The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-06
HOW A BATTLESHIP
BEHAVES In ACTION

or great columns of like material and
thickness rising bodily from the pro-
tertive deck below. Within this great
tube of hardened steel rest the founda-
lions for the turrets and the mechau-
isms vital to the management of the
turrets aud the guns; and up through
this sturdy passage are brought the
powder and shot from the sheltered
folds of the magazines and shellrOOmS
way below.
Each Of these guns weighs IL tons as
it rests upon it's carriage; has a total
length of 3S feet. and a greatest diamet-
or of nearly feet at the breech. TIE
bore is rined with as twisting grooves
that bite into the copper band on the
base Of the projectiles and give them
that rapid rotation SO essential to aC-
cLracy of flight and high pOwC" of
penetration, With an impulse of 431
pounds of powder the S5O-pUund shot Of
hardened steel goes speeding on its
mission of destruction with an initial
velocity Of 2.l00 feet second-the
equivalent of something over 1,400 miles
an hour. With the greatest eleVa-
tion permitted by the turret ports, /.
e., Is degrees. each Of these guns has
Il range of quite ila miles. Bombard-
ing a city from that distance the shot
would reach it's destination in a scant
twenty-fOur seconds-three whole sec
onds in advance Of the sound of the
discharge that sent it. At the muZzle
one of these gums could send an armor
piercing shot right through "a inches
of solid steel, and mile and half
away the same kind of shot would go
undeformcd through ~ inches of the
same kind of material. The destruC-
| tive impulse latent i'm that shot as il
| leaves the gun is equivalent to the
! fierce required to raise one foot twice
| the total weight of the whole ship
when heavy laden.
FIRE 250-POUND SHOTS.
! The S-inCh guns are protected by 3
and inches of hardened metal. and
! fire 2j0-pound shot with force enough
/ to pierce T. inches of steel a mile
! away.
The 4-inch guns can fire eight thirty
! three-pound shot in minute easily
! able to bore their way through seven
! inches of steel 1000 yards away: while
! the twenty-siX- -pounderS could main
| tain murderous hail Of explosive
! shell into open ports and upon the un-
! armored portions of a foe.
The torpedoes, each with its deadly
/ burden of $50 pounds of that three
| fold powerful gun-Cotton, could tear
/ their way through the toughest fabri-
| cations of steel, and make the might
lest battle ship bow in submission.
These are some of the powers placed
at the captains command.
IN TIME OF WAR.
Take your watch in hand. and at the
| sharp, shrill Call of the buatswain' s
| whistle all hands are called to clear the
ship for action. and scarcely has the
last note drfted off on the breeze be-
fore every man is at his post and hard
at work, except the prisoners
You who have known the craft in
times of peace and dress parade.
watch her now. Down come all the
shining ratings and polished hatch
way canopy frames. and over the open
ways in the wake of the guns are fas-
tened battle plates of heavy steel All
unnecessary ventilators are stored be-
low, and their deck holes filled with
metal disks. 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. if not slowed below, is wrapped
for protection about unarmoyed parts
AMMUNITION SUPPLY.
Boat davits are detached and stoweC
either down along the sides or bodily
removed beyond the sweep Of the guns
I A a ,,.it1,
and either placed safely below t
guard the ammunition supply from
splinters and sparks or swathed ahou
such of the boats as are NOT filled will
water or set adrift. Overheard go tn,
) turpentine and other inflammabl,
. stores, and all chests, furniture an,
. other movable woodwork calculated t,
! shed SplinterS and cause injury an,
( sent below or stored whore they ma,
, do no damage. Down below the pro
= t"ctive deck are sent the compasses
: / Chronumctels and other delicate in
/ ( StrumentS of navigation; and the pub
| / lie funds are placed in such shape tha
! ( they may be either easily removed o
| ! destroyed, as the case may need Al
} ! needless steam supply is cut off abOv
! the protective deck to prevent scald
; ing III case of accident; and hose an
, | coupled to fire mains and the pump
L an" set pulSing for instant use.
e Into the tubes the turpedueS are pl
: / with their War-hCadS on; and by tn
p magazines the mel, stand ready 10 pas
, up the ammunition. Down in the sicl
bay on uDon the broad eNpanse of th
WardrOum table surgeons have Sprea
. their instruments and dressings. and
certain number of cots and lifts haN
been prepared for handling the wounr
eU. The signal books are clothed
: their weighted covers ana are ready ,
. he cast overheard when ordered.
n STRIPPED TO THE WAIST.
$ Look al the shin now. In lust on
= hour ana fifty minutes she has bee
= stripped to the waist. so to speak, an
@ all her bulky lines stand out in bal
d relief, douhly emphasizing the might
II her murderOus guns now peerir
> straight ouC with an Ominous absenr
Of tumpionS. Al the masthead, in ul
i spoiled beauty, llutter the proud fol,
Il Of old Glory.
# A few short taps nf the drum aud q
n hands hasten to their several station
n most Of the men barred to the waist f
1, the sake Of thai freedom of muVemeI
L demanded by nervous .impatienca. ~
l. chaplain, who has really endeared hir
r self To the crew by feeling of man
S fellowship, goes about quietly tal<h
# first from one and then another of d
men a little packet which il To be Sc
,t Ia the loved ones at home i'm case an
n thing should happen, or exchanging
~ few words of kindly, helpful cheer wi
- those that seek his greeting. In fC
- minutes he will go below 10 help I
lnItpTs aud II Gppptb tho ,hiIlipCy IN,