The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-27
CLEAR SHIP FOR ACTION
WHAT HAPPENS ON A BATTLE SHIP
ABOUT TO FIGHT.
From sail Ho:'' to "FIre:" Plenty Of
BustIe and Work, and Excitement,
Perhaps, but No Confusion.
Nv York Sun.

New York Sun.
A sturdy breeze from out of the west ruf-
fes the southern sea and occasionally
crests the long-backed rollers with silver
foam The early afternoon sun beats down
from a sky that CLEANS like FURNISHED steel.
Not a cloud fecks the blue expanse of
heaven. Lolling leisurely along through the
clear green water the huge battle ship
oregon swashes her way over the tumbling
seas. Her broad bow cuts the waves that
curl sometimes almost up to her low-lying
deck and two gradually separating lines of
foam mark the boundaries of her wake.
The thin, faint columns of smoke that rise
from her tunnels curl slightly toward the
east. horne by the wind that is moving a
little faster than the ship. She has come
from the far Pacific station to Join the
powerful squadron in the Atlantic, and row
her voyage is almost ended In a little
while she will be with her sister ships. But
she is not in a hurry. for she is not afraid. :
No foe sails the wide seas whom she would
hesitate to meet. The war has but just be-
gun and not yet has the peerless gladiator
of the seas had opportunity to test her
giant strength against foe officers and
men are eager for this chance, and If for
tune but sends a ship of the enemy across
her path this brilliant afternoon in the
early summer royalty warm welcome she
will get
Along the forecastles the Jackies sit or
stand in eager, expectant groups, watching
the horizon in all directions with keen eyes
hopeful of outrivaling the impatient lookout
at the masthead and catching first sight of
the wished-for enemy. On the quarter deck
some of the officers keep similar watch.
The officer of the watch PAGES the narrow
semi-circular bridge with quick, nervous
strides, and occasionally sweeps the whole
range of the horizon with his glass. But
UP in the top the lookout, steady and cool,
wins the reward of his patience. Just over
the starbosrd bow far down in the horizon.
ne sees a small black pencil standing out
against the cleaning blue of the sky He
brings his glass to bear on 1t again and
looks at ii long and well. Then he leans.
over the edge of the top and waits until the
officer of the watch comes into view on the
Sail hor' he shouts
The blood mounts up In the heart of the
young officer as the thought flashes through
his brain that this perhaps is the prey and
the prize they seek. But the years of his
training stand him in good stead, and there
is neither anxiety nor excitement in his
voice as he answers the lookout's eager
hail.
''Where away?''
Three points north starboard bow. sir"
shouts back the lookout.
as calmly f he expected to meet the
flagship of his own squadron.
Yes sir, answers the lookout Its the
smoke of a large steamer. ="
Orderly" sings out the young officer,
with perhaps just a shade OF eagerness in
his voice. tell the captain that the look
out mas sighted the smoke of some steamer
bearing three points on the starboard
boz"
A WELCOME COMMAND.
The orderly salutes and dashing down the
ladder hurries ait with his message. The
men on the forward deck have heard the
colloquy between the officer of the watch
and the lookout and their eyes are strain
ing over the starboard rail in sharp desire
to make out the approaching shir. The
lookout and the officers bring their glasses
into play again and both are eagerly scan
ming the faint column of smoke. 1t grows
I'm size and increases in density, and just
as they begin to make out the outlines of
the top rigging of the snip beneath the
smoke the captain runs up on the bridge in
response TO the notification of the orderly.
Quickly he focuses his glass on the distant
ship. A long time he looks in silence and
then officers and men hear the command
that most of all in the captains power to
give they are glad to get:
Clear the ship for action"
1t is only a chance that the stranger is an
enemy put prudence oemanas tnat ina tnat
If the captain is right in his guess as to
the character of the strange ship war has
begun for the oregon.
Clear the ship!" The order runs from
stem to stern like a lightning flash. The
messengers hurry about notifying every oHi-
their rooms. Some are at work over their
pet problems and theories of war making.
Visiting in the room of a brother officer All
jump 10 their work at the order and each
man. eagerly alive to the possibilities of the
next hour or so, hurrieS to his station. The
bo's'n's whistle, shrilling along the passages
and through the open spaces on the berth
deck and sounding its high warning treble
wherever the men of the crew are gathered,
TCuses the sleeping and the waiting to &C
ton and they tumble up 10 their stations
with glad EXPLANATIONS and swift alacrity.
The executive officer joins the captain on
the bridge and the young officer of the
watch, whom he relieves, packs up his glass
and hustles down TO take his station and di-
rect the men of his division in clearing the
ship
Men swarm over the deck in what seems
the widest confusion, but is in reality per-
feet order. Every man has certain exact
duties to perform, and much drilling has
taught him just how 10 go about 1t to per-
form them in the simplest, readiest and east
est manner The whole deck crew is organ
lied into divisions and each division has It's
separate and particular Work. one DIVISION
lashes fast the big anchors and makes them
as secure as possible. Another takes care
OF the boats. The spare spars are got out
and dashed together. The boats are dashed
into a nest plugs pulled out so that they
will fill with water and float with gunwales
L
viii serve as a drag, and buoy tn mark
their location if the ship lives to come back
for them. and spars and boats are put over
the side and left to drift as they will.
While this is going on other divisions are
al work with the rail and awning stanch-
ions Everything comes down. The pegs
are Knocked out of the davit hinges and
the big iron bars are folded over to the
deck Everything movable that can be put
out Of the way is slowed in its proper place
swiftly and silently. Turpentine and alco-
hGI cases that might by exploding spread
fame and disaster over the ship are
brought up and heaved overheard 10 drift
with the abandoned boats. The battle graf
ings are brought out and fitted over the
matches Anything that might be Knocked
10 pieces by a shell or shot to splinterS by
small fire is thrown overheard if II can be
loosened and spared. and when. in an in
credibly short time. the work is finished not
q superfluous bar or beam, not an extra
rod box, implement, or article or any sort
stands on the deck to cumber the desper-
ato YORK of the ship in her life and death
struggle
OTHERS WHO ARE BUSY.
But the men on the deck are not the only
ones who are busy when clear the ship
IS the order The first thing the captain
does after he gives this command is to
send word to the chief engineer to couple
up all the boilers The Oregon has been
cruising with only part Oh her boilers al
TeNn