The herald., 1896-05-10
THE u. S. S. INDIANA

| handling of the gun-that which involves
the greatest skill and most careful train
ing-concerns its pointing and the point
Ing mechanism, there must when pos
sible. be four proficient marksmen in
each guns crew, Nos. l. 2, 8 and4 4. These
are to succeed to the command of the
gun in the order named.
The firing station is on a small plat
form situated between the To- big guns.
above the trunnion seat, and we'll clear
CT the Tecoii Overhead OF the iirinY sta
ton is the hood, small steel turret or
coming tower, projecting about eight
cen inches above the top of the big tur-
ret Its sides slope at sharp angle, and
in 1t are cut narrow. longitudinal slits,
from which view Of the target can
be had. The guns are sighted from this
station, and fired by the pointer who
touches an electric button when the
sights are on the target. The sighting
is not done along the gun, as the rear of
the piece is nearly twice as large as the
port through which the long steel tube
projects, and it is only through the mar
row Sits in the hood that a glimpse of
the outer world can be had. The sights
sre telescope, and objects 1000 yards dis
tant are brought within visual range
Of 100 yards.
BY the navy regulations an officer is
stationed as gun pointer because as a
rule one can be selected who has good
y
customed to the firing of heavy guns,
and who has the qualities of coolness
and discretion necessary to such posi-
ton, for, as the framer of the regula-
tions observes. the gun pointer of a
powerful turret really has one of the
most responsible posts in the ship. But,
if it be the opinion of the captain that
one of the enlisted men possesses the
necessary qualities in greater perfec-
tion than any of the availa BILE officers,
he is authorized to place the man as
gun pointer in the turret
Other weapons of offense which the
Indiana carries are her six torpedo
tubes. Four are in broadside. one is in
the stern, and the other in the bow. The
torpedoes are of the Whitehead pattern
An impulse charge of four ounces of
powder throws them from the tube, and
Immediately upon striking the water
their propeller, operated by compressed
air, sends them through the water at
thirty mile hour speed. They can
be set to run al any depth, and on con-
tact with the target explode charge
of 100 pounds of gun cotton, equal in
explosive energy to 900 pounds of gun
powder.
Four of the new Colt automatic ma
chine guns will be added to the ships
armament during her stay in the yard
These guns are similar to the Maxim
guns They fire 400 rounds a minute
The operator sights the piece and press
es button. The automatic mechanism
does the rest, and continuous rain of
missiles is kept up until the button is
released.
The four search lights of the battle
ship are mounted in novel way. They
are in an exposed position. for their very
nature precludes any possibility of Civ
ing them suitable protection. In the
older ships the search light was so ar
ranged that the operator had to stand
directly behind the big bulls eye, and
was consequently shining mark for
sharpshooters and small-arm fire
In the Indiana the search lights are
SO arranged that they can be operated
from stations securely situated behind
the armored sides, and twenty-five or
thirty feet away from the light ITSELF
New York Times