The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-03-23
PERIL ON WARSHIPS.
COVE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AVERT
Ed ON OUR BATTLESHIPS.

co{5 a man well posted on naval affairs,
Tho has served in the United States navy,
o,ronos Of the recent disaster to the Maine:
tTbe man-of wars man or officer who
,,ooIoots to keep careful, thinking head
on his shoulders during all his waking
Sanrs aboard ship is liable to get hurt.
hanger turks everywhere on modern
-LjD Of war. The most careful naval sail
or,nan often finds himself on the very
brink of a disaster that, without quick
fbipr.rc and lightning action on some
body part, would land him and his whole
chin company, in kingdom come
zone of the first of the steel ships Of the
new navy had not been in commission
three months before a level headed appren-
thee boy executed a rapid descent into the
nitot the ships endangered magazine that
nut him at the top of the line for the gun
ners warrant he now holds. The gun
divisions Of the crew were overhauling the
after magazine, breaking out fixed ammu-
milton and cans of powder and gun cotton
and cleaning and red leading the bilges.
The ship had not yet been equipped with
electricity, and so closed lanterns were EN-
Moved to illuminate the Zimmerman dark
ness of the magazine. The lanterns, as
was customary on men-of-war before the
DAYS of movable incandescent electric
lamps on naval vessels, had been carefully
inspected by an officer before the hatch of
tho magazine was lifted. All of them
were found in apparently tight order, and
the work of hosting the magazine con-
tents to the main deck by means of block
and tackle was begun.
1.-The chief gunner mate, under the di-
rection of division officer, was superin-
tending the movements of the men, He
was leaning over the hatch calling out
orders to the hands in the pit of the mag
azine when he knocked the lantern be
carried in his hand against one of the steel
sides of the hatch The spring that held
the lamp within the lantern gave way,
and the lamp fell through the hatch. Still
lighted, it fell bottom side up on top of a
big can of powder that was hooked and
ready to be hoisted to the deck The two
men in the pit Of the magazine had gone
away aft in the magazine to haul moro
cans of powder to the hooks, and their
backs being turned to the hatch opening,
they did not see the lantern lamp resting
on the can Of powder, with the flame OF
the wick right next to the metal of the
can. The men at the top of the hatch
were in a stupOr of horror, but the alert
apprentice boy, who afterward got his
sword for the job, was wide awake He
Skinned down the tackle an instant after
the lamp fell, grabbed tie lamp, the flame
Of which had already Legun to heat tina
can metal, and yeliad up the hatch:
Pull me and the can up to the main
deck, you 1ellowsI'
Having distinguished the lamp with
bis fingers, he grabbed the rope with his
right hand and the can of powder with his
left, and the men at the hatch opening had
him on the main deck in jiry. Ihe ap-
prentice boy scocted up the poop ladder
and chucked the heavy can of powder over
the side. The commanding officer of the
ship did not complain Of the loss Of the
powder.
" second class fireman serving on one
OF the smaller cruisers had his head about
him when the magazine of his ship was
threatened q few years ago, and he has had
the much better rating of a water tender
ever since. One of his shipmates of the
black gang was cleaning his section of the
after engine room blges one morning.
Ills particular section of the bilges was on
The ssarboard side Of the extreme after
part OF the engine room. Immediately aft
Of the engine room was the ships maya
zine, separated from the engine room by
steel partition. Bilges are cleaned with
tuIpentine soaked waste. The bilge clean.
er, too lazy to fill one of the small turpen-
Tine cans provided for the purpose, drag
geo five gallon can of turpentine to his
Duge station and began work. Smoking
is strictly prohibited in the engine rooms
OF man -of-War on account of the large
amount of combustible stores necessarily
slowed below.
ms b1lge cleaner was reckless sort
vi blade, however, and when he had got
MS Duge cleaning under way he took out
us pipe and lit it, Carelessly Chucking the
match IN the bilge. There was some tur-
pehtlne In the bilge, and the match, still
agloW, set 1t into flame. The bilge clean
9E jumped to his feet, and in doing so he
overturned the five gallons of turpentine.
linen The bilge was converted into a roar
aug mass OF lame that shot to the berth
Uoch gratlngs and played directly against
01e sUeeI bulkhead separating the engine
1ooIA rom the magazine. The careless
H"9e cleaner was scorohed, and he bolted
t t me spar deck, yelling like a mailman.
a." second class fireman with the head on
ann was the only other man in the after
gGngIhe room at the time this happened.
ne made jump for the bilge covers that
Hau been removed by his reckless mate,
aA9' although severely burned while doing
A. ne thrust them over the bilges. Then
~ seized wrench and knocked open one
VI "! the intakes from the sea that let water
GSTn,IecIy into the bilge that was in flames
Inc Ino water came in so rapidly that it
Anoc6ed the bilge covers off, but it drowned
Dno nre' There was more than foot of
t "%'er IN the engine rooms before the in
s saAe could be closed again, but that was
small small matter compared with what might
naIe happened had the hot tnrnentina