The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-28
FIGHTING IN THE MATT.
Row the Rapid FIRE Guns in the Fight.
Ing Top are Operated.

How the Rapid FIRE Guns in tho Fight
Ing Top are Operated.
Fighting in the military mast Of the
big battleships in our navy will prob
ably be the most dangerous duty our
seamen will be called upon to perform
in the war with Spain, says the Kansas
City Journal.
Exposed to the full fury Of the en-
emys fire, with scarcely any protec-
ton, and with the possibility Of having
the entire mast shot away, the man on
duty in the mast is in a position per-
haps the most dangerous in all modern
naval warfare.
The steel barbettes Of the present
time. save In certain battleships, where
an overhead shield is carried, give a
protection more apparent than real,
more picturesque than practical. And
while the military top crews have the
advantage of seeing something Of the
scrlmmage, yet they present too in-
viting a mark to the enemy, and have
stations which in battle are pretty sure
to be untenable from the heat and
smoke.
The small arms men have frequent
practice aboard ship, and considering
the difficulties of tAe environment, are
good marksmen. 1t is no easy task to
fire from platform placed at the fob
end Of pendulum, swinging irregu-
larly. and the results attained testify to
the value of the drill and to the ply
sique of the individual.
On the larger battleships the mill
tary masts are hollow, and access to
the fighting tops is gained through the
interior. The ammunition is also pass
ed up inside In the smoke and CRIME
Of battle one can we'll realize what q
he'll these places woald be.
Another thing that must be consid-
cred Is the fact that this will be the
United States navy's first practical test
Of the modern warship. The last ten
years have brough. about greater
and more sudden change In the out
ward appearance OF men-of-war than
has ever been recorded in the history
Of naval affairs. Tais is In the main
due to the almost complete Danish
ment of sails, yards, and the more or
less intricate rigging necessitated by
their use, in favor of military masts,
or, in some cases, here signal poles.
The military mast Of to-day is con-
structed primarily to carry guns, and
secondarily for signalling purposes,
for it must be remembered that in all
cases in which ships have been equip
ped with fighting tops since their very
first inception, the primary duty of the
mast which upheld it was to carry
sail for the propulsion of the ship.
Some Of the masts are supplied with
an upper top for the electric light, a
peculiarly shaped edifice below to en-
able three quick-firing guns to be dis.
charged right ahead, and species of
coming tower below, from which the
captain can overlook the smoke clouds
and see to direct his ship in action.
The later types are all constructed
with much the same ideas.
Some have lockout, or coming
tower, others have not, but all have
three or six FOUNDER quick firing guns
and electric light projectors, and one
or two lighter machine guns in addi-
ton.
The small caliber rapid-fire and ma
chine guns employed in tops are sup
ported by riaemen, and in every fight |
their. work of clearing the guns, sweep
ing the decks and superstructures, and
of picking off the officers and leading
men is, to say the least, hazardous. In
the galley days the military tops were
fairly well protected, but during the
sail era the topmen handling the swi-
vel pieces and deck rakers, and FORM !
ing special corps of musketeers, had |
no protection, except what was given
by network of mattress-filled ham
mocks.
1t would take a big projectile to
bring mast down, but then il it did.
great would be the fall thereof. And
think Of the poor devils that would
come crashing down with it, And
think of them even if the mast doesn't
come down, perched up there, living
targets for shot ans shell! The thin
plating is of no avail against anything
larger than rife aulet, and small
shell might pass h,rmlessly over the |
heads OF the men in an open top which
in closed one VOL ID have been burst
by the iron sides AMI scatter death and
destruction within.