Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-25
down by the suction created by the
sinking war vessel.-Chicago Times
TIn,,,I
A DANGEROUS SERVICE.
Gunners in Naval Battle Have the Most
Dangerous Position.
Herald.

Now, more than ever before. the
question presents itself to the Ameri-
| 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 function in battle
| such as would guarantee immunity vet
it is important to know what men must
| be selected to hold those important
| posts which appear to promise certain
| death.
| The most dangerous positions in q
| naval battle will probably be those oc-
| cupied by the gunners occupying the
| circular galleries arranged upon the
| military masts. Their function will be
| to man rapid-fire guns pouring hail
| storms Of bullets upon the decks and
| ports Of hostile ships with sufficient Sc
| verify to make the handling of their
| largest guns impossible. II will there
| fore be the first duty of a great Warship
| to rae to the decks the military masts
| Of its adVersaries. 1t is not expected
! that any ship will come out of hot en-
| 2agement With military masts stand
| ing. One Well-directed shot would be
| sufficient 10 trim off each mast. The
| great tower Of steel would fall with
| crash the gunncrs of the superstruc-
| lures dying deaths of agony worse
| than any projectile could innict The
| battleship Indiana has twenty rapid
| fire guns mounted in these armored
| galleries. The decks being cleared for
| action. their gunners will mount their
| ladders with almost certain death
| staring them in the face-a glorious
| martyrdom, but one disagreeable TO
| anticipate. They will have but one
| duty before them to kill as many of
| the enemy as they possibly can before
| the trembling of the great mass be
| meath them announces their summons
| 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 than in the day, but during all
| OF their hostile movements their only
| hope will be the avoidance of the rap
| id-fring guns of the battleships Sc
lected as their prey, and such a hope
viii be at all events fOrlorn. A tiny tor
pedo-boat may Wipea five mllion dollar
Warship off the sea and send five hun
dred men to the bottom, but the like
lihood that any one on board the former
Will live to brag of the destruction is
very scant. In day attacks notillas of
torped0-boats will distribute them
selves and hide behind the great hulls
of the giant warriors as the young
chicks hover beneath the wings of the
mother hen. To make a bold dart be-
meath the SIM would lac dopn of :, e.o,
rifice, and every one on board would
expect death. Their most valuable
work, of course, will be done at night.
With all lights out or below deck. with
noiseless machinery. with smokeless
fuel and With bodies painted the color
of the sea, they will venture closer and
closer TO their giant prey, continuing
to launch automobiles until assured
that at least one has taken effect The |
grant SearchliShts of the adversaries |
would discover one of these little |
sneaks mile away. Should she be
discovered at this distance she would
nave about a minute and half to do |
her deadly work. Within that space of |
time she would be in sure reach of q |
rapid-firer, and a one pounder could |
send her to the bottom. With thc |
knowledge that she was wounded and
done for, she would probably continue
under a rainstorm of proiectiles hon
ing to remain above water until as
sured that her adversary would follow |
her TO destruction. 1t is estimated |
that from 50 to so per cent. of the tor |
pedo-boats attacking cruisers and bat
lIeshlps IN the next great naval war
viii go to the bottom
The great ram Katahdin has been
compared to Il bee for it is said that