New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-04

copper powder tank were taken of and the pow
der in two sections placed in the otner compare
ments Of the car. the signal was given ana ootn
cars quickly rose to the breach OF the 'uiie'
guns and were sent back empty
READY IN FOUR MINUTES
All this preparation of getting ready occu-
pied space Of four minutes time, after all the
men went below and the matches. were lowered
and secured The heat varies in this stee! cage
from 100 TO lag degrees. Fahrenheit. and quick
~ causes the men to strip 10 the waist ana set
tie down TO their work in almost air-tight
box filed with sweltering humanity plhuiy
chewing orders. with unquestioning obedience
and alacrity. not knowing the cause OF the
alarm. whether target practice. bombardment'
an attack on the Spanish fleet or false alarm
Suddenly the report of the first gun was
heard. followed in quick succession by another
and the battle was on Down the HOSTS and
chutcs comes the powder smoke TO add TO the
adj, high temperature OF the handling room,
followed by the hot satpetre water from the
sponging of the guns making the decks slip
perry and burning blisters on the hare backs OF
the men underneath who. cropping and choK-
ing. feeling their way through the dense smoke.
80 silently and obediently about their work
with only one thought and aim in view. to keep
those continually empty cars and HOSTS hlled
with powder and projecties. not knowing now
the battle is raging. When a cheer is finally
heard from the deck their spirits brighten. and
an old salt will exclaim: II guess they must
have hit EN- that time" AS a yell Is heard
"Armor- piercing. quick" and the smells are
quickly changed. he takes an old Oily rag ana
rubs the cap Of the projectile. saying: Ihat "
make 'cr bite better" and the young boy OF
Is thn
many months the old salt has years exciaims
to his shlpmates "Ah. what's he givin US!
DANGER FROM DROPPING SHELLS
That was the routine Of the handling room On
the I'd Of July. except that once In while 'he
rush was broken by carelessly handed sEeil
dropping One came down in the forward man,
diing-roo when Mr.. Hancock had charge the
day Of the battle. AS it dropped the forty feet.
Stand clear" shouted Hancock. but the COM
mand is superhuous. for il the shell had cx-
ploded no man in that place would ever have
seen daylight again. 1t didn't explode. ard as
the handlers gasped in their temporarily ce-
parted breath, a prayer went up to heaven and
many uncomplimentary adjectives 10 the fellow
in the turret between them and heaven
There were other heroes that day. men who
never see the battle. but do the work that
keeps everything in the ships in motion. and
take a risk greater than commodore or captain.
When the Vizcaya had been sunk and beached
that dav Captain Cook. having been ordered
by Commodore Schcy to cease firing, called the
men from the handling-rooms and the turrets TO
take breath OF air while the chase OF the
Colon went But the battle was on Tor
men not visible. Down beneath the protective
deck informed only Of the glories Of that days
fighting by Captain Cooks bulletin through the
speaking tube men worked In a pit below the
water in temperature OF over 16O degrees.
STOKERs FAINT. BUT RETURN TO DUTY
From the tunnels the black smC Ike pouring
forth told that stokers and coal passers and
fremen were working like iends to give the
ship more momentum. that the foe would
be captured At the engines Engineer Carter
and his assistant Mr.. Patton. watched every
pulsation and encouraged the men 10 greater
efforts to produce more steam In the stoke
holes toed amid fierce flames that licked
out at them each time the doors opened for
coal or the long slice bars went In The rush
OF air that comes in goes out only through the
furnaces, creating what is known as forced
draught" Curously enough It is more com
Portable in the stoke hole when forced draught |
is called for than ordn lrily. for the extra air |
forced down helps the men as well as the fires |
The heat. however. was Intense on July 8. ana
several times the big steel cage opened to let
out men who had tainted. Yet the Instant they |
were recovered back they went with as much
courage as any one on deck.
Slowly the Brooklyn gained on the Colon |
until the last Spanish flag went down So did
the Oregon The fire and engineer corps Of the
two ships had won the day and caught the last
Of the Spanish feet.