The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-03-16

will bring the ammunition from it's store
rooms to the breecheS of all the large guns
the 6-pounders and less excepted.
Each mast will be lifted with its own sig
nal outfit. and the lower half of each mast
Will form a vast Wind-pipe down which
fresh air will be drawn to the depths of
the craft.
Elghty-odd auxiliary engines will reduce
the tax upon the muscular energies OF the
crew and add to the efficiency of the ship
by handling and lowering the boats, rails
ing the anchors. loading the coal. discharg-
ing the ashes, bringing the shot. shell and
powder from the depths below to the gun
stations and turning the turrets and
except for the guidance of these mechan-
isms manual labor is practically unneed-
full.
Compared with anv of our old wooden
ships of the line, the contrast is instruc-
tive. Steam will spread it's comforting
glow for all alike where the occasional
small stove or hot cannon ball did service
IN the past: and immense revolving fans
will force fresh air into the most secret
recesses of these ships and make every
nook and Granny 0lrer than the actual
LIVING spaces of cur ancient craft, whose
between deck quarters were so often foul
with the noXious fum@, Of bilSe water ant!
rotten wood. White he refulgcnce of hun
dreds of electric lights will shed brightness
everywhere and substitute the tallow dip
x
with a daily output of thousands of gal
Ions, will give fresh, pure water where once
the rusty tanks yielded a tainted, stinSed
portion Splendid galleys will cook in lib
eral bounty the warm bread and whole
,ome food for the modern crew: and a
refrigerator plant-with a. daily cooling
equivalent of a ton of ice-will preserve
afresh the provender and. instead Of the
salt-horse and bareback of tradition, the
sailor Of today can have his soft bread and
shore grub when days and days at sea.
What the dark, gruesome, unventilated
cockpit of the past was to she invalided
seaman, the modern sick-bay is the or
pos:te and where deck bucket and cold
Sea-Wate; formed the bath equipment un.
til recent times, attractive tubs and no,
and colo water at will make mcleanllnes:
a crime today.
Today the steam launches do most OF
the work that once fell upon the boats
crews; and where miles upon miles of rope
ran alOft to bold the masts and manage the
sails thousands upon thousands OF feet OF
steam and water pipes. stored within the
hull. do like transfer of power many
times greater; and great guZzlinS pumps
with a drawing greed of hundreds upon
hundreds Of gallons minute, keep the
compartments and the divisions OF the in
ner bottom free of water-a weary, wear
ing service that ONCE fell to the crew.
The modern ship. is one great maze OF
mechansms, which the mere pressure OF
a tiny button may stop or start; and fro11
the guiding power in the armored fighting
station to the nerve terminals at the guns
by the engines or in the magazines, 4
moments delayed response may make OF
mar the glory of the flag she bears. With
121O tons of coal on board. and 1T a cruis-
ing speed of ten knots an hour, the YES
sells will be able to cover 5000 knots; while
at the rate of ID knots an hour they can
ga Slv cover 500 Under press, five hun.
bred more tons of coal can be carried
yielding a corresponding wider range Of
action
The 'Kearsarge" will be christened by
Mrs. Winslow the wife of Lieutenant
Commander Wnslow. the son of the officer
commanding the old "Kearsarge' in hel
memorable fight
The Kentucky" will he christened by
Miss Bradley, the daughter of the COVER
nor Of the state Of Kentucky. Old salts
shake their heads ominOusly and say thai
tradition will bear them out in saying