The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-24

The following is a naval officers con-
tpibution to the Washington Post ap-
ropos of the disaster to the Maine:
"The man -of-war's man or officer
who neglects to keep a careful, think
ing head on his shoulders during all his
waking hours aboard ship Is liable TO
get hurt. Danger turks everywhere
on modern ship of war. The most
careful naval sailorman often finds
himself on the very brink of a disas-
ter, tnat without quick thinking and
lightning action on somebody's part,
would land him and many of his ship
fnates, If not his whole ships COM
pany, In kingdom come. There are
severa, warrant officers in the United
States navy today who owe their uni
forms to rapid judgment and bravery
in the face of impending magazine ac-
cidents.
1T was only the other day that
gunner's mate, serving on one of the
ships of the North Atlantic squadron,
exhibited bit of swift head and hand
work that will no doubt boost him far
up the line for a warrant officers
blouse. The ship was engaging in big
gun practice at sea. Solid shot was
being fired from the main battery of o.
inch guns. The skipper was in the con-
ming tower, directing the firing. The
gunners mate was stationed in the
coming tower with the skipper, and
serving as messenger for the carrying
of verbal messages for the command
ing officer to the officers in charge of
guns One of the big guns on the to-
gallG fo'c'sle was loaded, and on the
very needle point of being electrically
g I'D by the skipper from the coming
Ger, when the gunners mates sharp
Ee took in at a sudden glance that
the breech of the huge gun was not
locked.
QUICK JUDGMENT.
He didn't let out any discOncerting
yell that might have caused the man
at the electric button to give il an ac-
cidental push. He did not say a word
and he said afterwards that he would
not have been able to emit sound to
save his soul when he made the start
discovery. He simply made two
.dnds for the exposed, insulated wire
in the coming tower connecting with
the big guns electric fuse, ripped it
in several pieces with all the strength
of both his hands, and then collapsed
in the coming tower. weak as a kitten,
still on the electric button, gazing at
him wonderingly.
What ails you, MANI inquired the
skipper. Are you amuck, or what the
devil is it?,
The gunner's mate gasped for a
minute and then related to the COM
manding officer how near he had come
to razing the togallant focsle even
with the spar deck and to killing a
couple of dozen of officers and men,
'ineludin' me and you said the gun
mes mate. AS mater of fact, there
would not have been much left of the
cruiser forward of the mainmast had
the big gun been fired with an unlocked
breeeh. This gunner's mate will not
hereafter find much difficulty in get
ting shore liberty, fourth class or no
fourth class, when he wants to hit
the beach, and the fligree tinsel that
he will probably wear on his uniform
not very long hence will not be con-
fined to the exploding shell rating
badge on his watch arm.
BRAVERY OF PRENTICE BOY.
One of the first of the steel ships
of the new navy had not been in COM
mission three months before a level
hpoueu apprentice DOy executed a rap
i'd descent into the pit of the ships
endangered magazine that put him at
the top of the line for the gunner's war;
rant he now holds The gun divisions
of the crew were overhauling the after
Notwithstanding out fixed ammuni-
ton and cans of powder and gun cot
ton and cleaning and red-leading the
bilges. The ship had not yet been
equipped with electricity, and so closed
lanterns were employed to illuminate
the Cimmerian darkness of the maga-
zine, The lanterns as was customary
on men-of-war before the days of mov-
able incandescent electric lamps on
naval vessels, had been carefully in
speeted by an officer before the hatch
OF the magazine was lifted. All of
them were found in apparently tight
order, and the work of hosting the
magazine contents to the main deck
by means of block and tackle was be-
gun, The chief gunner's mate. under
the direction of a division officer, was
experimenting the movements of the
men: He was leaning over the hatch,
calling out orders to the hands in the
pit Of the magazine, when he knocked
the lantern he carried in his hand
against one of the steel sides of the
hatch, The spring that held the lamp
fell through the hatch. Still lighted
IL fell bottom side up on top of a big
can of powder that was hooked and
ready TO be hosted to the deck. The
two men in the pit of the magazine had
gone away aft in the magazine to haul
more cans of powder to the hooks, and,
their backs being turned TO the hatch
OPENING, they did not see the lantern
lamp resting on the can of powder,
with the flame of the wick right next
to the metal of the can. The men at
the top of the hatch were in a stupor
of horror, but the alert apprentice boy,
who afterward got his sword for the
job, was wide awake, He Skinned down
the tackle an instant after the lamp
fell grabbed the lamp, the flame of
WHICH had already begun to heat the
can metal, and yelled up the hatch:
80 Pull me and the can up to the
main deck, you fellows
Having extinguished the lamp with
his fingers, he grabbed the rope with
his right hand and the can of powder
with his left, and the men at the hatch
opening had him on the main deck in
a jiffy. The apprentice boy scooted up
the poop ladder and chucked the heavy
can of powder over the side. The COM
manding officer OF the ship did not
complain OF the loss OF the powder.
FIREMAN'S PRESENCE OF MIND
"A second-class fireman serving or
one of the smaller cruisers had his