Evening star., 1898-05-14
"cLEAR SHIP FOR ACTION"
An Inspiring and Interesting Sight
ON the U, S. Cruiser Brooklyn.

An InspirfnR md Interesting Sight
| on the U. s. Cruiser Brooklyn.
| From Leslies Weekly.
| On April IS 1000 officers and men of the
| United States navy, on five ships OF war,
| left Hampton Roads under sealed orders
| and presumably for the purpose of engag-
| ing in deadly strife with men of another
nation.
Retiring time on board man-of-war Is
early, because of the early rising hour and
the arduous labor of the day, and at 8
o'clock very nearly all the men, except the
few on watch. have retired. 1t was short
ly after o'clock on the flagship Brooklyn
Forward. the hammocks were swinging,
rocked gently by the roll of the ship. In
the ward room five or SIX officers sat read
ing, chatting and smoking. On the quar-
ter deck Lieut.. Doyle paced to and fro in
silence while in their respective cabins
Commodore Schley and Capt. Cook and
Executive officer Lieut.. Commander Ma
son sat awaiting call that they alone
knew would be made. The ship, sleeping
on the be som Of the ocean, is IN port oil eSs
and not stripped for action
"A steamers smoke on the port bow"
reports the man at lookout on the bridge,
"All right Can you make her OUT. dill
sWers the officer of the deck.
"A man-of-w&r, sir. answers the look-
out
Messenger, tell III. captain and Mr.. Ma
Mr.. Mason comes on deck, and, with Mr..
Doyle, watches the boat through glasses.
Call the musicians says Mr.. Mason,
sharply, to the messenger, and the musi-
clans come. Still the big ship and its in
mates sleep, still the officers in the
ward room chat and smoke, while others
have already retired. Still Mr.. Mason and
Mr.. Doyle keep the glasses up.
Sound the call TO general quarters. says
Mr.. Mason, and the drum rolls a diapason
to the trumpets shrill treble. Then comes
transformation that knows no equal for its
SuddenneSs of action and shifting OF scene.
From the quarters pour forth men dressing
themselves as they come, never waiting for
shoes or stockings. The siren shrieks forth
its weird steam blast, the big gong cla3ss,
the orum rolls and before their clamor has
ceased its ecno every part of the ship, from
the depths of the hold to the top of the
military mast, is filled with active. bustling
men. From both forward and aft bridges
the bright searchlights have begun to work,
and the rest of the fleet have, quicker, al
most, than thought, been notified of the
approach of an enemy, and their search
lights are aiding in making brighter than
daylight the darkness in which a torpedo
boat might approach.
But of the transformation! Three min
ute3 and a half of what appears to be the
direst confusion, but which is really the
acme of discipline and order have elapsed,
and the commanders of the various divi-
sons report Mr. Rush, in command of the
second division, including the after eight
reports, "All ready, second division, SIR
and following him comes the report of each
division.
The great ironclad is ready to fight, and
the bugler blows "Silence" while the men,
at a fearful tension, the most difficult,
nerve-testing period of the whole situation,
await orders.
What has occurred during the three min
utes consumed in putting this big engine
of war in shape to hurl death and destruc-
ton is marvellous in it's immensity and a
fri tn fte h Gar,4 ,4..sz
and his corps Of officers. 1t is hardly pos
sible to recite its details, but here are some
of its features as noticed by me as an eye
witness: At the note of warning 500 men
have, in perfect order, taken their various
stations and begun the work of clearing
ship for action" In the three minutes and
half consumed they have closed over 200
watertight doors, thus making compart-
ments that will keep the ship afioat, al
though some compartments may be Injured,
They have coupled all the hose to the fire
plugs, covered the small boats with wet
canvas to keep them from flying splinters
II hit; put up splinter nets of rope about
the pilot house, gun Sponsors and other
exposed places; taken down davits, hand
rails and anchor davIts and laid them on
deck SO as to give the guns clear sweep;
removed everything movable or destruc-
tible from deck: covered all matches with
steel covers: lowered all interfering ven-
tilating pipes: dropped overheard small
boats gangways, paint tubs and other deck
furniture; filled all division tubs with fresh
water; Iashed the anchors more securely,
and furnished all the extra mechanical de-
vices necessary for the service of the guns.
In the heart of the vessel the engineers
have coupled the four big engines and
turned steam on in. the seventy-five aux
iliary engines. All of the big boilers have
been fired up, and the stokers are pouring
In coal; the dynamos have been put in serv-
Ice to work battle circuits; the turret-turn-
ing engines tried: the ammunition hoist en-
gines and steering engines, fire pumps and
ventilating and foree-draught blowers made
DO <,6
stay In the main engine and fire rooms and
one-third go to the auxiliary engines.
Magazines have been opened and prep
aration made for ammunition shipment to