The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-18
ON A WARSH.P
THE JACkIES LIKE TO EXPLAIN
THINGS To THE INfNfrIArED-
Their Descriptions Of How the Btg
Guns Are Fired Always Impress
the Visitors to Their Vessets-fhe
sailors VIII Not Accept Amy Tips.

/; Is estimated that fuzzy 10000 persons
/ have visited the various SHIPS o. Admiral
s. npSon's Victorious squadron since their
arrival from Cu6a- From in the morning
unt.i in the afternoon the decks % the
New York. he BROOKLYN and the rest Of
the triumphant feet have echoed 70 the
tread OF III aanlt~tng host Of American citi-
. zenS-ciI-zens wh0 have just awakened 20
the fact that they have 4 navy that can
| fight remarkable osCt1es IL a rerna< ably
short space Of time.
The mere fact that these vessels have
all been inspected and viewed many times
before has nothing 70 DC with ii. That
wonderful! chase OF Santiago ami the ami
/ hia>ion % a mighty Spanish fleet have
vested eacn craft from the stately flagship
! 10 the second-class hattlestip Texas with
| such halo Of interest and romance that
the drawing properties of a circus pale into
iEslgn.ieance before il. There were no
complaints because of this influx OF visit
0rs from the officers ami crews however.
Jack and MS superiors are never happier
than when the aechs are thronged with
visitors from shore. They Ike the attain
ton and they like 10 feel that their mas
In them.
"F4ghting Bob Evans. the captain If
the Iowa said recently: Il would Re glad
70 show my ship Ia every man and woman.
boy and girl. in the whole country. ! am
| only sorry that / cant go on deck and
greet every visitor personally. They are.
indeed, welcome 10 Visit any chip | com
mand'
There are very few officers in the navy
today who would not echo the sentiment,
And that ls the reason why every visitor
10 a man-of-war, when he leaves the navy
yard gates, or the gangway. as the case
may be-, feels that he has been personally
welcomed and has been treated with cor
dial hospitality. That is a way the naval
officer and the naval Jackie have.
The BROOKLYN navy yard is the Mecca Of
two-thirds of the strangers who annually
visit New York city. but within the past
month hosts Of honest citizens vito have
lived all their lives almost within sound Of
| the naval workshop whistle without enter
ing the gate. have eagerly sought admIs-
sion 20 see the ships of SIMPSONS fleet.
once over the sangway, the welcome
| shows Itself The officer OF the deck a dap
| per young ensign. looking very cool and
neat in his white uniform generally APP
proaches and asks IL the visitor or visitors
would like TO see the ship. on being an
Swered in the affirmative. the young Of
| fcer oeckons to some apprentice or blue
| jacket, OF whom there are generally
nunlher IN waiting, and says easily
| Thompson. show these people the sights
Explain the turrets and anything else they
| may care 10 see"
Thompson" as trim and neat in his way
| as the officer. srins and gives his head
| queer little duck 10 the ladies' Of the party
| and steps toward the nearest gun which.
hreech- ica der mounted d pivot on the
| edge Of the quarterback, He grasEss the
| training lever III business-lke manner.
shows how the piece is elevated or de-
| pressed, then opens the breech with quick
| swing.
This here gun is beaut. ladies and gen
| tIemeu," he says with pride. ut fires
| she'll weighing loo pounds uses 50 pounds
| of powder to do it, and, say. what do you
| rink. one OF these her shells II knock the
stufin' out Of any old dago ark ahoat.
red-painted submarine mine. closely re-
| sembling one of the buoys 10 be met In ev-
| cry harbor stands near the gun. and
| Thompson states that it was picked I'D in
| Guantanamo shortly after the Texas had
| unsuspectingly passed over It.
| 1t was what tie barber calls close
| shave" explains the bluejacket. III that
| ting had gone off while we vas above. il
| he Texas would be joining hands wild the
| poor old Maine We found enough gun cot
| ton in 1t to blow the Stats out Of any
| hooker ahoat We struck it all right. but
! The firm PIN wouldn't work. just like all
| the stuff them dagoes git up
| He leads the way TO a hatchway forward
| OF the six-lnch pivot The ladder extending
| be-ow fades INTO o6scurity. and 1t is with
! some tirnidity that visitors prepare 10 de-
| scend The incline is sharp. and the aper-
| ture small but Thompson pilots them II:
| safety saying as he does So, Just duck
| your heads there, ladies and gents That
| coaming is harder than bone. betcher life.
| There was dude rammed his head ag,n il
yesterday and he made damp spot on the
! deck with his bleed This way. please
We've got TO 20 deck lower before we can
| git into the tuTret-"
In the Gun Turrcts.
| Incandescent lights make the gloom OF
the interior more apparent, strange objects,
| sha qeiots= in the sen1i-darknesss bar the
| way q: every step. there IS 4 closencss In
! the a!r which would be sitting if I were
not for the ventiating blowers which can
40 heard wh.Irins and humning in each
| pa~SaEeway. The ceilings are low and
| cork painted beams reach within an inch of
| he visitors head On both SIDES Slretc1
| partitions of steel. Thompson leads the
| way wtsh perfect c0nhden-e ana nreeentlv
| a ray Of light is seen in advance. II broad
| ems al las. and huge circular ch10lhcv
| many feet across and rising 70 double
! mars Ee;ght is reached The hlueiackct
| guide waves his hand and says with the
| air of a shoWn exhibiting h , most waltz
| able curiosity: This, ladies an gents, is
| M for'ard iUrTet.
: rt;le gasp Of awe comes from the feml-
| ntne p0rtlon q the visitors There is soma
! Fling grim,y impressive the great iron
rhaE,seer with its curious OBJECTS Of wa
IN the center rests tne monster t2-inoG
.-ch leading rife. built ~ or a pedestal
/ oF steel gircers and wheels and levers The
| massive nrse-ll frowns Ht the spectators.
! aaa is brown coated r,des extend seem
tvEly AT irterm!nahle number # f"af out
through The oval aperture ~ the turre.
Ism she a daisy - asks Thompson jerk
| IS lbs thum}' toward the gun You -
| naw looking az she pooper .hac w sswatte'l
| -Se Dagoes win. You want 10 look closer
| 49, "~ 1srstsnd that +: was Uis here gun
| that fred a shot that knocked III" stuTen
| out II the Marian Teresa. Admiral CIR
/ vfr.'H 14@Sh.p- what No I WASH in
! h.-e az The time. ! don't belong - this
| 6.y sion. Bat. say I heard il bark. and
yoIA INK the whole roof was comm in.
| tlov- 20 W. load i eh? So this levge a.
| IT, rno- OF The tur:e.9 That's a TITLE raj
| way an rars run on Il from the ua ss2!ne
| 7Asf; around there. The f@,,e-s yank a
| she'll from the litter pace j. on The car
| rage an3 Tun her around here n the
| --ee-H - tfa c5r. Then other fe3lers git
| ,he hy3raul c-that's water. dye sec1~
| ~sr.r,~c - Wark ~" lr she goes. They pGt
..s charges n then er when !! Is rea IL
| fn.- org >er jn c>a~re-he e-anfs ny there a
| -rs- H~a hoo.7 where v0u 30 90 lttta
.e5 -opa-S.gh's the gun eits ne range
ar .e-~e y0u 2r~ ir'@ graf work.
| Thompson Nipt5 h-4 forehead after IN :
| hurst - dtscr. olive s.oauerc@ 2ni esc0rtet
| the party u the forward her: hdeck Tn
| a0ayt -rroFG. contained a number - marines
| ara blue jackets who see-s@i entirely OH
| f,.oas - TIRE visitors presence. Some
| "a. - stretched o8t u7oc HIS - canvas o.
| eea-f~ - ~aNsGaner~ sleeping calmly a. :