The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-14
THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN.
WHY AMERICAN JACRIES HAVE
LEARNED TO SHOOT.
NAVE

hO Obub uut u hlllS xiii INluk Ou Olo VI
Brooklyn's streets glanced from the Window
then turned and. clappinG her hands. called
out. Papa, papal Quickl There goes a man
in blue clothes with a great rolling collar and a
round cap. And he has ono OF his arms tied
up. Who is he 2"
The father saw that It was n wounded man
of-war's man brought North from Cuba for
treatment. He answered. and there was q
catch in his voice as he said: THAT is ono Of
the nations heroes. 10 has fought for us and
suffered for us. and he helped to win our bat
ties. He was one OF the men behind the guus."
This is only one Of many recent instances
illustrating the changed attitude in which
Jacky is viewed by the folks on shore. A few
months ago these tars trod the streets sinRly
and In pairs without receiving even q glance
except from some citizen who accompanied his
look with q shrug and the words, spoken con-
temptuously, "Humphl some moro sailors
ashore. I suppose they will be in the lookup
before morning"
The magic OF war and It's victories have worked
this Transformation. There is an old gunner's
mate on the battleship Oregon who has been
in the service for over thirty years. He pol
ished and cared for the 9-inch smooth-bore
guns OF the old navy. transferred his affections
to the wicked 60-pounders when they were In
vogue. and has finally adopted as his pet and
pride one Of the monster 13-inch beauties Of
the Oregon. He cannot read q word, and signs
the paymaster's rolls with a cross, yet no
knows the intricate mechanism Of n breech-
loader as a scholar does the alphabet. and he
can hit a canvas bullseye 2.00O yards away
with n 1.100-pound proJectile as easily as an
expert pool player can make a pocket.
When the ships Of Admiral Cervera's fleet
poked their noses past MORO Castle in their
desperate and theatrical attempt to escape
from Santiago harbor this grizzled old gun
ners mate was engaged in his usual task. that
Of lovingly shining up the glossy coat OF his
13-inch pride. When the cry went up that the
enemy was escaping and the drums and bugles
and gongs hastily sounded general quarters,
he gave a few finishing touches to the muzzle,
then quietly took his station in the turret.
Presently turning to q young seaman gunner
next to him he said:
Charley. I'll bet you a months paw that I
make q better shot at the Dago begRars than
you. What dye say?"
Done. was the prompt reply. Ten minutes
later the old gunner's mate sQuinted his eye
along the sight. siRnalled the man at the train
Ing lever to ease off a little. took the range
from the officer in charge Of the division. then
gave the firing LANYARD a quick jerk. When
the smoke lifted the eager watchers saw a
| great yawninE hole in the port bow Of the AL
mirante Oquendo. A cheer came from
the men in the turret. and the veteran
glanced triumphantly toward the seaman
gunner. The ~latter's turn soon came. The
Oquendo. battered and helpless, drifted
ashore in flames. The Oregon. accom-
panied by the Brooklyn, sped on after the fleet
footed Colon. The rapid-tlre batteries of both
American ships ratified and shrieked after the
fugitive; The s-inch guns of the BROOKLYN
forth. their shells. and occasionally deeper
roar from the 13-inch monsters Of the Oregon
trNull NtNrnn m N mo 70 fhn din
1t was after one of the latter shots that the
forward turret Of the Oregon echoed with a
ESnnsF: bad jnst aroppsa u the SSFi9E iSaysr$
from his hand and 1t was seen that the ColQn,s
fore he pulled the lanyard that he would fetch
s."G1 nd In did one n of the guns crew admirinG-
These shots. absolutely marvellous under the
circumstance, We're fred by men , REPRESENTING
perience: the seaman gunner. scarcely of age,
was the product OF a modern system OF train;
that term means something these days.
Eighty-six years ago Great Britain. then as
covered that Americans could win naval bat
ties. But the English historians gravely de-
"beeaus s. OF a Secret art in gunnery p How
our gallant f,orefathers who manned the Con-
if amF y a fn tha 5ho T Fn,yed kn stS's as we %o Know HG tEe
day. that our skill in gunnery comes from a
system which has as its keynote one pregnant
When the torpedo boat, Morris dropped in at
the BTooklEn Navy Yard IN hex way to Cuha
bers of the crew who went ashore, for q
short run was a young man. s1nooth5tlced
pPa Rl%e-e sGSh 0 as mig misht { bBe se' %oT Ga'% BY eN a
youth studying theology. He was clad In the
ing in his attire or bearing to indicate that
he had among his effects on board a medal won
for expert craftsmanship with great guns. He
gunnery school at Washington, and could place
a l3-inch shell in the vitals of an enemy's war
SoiIP @''" '"' accuracy OIL a" expert USING To-
That young man had entered the service as
an apprentice, when he was scarcely III. he
early attracted the notice of his superior off,
GERS. who are ALWAYS on the lookout for prom
duties Of a sailor. to the Government Gunnery
School. There he spent II number Of months
gciesce te of SSh@nn and prV%shfi sn b tsis Tfad in teG
at the end OF the course he was detailed to the
Newport Torpedo School, and there absorbed
turned to the selvice-and to his. bluejacket,s
most fitted for n commission he occupies q po-
sition paving him the meagrc salary OF $50 a
There are many young men such ms he in our
naval service. They are TO be found on every
naval apprentices IN, training for the same sta
ton. 1t was either the scamen gunners or men
rendered EXPERT by, constant practice { E, after our n
the Olympia. Baltimore and Boston in the bat
tie Of Manila Bay, and OF the BROOKLYN; Oregon.
the destruction of Cervera's fugitive squadron
off Santiago. The man behind the gun" In
shoot with marvellous accuracy and he can
make a sieve, with a rapid fire gun Of any, war
ship afioat, but he is enabled to do II simply
because he has been instructed after that
fashion.
When the officers OF Ceryera's squadron re-
covered from their shock after the humiliation
Of their ships. one OF them-the executive on
Ger OF the Maria Teresa-exclaimed. to Lieut.
| annnf- Commander Vain wTiRhftnt the gallant
little Gloucester:
"Madre de Dios! you Americans shoot three
shots to our one. And you hit every time. How
do you do 1t? What is the secret 2"
1T Is no secret was the reply I'VE keeP1
the guns day after day. week in and week out.
And We train them under service conditions
with the regulation, charges and proJectilea
The $ paniard was astonnded. o fire rea
shots p he exclaimed. 1T costs very much,
In that last sentence will be found one of the
most potent reAsons for tho dNfeat OF the Span-