New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-29

TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE DEGREES REG
ISTERED on THE CINCINNATI
[BY TELEGRAPH To TIE TR.DuNE.l

[BY TELEGRAPH To TIE Tn.DrNEl
Washington. July 2s-That a mans enemies are
sometimes they Of his own household finds apt
illustration in the severe conditions which sur
round in their own vessels the gallant defenders
of the Stars and Stripes at sea. To the flood OF
heat poured down by ncandcscent tropc sun
there added the temperatures. almost beyond
belief and seemingly beyond human endurance.
produced by the furnaces IN the frerooms
naval officer once wrote. describing conditions
on one OF The monitors The scene in the hreroom
that morning was not Of this earth The heat was
almost destructive Of life: tools, ladders. doors
and all fittings were TOO hot 10 touch, and inc
pace was dense with smoke escaping from furnace
doors for there absolutely no draught Inc
men collected 10 build up the fires were the best OF
those remaining fit for duty but they were worn
out physically. nervous. apprehensive ana
disprItcd. Rough Irish fremen. who would stand
in n fair fight until killed in their tracks were
crying Ike children ard begging 70 re allowed 10
60 on deck. completely were they unnerved ana
unnamed by the cruel ordeal they had endured
so long He'll anoat' Is n nautical figure OF speech
often idly used but then we saw it
It s both Just ard pleasant to say that before
this ironclad the Amphr!te. began her service
in the present war changes were made IN her
ventilating system which gave a marked improve
rnent in the temperature below Her latest reports
give temperatures Of l2o degrees Fahrenheit in the
engine-room and lR degrees in the hreroom Mont
tors especiallv are sinners With regard 70 the ex-
cessive heat which may be regarded as almost an
element Of service upon these low-lying ouilHoeS
Of the sea. The figures for the Amphitr.te nave
t.cn already qaoted The latest temperatures re-
ported from her sister the Terror are l55 degrees
In the nreroom and 40 degrees in the engnc-roorn
u lilo an the NientonOm0h these temperatures are
rospcctivev 40 degrees and 1875 degrees. bare
statement of these facts gives sorne idea OF the
staadfast forttude and heroic resistance which
American human nature "a opposing IN this war
to the adverse conditions which environ II.
THE GUNNERs ALSO SUFFER.
7, Is however. not ONLY the behind The fur
mace fire who suffer The man behind the gun
works also The commander Of one Of the monitors
who was lately stricken by apoplexy. arising doubt
less from his arduous service. reported some
months since tina, his ship was almost unoearaols
FOR her crew ard that there was no place on her
FOR weary men 20 rest. With he suns ray from
above the roaring nros beneath. her desk was but
an oven plate. without superstrlcture 10 Inter
nose blanket Of air between them and the baking
deck m. suffering of he was something
which the laymcn In naval matters cannot measure.
The condrciiyity OF tho huh also carries the heat
in tho living quarters Of The officers II is reported
thu. tho chic, engineer of the Terror was able
but twice IN fifteen months 10 sleep in MS pertt
owing 20 tho uncomfortable temperature Of his room
on bnttle-shipS life Is more worth living. They
have greater frecboard. loftier te'ween decks,
have a superstructure between the tlrrets and
finally the policy which has restricted their speed
has limited also their engine power and the mum
bar and volume Of their furnace fires As re-
suit there IS relatively speaking. less heat 20 re
conducted through greater mass With. - CON
sequence a lower temperature throughout Even IN
these ships however the spectacle is daily pre-
scented Of he blowers pumping cooling air az 4
temperature Of 20 deSrees into the fre-rooms
A TEMPERATURE OF 2o5 DEGREES.
The greatest terror Of the Navy caloricaly speak
ing is the cruiser Cincinnati In his report for the
year 1895 the SurgeonGeneral Of the Navy referred
to this ship NJ follows. In the fre-rooms the
average temperature under the above conditions
Gladly arranged and closed ships may range from
IA degrees IN ships with only set Of fires In
each hro-room. Ike the Charleston. 10 ia degrees
within o degrees Of the boiling point Of water)
when the hrc-room is between two sets % fires Ike
the Cincinnati ana Amphitrite. In the case o. the
Cincinnati Nlcn only ono set OF fires s. used in
each Nro-roon the average temperature is reduced
from 80 to ~ degrees"
These /, should b. noted the temperatures
OF ordinary cruising conditions with everything
possible done 10 reduce them Since var has come
this ship has saown what she Is capable az in reg
!stcring a temperature 81 20 degrees IN tho fire.
room-l fact easily explainab!e when ore notes that
she has loGn horsepower on displacement OF 32l3
tons vas o, fu speed IN 4 troplc sea and is IN
adequately ventilated She . undergoing re-
pairs a. Norfolk. and It is hoped that before she
sails again means Of lowering her excessive tenn
perature viii be found In reviewing not only the
dangers I'm action bur the absolute suffering in the
long days between. which seamen endure. the Ma
ton may we'll be proud o; the rlen who have wo.
- victories on me