The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-25
CLEARING SHIP FOR ACTION.
Prepar items for the Life-and-
Death struggle.

The first thing to be remembered by |
the people on shore who may ere hong |
be reading of a sea-fght between two |
modern ironclads Is that modern vessels |
will fight under way. There is no longer /
any graphing of two ships, for one or /
both of them will be destroyed before /
they can come to such close quarters, or |
else one of them will be helpless and VIII |
have struck her colors. All steam VIII |
be put on the moment that the two COM
batants descry each other on the Tar l
horizon. Then the monsters Will begin 10 1
switch themselves about in the water ana /
lash the waves and the great frames VIII
trembe with the engines vibrations.
A late trial of the Cincinnati in battle 1
trim occupied ten minutes going and COM /
ing over a measured distance. with a i
floating target at distance Naryink from |
three-quarters of a mile to a mile and an /
eighth. Her whole battery was fired as \
many times as possible. one Of the 5-inch 1
guns being discharged thirty-six times /
in the ten minutes. and the others nearly /
eoualing this rapidty. She was a flying /
cloud of smoke and flame. The ship her /
self was not visible. The gunners could I
often only guess at the position OF the /
target. or had to wait a few seconds for /
a little momentary rift in the cloud TO
take advantage of it. AS matter OF
fact the target was completely wrecked. |
owing to the skill of the officers ana gun
ners mates. Here let 1t be SAID that the
lateral sighting of a great gun Is more
important than the vertical Get your
muZzle working on a line with target
which is parallel with the horizon before
YOU try to train the gun up ana down.
The suppressed energy which Is appar-
ent i'm the very frame of a vessel When !
she sights an enemy is her quick re-
Spouse to the brains on board OF heI.
Could a spectator be poised in mldair
above two battleships approaching each
other he would be struck by the slhliar-
ity of actions of the human beings
aboard them both What seemed mo-
ment ago an idle 800 men. in harmony
| with the inert monster they lnhaDlt'
spring into living, interdependent or
| ganlsm like the works of a watch.
"Clear ship for action! is the COM
! mand from the executive ofhcer. IN
modern battle everyone must expect IN
| Jury or destruction. He who does not
| had better not go to sea in modern
| ironclad Some will escape death. but
not many. In the engagement between
| the Peruvian ironciad HuaScar ana the
! Blanco Encalada only fifty of the Huas-
! cars crew were uninjured out OF zo.
! one hundred were killed and fifty wound !
ed. And so if Uncle Sans executive or I
| fcers give this command next week or
next month the fearful seriousness OF 1t
will be felt to the core OF every man
| who hears it.
| Continuing the survey Of the inner. hu-
| man life OF the ships, the spectator would
/ first note the bugle call and the subse-
ouent instantaneous rush to his appoint
| ed station of every officer and man. The
| great end in view is the quickest posi- .
/ BILE use of the eapon-throwing power.
| The magazines and the breeches OF the .
| great guns are the centers OF action. 7
/ The coming tower. or little round room b
/ made of metal a foot thick, with sllts
| for observation, is the center OF thought.
| for the captain stands there with MS
| aide and directs the battle by means OF
| speaking tubes and electricity.
| First of all the decks are cleared or
| every obstacle that would embarrass the
| rapid passage of ammunition from the
| magazines to the guns. All ships are run I
| of objects that are to be thrown over
| board before going into action Tanks OF
| turpentine. alcohol yarnish. carooys OF
| acid. must all fly over the side. Then the
| ship's hose is to be attached 10 all con-
| uections and when action has begun the
| steam pump is started and kept running
All movable bulkheads and lockers which
| might interfere with the working OF any
! portion of the battery are put out OF the
| way Only those ladders which are al
soluteIy necessary are left in vice. the
/
| fully placed apart All compasses and
| binnacIes except one are sent below.
! Hammocks are furled awnings are
| wetted and used in certain exposed
! places as barricades or shields. but II Is
| not expected they will do much against
modern bullets
Each great gun and small gun has its
/ officer and group of men behind 1t TO
work it, Its big iron covering. Ike a
| large hood. shield some of the men tbut
! not ain from the fire of the enemy. Ihey
/ must expect their own death or that OF
! their opponents. All the ammunition
! hoists are Immediately put to work
/ She'll and charges are hurried ike hSht-
ming to every breech-loading gun. Boxes
/ of ammunition are whisked up aiott into
| the fighting tops of the military masts
! Tho endless mechanisms Of the great guns
and their turrets must be set going like
! a fash whether by steam. hydrauhc.
rheumatic or electrical power. The lower
| decks being dark, are often whlteWash-
| ed if there be time to do so, IN ORDER 10
| make all objects on them more visible
| Cots or chairs are rugged Tor towering
| tho wounded below, where the surgeons
onerating tables are covered with lint
and steel instruments. The engineers
are below. doing their human best with
tho sbiDs' fires. and if a shell should reach
| one of their boilers Heaven help them!
| And now with the big crew on the up
| per deck separated into small groups be
| hind the various guns all expectant
! training the glistening brass sights on the
| enemv-the center of the opposing mass
near the water is the best place to aim
| for-the battle is on the point of begin
ming. Uniforms are not worn with neat
| ness or precision on these occasions
Some men are stripped to the waist and
officers are in their shirt-sleeves. The |
ships have approached within the radius |
of accurate fire. and the command is /
given for the battle to begin.
All this description will tit. with small |
changes in details the exercise known as |
Clear ship for action in all modern /
nayies, and what appears an invincible !
preparation on one side is exactly re- |
produced on the other. The skill of the /
marksmen must determine who will /
emerge as victor from the coming great |
clash.