Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-26

guard against the approach of torpedo craft
and sweep destructively the exposed posi-
tens and lightly armored parts of an enc
my's deck.
The twelve-inch guns arc mounted in two
massive turrets of ffteen-inch Harveyized
armoT-the defensive equivalent Of quite
twenty inches of normal nickel steel These
turrets revOlve within barbetteS or great
columns of like material and thickness ris
ing bodily from the protective deck below.
Within this great tube of hardened steel
Iest the foundations for the turrets and
the mechanisms vital to the MANAGEMENT
of the turrets and the guns. and up
through this sturdy passage are brought
the powder and shot from the sheltered
folds of the magazines and shell rooms
way below.
Mammoth Guns.
Each of these guns weighs forty-iive
tons as it rests upon its carriage, has a
total length of thirty -eight feet and d
greatest diameter of nearly four feet at
the breeCh. The bore is rifled with forty
eight twisting grooves, that bite into the
copper band on the base of the projectiies,
anu give them that rapid rotation essen
tial 10 accuracy of flight and high power
OF penetration. With an impulse of $50
pounds OF powder, the SJ0-pourd shot of
hardened steel goes speeding on It's mission
of destruction with initial velocity of
: loo feet Il second, the equivalent of some
grea test elevation permitted by the turret
ports, l. e., 10 degrees, each Of these guns
has range of at least five and one-half
miles. Bombarding a city from that dis
lance, the shot would reach its destina-
ton in a scant twenty-four seconds-tilree
whole seconds IN advance of the discharge
that sent 1t. AT the muZZie one OF these
guns could send armor-piercing shot
right through twenty-four inches of solid
Steel and a mile and d half away the same
kind of shot would go undeformed through
nineteen inches of the same kind of mate
rial. The destructive impulse latent in
that shot as it leaves the gun is equiva-
lent to the force required to raise foot
twice the total weight of the whole ship
when heavy laden.
The S-inch guns are protected by five
and eight inches of hardened metal, and
fire 2JO-pound shot with force enough to
pierce twelve inches of steel mile away.
The four-inch guns can fire eight thirty
three pound shot in minute, easily able
to bore their way through seven inches of
steel Thousand yards away; while the
twenty siX-pounders could maintain Il muir
derous hail of explosive shell into open
ports and upon the unarmored portions of
a foe
The torpedoes each with it's deadly bur-
den OF $50 pounds of that threefold power
full guncotton, could tear their way through
the toughest fabr.cations of steel, and make
the mightieSt battle ship bow in submiS
son.
These are some of the powers placed at
the captains command.
Decks Cleared for Action.
Take your watch in hand, and at the
sharp, shrili call of the boatswain's whistle
all hands are called to clear ship for
ton. and scarcely before the last note has
drifted off on the breeze every man is at
his post and hard at work, except the pris-
oners stretching laZily as they are turned
out from the brig.
You who have know the craft in times
Of peace and dress parade, watch her now.
Down come all the shining ratings ami
polished hatchway canopy frames, and over
the open ways in the wake of the guns
are fastened battle plates of heavy steel
All unnecessary ventilators are stored be
low and their deck holes filled with metal
discs. Great anchor cranes are turned
down out of the way of shot and shell, and
the decks left bare, but for the flash plates
that take the first blast of the great guns.
The anchors are freed from their cables,
and the chain, II not slowed below, Is
wrapped for protection about unarmored
parts.
Boat davits are disattached, and slowed
either down along the SIDES or bodily re-
moved beyond the sweep OF the guns. All
awnings are soaked with water. and either
placed safely below to guard the ammuni-
ton supply from splinters and sparks, or
swathed ABOUT such of the boats as are not
filled with water set adrlft.
Overheard go the turpentine and other
infiammable stores, and all chests, furni-
ture and other movable woodwork calcu-
lated to shed splinters and cause INJURY
are sent below or slowed where they may
do no damage. Down below the protective
deck are sent the compasses. chronometers
and other delicate instruments OF naVl-
CATION, and the public funds are placed
in such shape that they may be either cas-
lily removed or destroyed, as the case may
reed. All needless steam supply Is cut or
above the protective deck to prevent scaid-
ing in case of accident, and hose are cou-
no Got
pulsing for instant use. Into the tubes
the torpedoes are put with their war heads
On, and by the magazines the men stand
ready to pass up the ammunition. Down
in the sick bay upon the broad eXpanSe
Of the ward room table the surgeons have
spread their instI Lments and dressings, and
q certain number of cots and lifts have
been prepared for handling the wounded
The signal books are clothed in their
weighted covers and are ready to be cast
overheard when ordered.
Ready for the Fight.
Look at the ship now. In just one hour
and fifty minutes she has been stripped to
the waist, so to speak, and all her bulky
lines stand ont in bare relief, doubly en-
phasizng the might of her murderous
guns now peerihg straight out with an
moinous absence of tompkins. At the mast
head, In unspoiied beauty, hutters the
proud folds Of Old Glory.
A few short taps of the drum, and all
hands hasten to their several stations
most of the men barred to the waist for
the sake of that freedom of movement de-
Inanded by nervous Impotence. The chap
lain. who has really endeared himself to
the crew by feeling of manly fellowship.
goes about quietly, taking first from one
and then another of the men little packet,
which is to be sent to the loved ones at
home lin case anything should happen"
or exchanging few words of kindly help
full cheer to those that seek his greeting.
In a few minutes he will go below to help
the doctors and to smooth the chilling
brow of some poor shipmate
With the delivery of the last report of
readiness and with one WIDE unrestricted
glance at those smoking specks just COM
ing above the horizon the captain steps
into the coming tower and behind the
sheltering folds Of its ten-inch steel,
glances at the tell-tale dials upon it's
rounded walls. and reads the messages that
come up to him from every part of that
great craft beneath him through the ar
mored tube that leads below to the protec-
tive deck.
With barred arms and naked feet. the
guns crews cluster about the larger
pieces, waiting. with beating hearfa for