The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-26
Gunners In a Naval Battle Have The
Most Dangerous Position.
(The Province Journal.)

Now, more than ever before, the
can mind, What positions in a great
war offer the greatest dangers?" True.
it would be cowardly to select a branch
of the service or a function in battle
such as would guarantee immunity,
must be selected to hold those import
ant posts which appear to promise
certain death.
The most dangerous positions in a ma
val battle will probably be those occu-
pied by the gunners occupying the cir
cular galleries arranged upon the mill
tary maStS. Their function will be to
man rapid-fire guns pouring hailStOrms
of bullets upon the decks and ports of
hostile ships with sufficient severity to
make the handling of their largest
guns impossible. 1t will therefore be
the first duty Of a great warship to
raZe to the decks the military masts
of its adversaries. 1t is not expected
that any ship will come out Of a hot
engagement with military masts stand
ing. One Well-directed shot would be
sufficient to trim off each mast. The
great tower of steel would fall with a
crash, the gunnerS of the Superstruc-
lures dying deaths Of agony worse
than any prOjectile could inf1ict. The
UdlllSSIlp 1LOldIld has twenty rapid
fire guns mounted in these armOred
galleries. The decks being cleared for
action, their unners will mount their
ladders with almost certain death star
ing them in the face-a glorious mar
tyrdOm but one disagreeable to antici-
pate. They will have but one duty be-
fore them-to kill as many of the en-
envy as they possibly can before the
trembling of the great mass beneath
announces their mmO TO
another world.
Torpedo boats are in greater danger
of destruction than any craft on the
sea, and their crews will embark in
open battle almost certain of death.
During night attacks there will be less
danger thar in the day, but during all
of their hostile movements their only
hbpe will be the avoidance of the rapid
firing guns of the battleships selected
as their prey, and sue a hope will be
at all events forlorn. A tiny torpedo
boat may wipe a five-million-dollar
WarShip off the sea and send 500
men to the bottom, but the likeli-
hood that any one on board the former
will live to brag of the destruction is
very scant. In day attacks flotillas of
torpedo boats will distribute themselves
n hide behind the great hulls of the
giant warriors is the young chicks
beneath the wings of the mother
hen. To make a bold dart beneath the
sun would be done at a sacrifice, and
every one on board would expect
death. Their most valuable work, of
course, will be Tor at night. With all
lights out or below deck. with noise
less machinery, with smOkelesS fuel and
with bodies painted the color of the sea
they will venture closer n closer to
their giant prey, continuing to launch
automobiles until assured that at least
one has taken effect. The giant search
lights of the adverSarieS would discover
one of these little sneaks a mile away
Should she be discovered at this dis
lance she would have about a minute
and a half to do her deadly work.
within hat space of time she woul
be in sure reach of a rapid-irer, and
a 1-pounder could send her to the bot
tom. With the knowledge that she
was wounded and done for, she would
probably continue under a rainstorm
of projectiles. hoping to remain above
water until assured that her adversary
would follow her to destruction. 1t is
estimated that from so to so per cent.
of the torpedo boats attacking cruisers
and battleships in the next great naval
war will go to the bottom.
The great ram atahd has been
compared to a bee. for it is said that
she will Immediately lose her own life
after inserting her sting. She has been
the subject of more adverse comment,
doubtless. than has been hurled against
any other ship in the navy, and many
officers prophesy that she will surely
go down with her prey. This is expect
ed to occur as a result of inability to
back out after inserting her ram, or OF
MASKING her w bow. Furthermore,
she could readily be torpeded by her
adversary within a distance of 600
yards. After one old stroke her
career would probably e ended, and
all on board would go to the bottom.
The full complement. except the cap
tain, would be sheltered inside during
an assault, and there would be little
chance of escape. They would have
less to do in a fight han any crew in
our navy. yet they would be faced
with the most terrible death which
might be pictured in the imagination,
imprisoned as they would be beneath
the surface of the water. The Katah-
din has practically no defence what
ever. only four little 6-pounders of the
rapid fire type, effective only against
torpedo boats.