Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-03

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tanks taken on and the powder in
two sections placed in the ether
compartments OF the car, the Sig
nal given and both GERS quickly rise
to the breech of the turret guns
and are sent back almost as quick
ly emptied.
All this preparation of getting
ready occupied space of four min
utes time, after all the men went
below and the matches lowered and
secured. The heat varies in this
steel cage from 100 to LAG degrees
Fahrenheit and quickly causes the
men to strip to the waist and set
tie down to their work in an air
tight box filled with sweltering
humanity, blindly obeying orders,
with usquestioning obedience and
a!acrity, not knowing the cause OF
the alarm, whether target practice,
bombardmcnt, the Spanish feet or
q false alarm.
Suddenly the report OF the flrst
gun was heard, followed in quick
succession by another, and the bat
tie was on. Down the hoists and
chutes Genes the powder smoke TO
add to the already nigh tempera-
ture of the handling room, followed
by the hot salpetre water from the
snonging Of the guns, making the
decks slippery and burning blisters
on the bare backs Of the men I'M
derneath, who, cropping and chok-
ing, feeling their way through the
dense smoke, go silently and ODE
diently about their work with but
one thought and aim in view: to
keen those continually empty cars
and hoists filled with powder and
projectiles. not knowing how the
battle is raging until a cheer Is
finally heard from deck, their spir-
its brighten and an old salt Will
exclaim: II guess they must nave
hit 'em that time" Then he goes
I'D and spits on large she'll FOR
good luck, or as yell is heard:
"Armor piercing quick" and the
shells are quickly changed; he
takes an old oily rag and rubs the
cap of the projectile, saying:
"That'll make 'er bite better" and
the young boy of the new navy,
who has been in the service as
many months as the old salt has
years, exclaims to his shipmates:
"Ah. what's he givin' u.s."
That was the routine of the
handling room on the Sd of July,
except that once in while the
rush was broken by carelessly
handled shell dropping. One came
down in the forward handling
room when Mr.. Hancock had
charge the day of the battle. There
was the low rumble as 1t dropped
the forty feet. STAND clear!"
shouts Hancock, but the command
is superfuous, for if the shell had
exploded no man in that place
would ever have seen daylight
again. 1t didn't explode and as
the handlers gasped in their tenn
porarily departed breath a prayer
went up to Heaven and many I'M
complimentary adjectives to the
fellow in the turret between them
and Heaven.
SOME OTHER HEROES.
There were other heroes that
day, men who never see the battle,
but do the work that keeps every
thing in the ships in motion and
take a risk greater than commo-
dore or captain. When the Viz
caya had been sunk and beached
that day Captain Cook, having been
ordered by Commodore Schley to
cease firing, called the men from
the handling rooms and the turret
to take a breath Of air while the
chase of the Colon went on. But
the battle was on for men not WIS.,
ible. Down beneath the protective
deck, informed only OF the glories
of that days fighting by Captain
Cooks bulletin, through the speak,
ing tube, men worked in a pit be-
low the water in temperature of
over 16G degrees. From the fun
nels the black smoke pouring forth
told that stokers and coal-passers
and firemen were working like
fiends to give the ship more mo-
mentum, so that the foe would be
captured At the engines Engineer
Carter and his assistant, Mr.. Pat
ten, watched every pulsation and
encouraged the men to greater eff
forts to produce more steam. In the
stoke holes men toiled amid fierce
flames that licked out at them
each time the doors opened for coal
or the long slice bars went in.
The rush of air that comes in goes
out only thorugh the furnaces,
creating what is known as forced