Evening star., 1898-11-12
MEN BEHIND THE GUNS
How the Yankees Did Their Firing in the
Manila Fight.
Goodness and n Steady Eye Are Neces-
sary in Aiming No Time
Then for Delay.

Look at him as he stands Iock-string in
| hand, behind his gun, his legs wide apart as
he balances himself on the unsteady deck
his eyes fixed on the sights of his gun and
on the enemy, whom he sees through the
narrow aperture of the gun-port He knows
that his CUR is all right, and the powder
ard the shell and the fuse, and that, years
ago, the necessary steps were taken which
placed this terrible weapon in his hand to-
day. so fashioned that if he fires it right
the shot VIII nit the mark. But the rolling
of the ship from side to side throws the line
OF his Sun sights high up against the sky,
and then down into the sea: and, as no
ship steers eHIctiy straight, the line of sight
HtGves irregularly to the right and left:
50 that his sights appear to be describing
irregular curves, now against the back
ground of the sky, and now against the
background of the sea. An average roll may
be said to be about seven degrees on each
side, or fourteen degrees from one side to
the other. The average time cf making this
roll IS about seven seconds, making the time
of rolling enc degree about half a second.
Suppose, now, that Tom Bowling is firing
at an average Chlp, say twenty feet high.
about 1000 yard: away. If he fires at the
mi'rie CT the target, as he should do, this
gives him It nIargjn on each side of ten feet,
which Suetends dn angle at Tom Bowling S
eye of about "ne-twelfth of degree: so
that Bowling must appreciate the fact that
his sights are on, and do everything re-
CURED to FIRE the gun in one-twenty fourth
of Il second. or else he will miss the target.
Now. no man ing can be depended on for
such rapid. thought and nerve action, even
under the LES; conditions of quiet and calm
ness that is. he cannot be depended on to
do i every time.
Much can be done by a good gun captain,
however. by watching for smooth time.
and firing a little before the sights bear.
No one knows this better than Tom Bow
ling. So he braces his feet on the unsteady
n 1,n1
tension. He sees that the gun is pointing
little to the left of the enemy's ship.
Left" he orders, and the glIn-trainors
work their training levers. or, If in a tur-
ret, start the turning engine so as to turn
the gun to the left. Meanwhile, as the line
Of sight gradually is approaching the tar
get from the right it is also rising and fall
ing with the rolling of ihe ship. Tom Bow
ling sees that, the next time the sights rise
to the level of the target the trainers will
have got the gun trained in the proper dl-
rection. He braces himself for quick pull
of his lock-slring: and then a wave strikes
the ship on the starboard bow or the helm
is shifted a little, and away goes the line
of sight far eff to the left before the sights
get up. Right" orders Lowing instantly.
and the ,,un-trainers work The gun back 10
the right quickly, but cautiolsiy. for much.
depends upon Them now. We'll. Right .
Left" etc, come the orders II, quick sue
cession, Tom Bowling and .lls trainers
work the gun. Suddenly the line of sight
strikes the target; there sleana in Bow
lings eye, a quick pull OF his arm, a tre-
mendOus noise, a sitting clouI o. smoke,
and in comes the gun, as if ii were Il proicr-
tile itself and were going clear across the
ship and out at the other side; but * quick
ly, yet gently, slows. thea stops. controlled
perfectly by the hydraulic cylinder and i'm
mediately IL runs OUT again lnl Is ready 10
be loaded and fired once more.
In an instant the second captain has IN
locked and thrown open the bree2n; quick
hands wash off the powder residue from
breech-block and bore, and then shove in
the shell and powder. The second captain
closes and locks the breech with heavy
cang. puts in new primer and reports the
gun ready. Left" cries Tom Bowling, and
the same succession of actions is reper-
formed.
If anybody could have gone from ship 10
ship of the United States fleet during The
eventful hours between anu half-past Z
on that beautiful Sunday morning, ne would
have seen about fifty Tom 5oWiings all
doing the same thing and in the same way.
He would have seen fifty guns crews all
eagerly, yet coolly. working their Gur.a,
and he would have seen each division of
guns and each rurret, under The chtrSe of
an officer responsible for 1t.