Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-08-15
FIGHTING IN THE MAST.
How the Rapid Fire Guns in the Fight
ing Top are Operated.

ing Top are Operated.
Fighting In the military mast of the
big battleships in our navy will prob
ably be the most dangerous duty our
seamen will be called upon to perform
In the war with Spain, says the Kansas
City Journal.
Exposed to the full fury of the en-
emy's fire, with scarcely any protec-
tion, and with the possibility of having
the entire mast shot away, the man on
duty in the mast is in position per-
haps the most dangerous In all modern
naval warfare.
Inc steel barbettes of the present
time, save in certain battleships, where
an overhead shield is carried, give a
protection more apparent than real,
more picturesque than practical. And
while the military top crews have the
advantage of seeing something of the
scrimmage, yet they present too in
viting a mark to the enemy, and have
stations which in battle are pretty sure
to be untenable from the heat and
smoke.
The small arms men have frequent
practice aboard ship, and considering
the difficulties of the environment, arc
good marksmen. 1t is no easy task to
fire from a platform placed at the fob
end of a pendulum, swinging irregu.
larly. and the results attained testify tc
sique of the individual.
On the larger battleships the mill.
tary masts are hollow, and access to
the fighting tops is gained through tho
interior. The ammunition is also pass.
ed up inside. In the smoke and grimq
Of battle one can well realize what
hell these places would be-
Another thing that must be consid.
cred is the fact that this will be tho
United States navy's first practical test
of the modern warship. The last ten
years have brought about a greater
and more sudden change in the out
ward appearance of men-of-war than
has ever been recorded in the history
of naval affairs. This is in the main
due to the almost complete Danish
ment of sails, yards, and the more OF
less intricate rigging necessitated by
their use, in favor of military masts,
or, in some cases, mere signal poles.
The military mast of to-day is con
structed primarily to carry guns, and
secondarily for signalling purposes
for 1t must be remembered that in all
cases in which ships have been equip.
ped with fighting tops since their very
1irst inception, the primary duty of tho
mast which upheld it was to carry
sail for the propulsion of the ship.
Some of the masts are supplied with
an upper top for the electric light, a
peculiarly shaped edifice below to en-
able three quick-flring guns to be dis
lcharged' right ahead, and a species OF
'conning tower below, from which the
captain can overlook the smoke clouds
and see to direct his ship. in action
The later types are all constructed
with much the same ideas.
Some have lookout, or COMING
tower, others have not, but all have
three or six FOUNDER quick-firing guns
and electric light projectors, and one
or two lighter machine guns in addi.
tion.
The small caliber rapld-fre and ma.
chine guns employed in tops are SUP.
ported by riflemen, and in every fight
their work of clearing the guns, sweep
ing the decks and superstructures. and
of picking off the officers and leading
men is, to say the least, hazardous In
the galley days the military tops were
fairly well protected, but during the
sail era the topmen handling the swi-
vel pieces and deck rakers, and form
ing special corps of musketeers had
no protection, except what was given
by aNpetwork of mattress-filled ham,
mocks.
1t would take big projectile to
bring mast down, but then, If it did.
great would be the fall thereof. And
think of the poor devils that would
come crashing down with it! And
think of them even If the mast doesn't
come down, perched up there, living
targets for shot and shell! The thin
plating is of no avail against ANYTHING
larger than rifle bullet, and a small
shell might pass harmlessly over the
heads OF the men in an open top which
In closed one would have been burst
by the iron sides and scatter death and
destruction within.
AustraIia's Curiosities,
There are some curious things In
Central Australia. According to Prof
Baldwin Spencer, Lake Amadeus, in
the dry season, is merely a sheet of
salt. Ayers Rock, about five miles