The National tribune., 1897-08-19
GOING INTO HcTION.
What It Means to Put Big War Vessel In
Shape to Fight.

What It Means to Put n Big War Vessel In
Shape to Fight
Once in a while some land lubber, who has
been 50 to sea on Long Island Sound in
jib and mainsail boat, writes sea story, or,
still more frequently, sea play, says the
New York Times. 1t is easy enough to fool
people about it all, because nine-tenths Of
the world has never been at sea except On q
passenger steamer, where one never hears
an order shouted, and, naturally enough,
they all think it must be very different on
other kinds of ships, especially meu-of-war.
Naval routine and methods are of course
unknown 10 the great body of the inhabit-
ants of any country, because when Jack
an his officers are most busily engaged in
drills they do not welcome visitors aboard.
So the nautical story writer does not
hesitate to call all hands and the cook to
"man the lifeboat," while the playwright
has been known to send a crew to quar-
ters" to stack ship" aboard an armored
steam cruiser. AS for battles, they are
fought on the stage without any prepara-
tions whatever beyond loading the guns,
which is sometimes represented as being
done aboard one of our new ships very
much as it was done in the time of Decatur.
Before going into fight, however. every
war vessels crew hears the shriil piping Of
the whistles of all her Boatswain's Mates
and the order, "Ciear ship for action" In
the old fashioned wooden ships this was a
very big task. Topgailantmasts and light
yards had to be sent down, extra sliugs and
preyenter stays rugged, and every preeaution
taken to reduce the amount of hamper aioft
that might be shot away and fall on the
heads of the men on deck There Is less Of
IL.
do not carry sall, but there is plenty to be
done about the decks and inside the ship at
the preliminary order before the loading OF
guns is begun.
The fundamental principles of clearing
ship are first to get every thing out of the
wav that can interfere with the free range
of her guns, and, second, to remove every
thing not essential to her handling which
can be shot away by the enemy.
The bow staff, with all It's rigging; the
anchor davit and all the other gear that is
not necessary, have been taken away and
slowed below. The anchors, of course, have
to remain, as it might be necessary to let
one 90, and they are not bad deAectors OF
shot, either. The turret has been turned to
test the machinery, the cover has been taken
off the searchiight, and the flag has been re-
moved from the taffrail staff aud run to the
military masthead.
The crew is pretty nearly all out of sight
The two men up in the fighting top a.s
there to handle the rapid-fire gun which IS
to pour down hail of shot upon the
enemy's deck. The column Of black smoke
swirling out of the smokestack shows that
the engineer force is firing up.
If the interior of the vessel could be
shown it would be seen that great amount
of work has been done. For instance, all
the motive power has been tested, and the
pressure has been turned on for the turret.
revolving machinery, ammunition hits,
hydraulic rammers, elevating gear, smoke
fans, and dozen other things
The magazines have been opened and tho
powder division is ready to supply the guns
with charges The gun crews are at their
stations and ready to put the great shells
into the heavy 10-inch guns. The naTiga'
tor and all his division are ready to manu-.
yer the vessel, and the surgeon has arranged
his operating tables and implements for
ta,.iil.. ci.e of the wounded. In short, the
ship i, ready to fght.