The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-09
A NARSH|P N ACTION
Every Man His Special
Work to Do.
ALL UNDER ONE man.

Simply Obeyfng Orders and signals
from the Commander I'm the
Tower-Men Working with Temper
AZURE from to $50 Degrees.
Correspondence of Associated Press.)
Santiago, July 10.-"Captain Cook,
keep your men below the protective
deck informed of any advantage we
may gain" said Commodore Schley,
and, speaking loudly to overcome the
noise of the frightful guns, the gall
liant captain of the Brooklyn said with
a smile, Il always do that, sir. I con-
slider it necessary for the esprit de
corps" n stepping into the coming
tower, he called down the tubes Tell
the men below that the Maria Teresa
is running ashore" At the same time
Executive Officer Mason rushes to the
firing turrets and calls in to the men
the same joyful news.
It was the 3rd of July and the ex-
element of the first call to battle had
hardly subsidized on the big cruiser
Brooklyn when the foregoing incident
occurred. Commodore Schley stood
upon a small temporary bridge run
ming about the coming tower, while
Captain Cook spent his time between
the interior of the tower, where he
directed the machinery, or h plat
form, where he could see the enemy.
Fighting for the honor of America
three better prepared and more heav-
lily armored ships of Spain, this splen-
did type of the American navy was
one mass of flame and smoke as she
spit out defiance tinged with DEATH,
with machine-like regularity and yet
but One-third of the entire crew
could see the enemy or any part of
the fight. In the big turretS, half max
ed men worked behind the steel walls
with no knowledge of how the bat
tie went until they were informed by
Mr.. Mason, and below the protective
deck fully 800 or more men worked I'M
der the glare of electric light, keeping
this great engine of destruction me-
chanically and rapidly at work. The
big turret S-inch gun could not have
done their deadly shooting even with
the trained eyes guiding them, had
not the men below sent up the am
munition and the Brooklyn could not
have kept side by side had it not been
for the engineer and fre-room force
working below the deck like fiends.
OTlh1IN II Blu 1ONS.
The men in the turrets of 5-inch
steel see as little as the men below
deck, except that once in a while they
get a glimpse of the object fired at.
When the ships of Spain were sighted
coming out on this eventful morning
the 8 and 5-inch guns were all DAD
ed and in each turret within two min
uteS after the summons, eleven men
stood awaiting the word to
fire. The chief of the turret, a lieu
tenant, is in the hood, his eye to the
telescope, gets the line of his u on
the harbor, and awaits the signal.
Five thousand yards sings out an
orderly in the turret opening and the
gun goes up to the proper elevation as
the lieutenant in the 100 orders the
elevation ear turned. The number one
man at the guns connects the electric
wire to the primer with the hoods
hand firing apparatus and all is wait
ing. Commence firing" comes the or
der and quickly the answer comes. The
turret lieutenant'S hand closes on the
electric apparatus and the gun jumps
back a foot or more as 10 pounds of
exploding powder drives a $50 pound
shell from the muZZle Of the great
piece at a rate Of 1850 feet per sec
Ond.
Then before the roar has ceased the
LuIIo VI lIlC IIloli III SIl1 Sc VI lila
turret touches the electric lever and
the great 700 tons of steel moves quick
ly and almost noislessly around until
the other gun of the twins is in the
same position as the first one had
been. Slowly the muzzle comes up to
the right elevation, once more the ner-
vOuS fingers close on the electric han
die and another $50 pounds of steel
shoots away on it's death errand.
Then if you could Ia looked in
this particular turret on that memoir
able and glorious morning of July
3rd o would have seen a picture of
activity that would have amazed you.
Hardly had gun No. l belched forth
it's defiance to the group of Spanish
ships than the five men behind it, I'M
til this minute statues of inactivity,
sprang into life. No. 2 and No. 4 open
ed the breech, washed off the mush-
room and gas check with a sponge,
oiled the breech plug, extracted the eX-
ploder primer, and see the vent clear.
No. 4 Seizes the long bristle sponge
wet with water and assisted by No. 8.
sponges the gun, lays aside the sponge
and SeiZeS the hammer ready to drive
home the new charge.
While they have been working there
has appeared at the top of the ammu-
milton hoist new shells and new am
munitiOn, and the officer in command
of the turret cries Load"
No. 5 raises the ammunition corner
of the hoist and with the assistance of
No. 5 of the other gun, graSpS the han
dies upon the carriage and swings it
to the rear of the gun. The projectile
is first on the left, and No. 3 adjusts
the primer while No. 4, assisted by No.
6, rams home the $50 pound projectile.
Then in quick succession No. 5. No.
4 and No. 6 ram in the two charges
Of powder in packages of 55 pounds,
each done up in serge or muslin and
in grains weighing an ounce and a
quarter each. No. 2 closes the breech,
No. 1 again connects the wire and the
gun is ready to fire. All this has taken
just four minutes and with two guns,
the big turret is shooting once every
two minutes.
THE POWDER DIVISION.
But where are the mysterious hands
that send up these death-dealing
charges to the guns in such ghost-like
way? Down below the water line of
the ship, beneath the protective deck