The evening times., 1896-01-07
AS IF SINKING d.

~
| tight doors, matches and air ports are Closed
| tight. the pumps are rigeed and m;nnetf
ana everything is prepared as If the ship
I was injured by blow and i'll danger of
| sinking.
| THIS is a very important exercise. and, in
addition to being praciiced each Wednes-
| day. Is gone through with every afternoon
! when the ships are ut sea. A collision mat
| like big door mat, with ropes at each cor
| ner. Is gotten out and hauled over the sup
| posed hole IN the ships bottom. All the
! iastenln-s OF the different doorsand matches
! are tried daily. so that they are certain to
| be IN good order. They are closed tight i'll
action. or when there is danger of collision.
| i nan-of-war Is pretty thoroughly divided
up into compartments so that a hole in ono
end could be shut off completely. This is
not only necessary for the case Of collision,
| but would he necessary to isolate a COIN
partInent having shot holes in it. Wednes-
day afternoon the clothing of the men is in
spected to See that 1t is in order. and that
they have the required quantity. The
bags containing the clothing are left up
and the men are required TO mend any
clothing needing it,
In the evening the signal men and divi-
sions exercise IN the different systems OF
night signals.
Thursday morning is the day for general
quarters. or drill at the guns OF the main
and second batteries. getting up ammlIni-
tion, etc. The divisions are drilled to-
gcther on tins day by the executive officer,
and all the communications from the con-
ming. tower to the guns and torpedoes are
tried. A Howe or Whitehead torpedo is
prepared and actually fired from its tube,
this being continued If the run made by the
torpedo is not an accurate one. The tor
pedo is recovered at the end of ach run.
RECORDS ARE KEPT.
The men are exercised getting up ammu-
milton, and tests made and records kept
of the amount gotten up in a given time.
As the naval actions between ships of the
present type will probably be short, much
will depend on the rapidity with which the
guns can be supplied with ammunition.
In the afternoon. Thursday, the firemen
and marines are drilled at the battery and
the crew is exercised in signals. In the cven-
ing exercise with the search lights is had.
Friday the boats ire all hoisied out and ex-
ercised at fleet Ia cites under oars and sails
each second Friday of the month the boats
are equipped for distant service, such as an
attack on fort ashore, cutting out vessel
or other service away from the ship. The
boats then carry arms, provisions, a stovefor
cooking, tools and great many miscei-
laneous articles which ma ke IN independent
existence possible.
In the afternoon there is signal instruC ton
and la ter fire quarters. when bucket linesare
formed. lines of hose led out and water
started in themand the supposed fire quickly
put out. The battle OF the Yalu. between the
Chinese and Japanese. demonstrated the fire.
qucncy OF fires during an engagement and
the difficulty of putting them out, Even in
steel ships there is some woodwork.
Every first Friday afternoon every soul in
the ship is mustered opposite the boat he
would go in were the ship To be finally BAN
doned. This is called abandon ship" and
water and provisions alone are carried.
Saturday Y morning the bedding OF the crew,
in their hammocks. is put up on the rail and
opened out To be aired for several hours.
SUNDAY ON SHIPBOARD-
Sunday morning the ship is prepared for
inspection. and the ship and crew are in
spected by the captain.
The first Sunday of the month the whole
crew is mustered by name and passes under
the eye of the captain; the third Sunday the
articles of war and the general orders from
the admiral or the Navy Department are
read. After Sunday quarters church is
rugged on the berth deck, and the chaplain
il the ship has one, or the captain. if he is
religious enough, holds service.
Once in three months the ship is cleared
for action aud put in the ccEd .ticn she would
be in We're she prepared for battle. Every
thing is stored below which can be- removed.
boats are wrapped with canvas To prevent
splntcring, shelte prepared OF awnings
and hamnocss for rifiemen, and every
war appliance the ship has prepared for
actual use.
Once a quarter also the crew is suddenly
walked up during the night, without previ-
Ous warning, and exercised a general quar-
tiers and fire quarter. Every Friday the
pumps and gun mounts are ovcrhaultd
Wednesday the dry aud wet cotton used in