The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-02

ner. Although almost fitted for a COM
mission. he IL permitted to occupy a po-
sition paying him the meager salary of
S35 a month and rations.
There are many young men such as
he in our naval service. They are to be
ound on every ship. and there are hum
dreds and hundreds of naval appren-
tees in training for the same station.
Ii was either the seamen gunners or
men rendered expert by constant prac-
tice after our thorough system who
manned the batteries of the Olympia.
Baltimore and Boston in the battle Of
Manila bay. and Of the Brooklyn. Ore
gon, Iowa, Texas and the rest of Samp-
sons fleet in the destruction of Ger
vera's fugitive squadron off Santiago.
The man behind the gun" in the Amer
lean navy is no magician. He can shoot
with marvellous accuracy, N he can
make a sieve with a rapid-fire gun of
any warship afioat, but he Is enabled
to do il simply because he has been in
structed after that fashion.
When the officers of Cervera's squad
ron recovered from their shock after
the humiliation of their ships, one of
them-the executive officer Of the Maria
Teresa-exclaimed TO Lieutenant Com
mander Wainwright Of the gallant lit
tie Gloucester: "Madre de Dios' You
Americans shoot three shots to our one.
And you hit every time. How do you
do it? What is the secret?"
"It is no secret" was the reply. we
keep our men constantly at practice.
They are at the guns day after day.
week in and week out. And we train
them under service conditions with the
regulation charges and projectiles every
three months"
The Spaniard was astonished. You
fire real shots?" he exclaimed. 1T costs
very much!"
In that last sentence will be found
one of the most potent reasons for the
defeat of the Spanish naval vessels
during the present war. And IL the
details of history be carefully searched
the loss of the Armada and the whole
series Of naval disasters experienced by
the Spanish flag during the past centu-
ries can be laid to the fact that they
have been parsimonious in expendi-
lures and dilatory in training.
A visitor TO one of our warships will
find the various guns as spotlessly
clean as a good housewives kitchen.
The %gunner's gang on board each YES
sci is always at work securing, polish
ing and Frightening. The guns are
taken apart at stated intervals, and
the intricate OF the breech
given special attention. 1t is worth a
gunner's warrant to have a spot of rust
discovered on the bright work OF a
piece of under his charge.
This strict care tends to foster a Pc
culiar affection of the men for their
guns, and they grow to speak of them
as animate beings. There is hardly a
gun in the navy but has a pet name.
and I'm time Of battle. like that of San
tiago. there is actually n rivalry be-
tween the different crews as to the sue
cesses of their special pets. II the
casual visitor to one OF the big war
ships carelessly places his hand upon
one OF the shining big beauties" or
leans against it's polished sides. he will
find the salty tar who has hat special
piece in charge glaring at him in silent
rage n the deck officer Is about. If
hat officials eye is turned the other
way, the gunner will resent the I'M
conscious sacrilege with a picturesque
and piratical flow of language that
makes the offender move to a safe dis
lance. But II one manifests a friendly
interest in learning about the good
record of the gun. he will find that
there Is no surer or quicker road To
Jacky's heart and that he can he elo-
quent by the hour in praise OF the me
points Of his favorites.
All This Is wisely ordered. The Amer
lean system of gunnery in all its de-
tails stand indicated and upheld be
fore the world. and i'm future years.
when the history Of this war is treated
dispa ssionately. "A prominent niche Will
be reserved for tina peculiar conduct OF
Yankee ingenuity and wisdom-the
man behind the gun'-Chicago Chront-
Gle.