'~war's man
to the frequently recurring call to fire.
quarters, thoughly drilled as he is to
fight the all.destroying element, and to
meet the danger, ever possible in spite
of most careful precaution and untiring
vigilance, | doubt that the sudden fire.
call ever sounds through crowded ship
without startled, il momentary,
quickening of blood and brain in re-,
sponse to the summons. And the sum-
mons may come at any time. day or
night; and when ii comes no man of
all the crew knows whether it be simply
for exercise in the drill or for real
struggle for the safety of his floating
home, aye, perhaps for his very life.
When the crew of Cincinnati, not long
ago, rushed TO their stations when the
fierce fire was eating into the very
vitals of the ship, when the steel walls,
of the magazine filled with explosives,
the first touch OF fire to which would
rend asunder beam and bulkhead, and
send ship and crew into the waiting
arms OF Davy Jones -glowed and bent
with the heat, not a man wavered,
none shrank from the ordeal, though
the fight was long and the danger ap-
palling Pluck and courage, bred of
discipline and training, told, and tho
good ship was saved.
Yhe breaking out of fire on shipboard
during an action has been frequent
episode of naval battles over since ship
met ship in deadly conflict. One would
think that with the disappearance of
the wooden walls" from the seas, and
the substitution in their place of tho
great steel ships of modern navies, the
added danger Of fire to the other horrors
OF battle would be greatly diminished.
| 1t may be that such will be the case !;
but in the recent war between China
and Japan modern steel ships took fire
and were destroyed-from some ac-
counts under even more terrifying
circumstances than in former days.
That the Navy Department is alive to
this condition of affairs is shown by it's
action in endeavorlng to use as little
inflammable material AS possible in the
construction and equipment of our
newer vessels OF war, and in taking
steps, 10y experiments and investiga-
tion, towards the adoption of some
absolutely non-inflammable substance
where the use of iron and steel is i'm
practicable. The frightful force of
impact OF heavy modern projectile
engenders such heat that contact of
any substance not absolutely nom
combustble with tho object hit adds
greatly TO the danger of fire-a danger
the sailor may have to contend with as
well as with his country's enemies in
the flesh.
Fire quarters in action'' 1t is
hard to realize tho significance Of the
terse, official term; but it is part of
the trade of the man-o' wars man to
learn to subdue fire while continuing
to fight his guns'' with reduced
crews, to be sure, and at disadvau.
tage. unless the enemy be in the same
predicament. No one that knows him
as | do will doubt for moment that if
the time comes he will meet fire or the
enemy, or both together, with brave
heart and cool head, and fight to the
very bitter end.