Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-24
Crowds Who Throng the Big Ships
Whenever in Port.
With JACKIE ALL over TEE TEXAS
Pride Of the Officers and Men in
Showing Their Charges,
r P S n OF IN VOR


| II Is estimated tnat fully one hundred
| thousand persons have visited the various
ships of Admiral SIMPSONS victorious
| squadron since their arrival from Cuba.
From o in the morning until in the after
noon the decks of the New York, the
Brooklyn and the rest of the triumphant
| feet have echoed to the tread of an admir-
| ing host of American citi3ens-citizens who
| have just awakened to the fact that they
have navy that can fight remarkable bat
ties in a remarkably short space of time.
| The mere fact that these vessels have all
been inspected and viewed many times be-
! fore has nothing to do with it. That WON
| derful chase off Santiago and the annihla-
ton of a mighty Spanish fleet have vested
each craft from the stately flagship to the
second-class battle ship Texas with such
| halo of interest and romance that the
drawing properties of a circus pale into in
significance before it.
The crowds that descended upon the feet
directly anchors were dropped off Temp
klnSVllle literally bessie ged the shiDs and
when 1t became necessary to commence.
needful repairs the authorities at Washing
ton We're compelled to issue orders closing
the gangways and even the gates at the
brooklyn navy yard. There We're no COM
plants because of this influx of visitors
from the officers and crew. however Jack
ana his superiors are never happier than
When the decks are thronged with visitors
from shore. They like the attention and
they like to feel that their masters-the
American people-are interested in them
captain Evans, the captain of the Iowa
said recently: Il would be glad to show
my ship to every man and woman boy and
girl in the whole country | am only sorry
that L can't go on deck and greet every
visitor personally. They are indeed well
come to any ship command"
There are very few officers in the navy
TO-DAY who would IN H..
ANA that is the reason why every visitor
to a man-of-war when he leaves the navy
yaru gates, or the gangway, as the case
may be, feels that he has been personally
welcomed and has been treated with cordial
hospitality. That is d way the naval OH
Ger and the naval Jackie have
ne brooklyn navy yard is the Mecca of
tWo-th1rds of the strangers who annually
visit New York city, but within the mast
month hosts of honest citizens, who have
iFed all their lives almost within sound of
the naval Workshop whistle without enter
ing the gate, have eagerly sought admis-
sion to see the ships of Simpsons fleet.
FormnIities to Go Through.
Admission is by pass obtained from the
captain of the yard. Armed with this the
visitor betakes himself to the gate at the
foot of Sands street, Brooklyn, where he
Is compelled to submit to the scrutiny of a
Waterman and several marines. Once in
SIDE the yard, yard regularly laid out
with streets and buildings and parks gas
lamps, police and an efficient fire depart
ment, it is easy enough to find the water
front where are mOored the various shins
of war undergoing repairs
1t Is now the visitor finds that the PASS
an ofticial-looking document duly signed
and sealed-is potent only in the yard it
self. The pass has no standing or Influence
on board ship in commission. This fact
is learned when the honest citizen is stop
pea at the gangway of a shin by a marine
sentry ana Informed in any kind of a dia-
lect that Its no good here sir If Won
want to go aboard this ship you must get
permission from the officer of the deck
During certain hours, however. this par
ticular yard of red tape is not in evidence
and visitors are permitted to look and ex-
pIore and stare to their hearts content
once over the gangway the welcome
shows itself The officer of the Geek, a dap
per young ensign looking Yciy cool and
neat in his white uniform. generally APP
proaches and asks If the visitor or visitors
would like to see the ship. On being an
swered in the affirmative, the young officer
beckons to some apprentice or bluejacket
OF whom there are generally a number in
waiting, and says easily, Thompson show
these people the sights. Explain the tur-
rets anc anything else they may care to
see"
Thompson" as trim and neat in his way
as the officer grins and gives his head a
queer little duck TO the ladies of the party
and steps toward the nearest gun, which
in the case, say, of the Texas is six
inch breech-loader, mounted as a pivot on
the edge of the quarterback He srasps
the training lever in busineSs-like man
ner, shows how the piece is elevated or de-
pressed then opens the breech with a
quick swing.
Both Utility and Beauty.
This here gun is beaut, ladies and gen.
tlemen,' he says with pride. 1T fires a
shell weighing hundred pounds, uses fifty
pounds Of powder to do it. and say. what
do you tink. one Of these here sheilsu
krock the stuffin' out of any old Dago ark
afoat. She's lulu"
A red-painted submarine mine, closely re-
semhling of the buoys to be met in
every barbor. stands near the gun. and
Thompson states that ii was picked up in
Guantanamo shortly after the Texas had
III suspectingly passed over it.
1T was what me barber calls n close
shave" explains the bluejacket. IF that
ting had gone off while we was above it,
III Texas would be joining hands wild the
poor old Maine. We found enough gun
cotton in it to blow tn Stats out of any
hooker afioat. We struck IT all right. but
tn firm pin wouldn't work. Just like all
tn stuff them Dagos git up
He leads the way to a hatchway forward
OF the siX-inch pivot. The ladder extend
ing below fades into ohscurity. and it is
with some timidity that visitors prepare to
descend. The incline is sharp and the
aperture small, but Thompson pilots them
in safety, saying as he does so, Just duck
your heads. there, ladies and gents That
ccaming is harder than bone. bet cher life.
There a dude rammed his nut agin ii
yesterday, and he made damp spot on III
deck with his bleed This way, please.
We've got to go a deck lower before we can
git into the turret''
Incandescent lights make the gloom of
the interior more apparent. strange objects |
Shapeless in the semi-darkness, bar the
way at every step; there is a closeness in l
the air which would be sitting If it were
not for the ventilpting blowers which can
be heard whirring and hummng in each
passageway. The ceilings are low. and
cork-painted beams reach within an inch |
o. the visitors head On both sides stretch |
partitions of steel.
Thompson leads the way with perfect |
confidence, and presently a ray of light is |
seen in advance. 1t broadens at last and |
a huge circular chamber many feet across
and rising to double a mans height lis |
reached. The bluejacke guide waves his |
hand and says with the air of a show |
man exhibiting his most valuable curiosity: |
This, ladies an gents, is the forard tur- 1
ret
Among the Deadly Guns.
A little gasp of awe comes from the femi- |
nine portion of the visitors. There Is some !
thing gTinly impressive in the great iron /