Evening star., 1898-06-11

men, and. as a consequence we see the
tops later hung with the shields or buck
lers of the sOldery to form buiwark for
the topmen in the growing peril of their
duty. In the sixteenth century these tops
had multiplied the naSts went upward.
and we find TIE Great Harry carrying as
many as three on each mast. each respiend-
cnt with shields and fiuttering pennons. In
the seventeenth century we find the tops
broad and open, save for the after part.
where wooden breaStWork was reared 10
shield the topmen. Why only the after part
should have been singled out for protec-
ton is open for speculation: but it is not
improbable that the sails before the mast
covered TO great extent the markSmen
in the top. and behind the mast only did
they need supplemental protection. These
wooden bIlwar rks in the tops were various
ly painted, according to the nationality of
the ship. and for couple of hundred years
that style of top prevailed, and in form.
square behind and rounded in front, still
is in vogue in modern sail-Dowered naval
vessels Early In the history of ordnance
the French put swivels in their tops, but.
despite the good execution done by those
guns, other nations did not take kindly to
the idea or adopt it generally.
In Other Wars.
During all the frigate actions of the war
of 1S12 the sharpshOoters in the tops of the
various ships did excellent work, and there
ii was the marine showed what could
be expected of him, even though he stood
hammock or so, hastily triced UP for his
protection. During the rebellion howitzers,
wheels and all, were carried into the tops
and the bloody havoc they worked on the
enemy's decks or against the lower breast
works ana uefen5es of shore batteries IS
now matter of history. With the great
er application of steam and the growing
use OF thin armor plating, down came most
CT the upper SparS when going into action.
and save perhaps for the 'Old Glories' at
the masthead, the signal flags at the yard
arms and the lower tops belted by half
inch iron plating, the masts of our ships
like the "Hartford,' the Richmond" and
the like were practically bare Proof
against the old leaden bullets of the six
ties, those tops served their purpose ad-
mlraply; and we are told that even the
presence OF a hiding strip of canvas had Il
good moral effect upon the men in the
tops and made it somewhat harder for the
enemy to pick out his victim.
Modern Military Masts.
The first of our ships of the new navy
had tops that We're practically steel dupIi-
Gates of those of the late war and but for
the presence of modern rapid-fire guns
were really of less defensive value than
those of thirty-odd years ago 1t was not
till we began to build battle ships that
we really launched out into regular modern
military masts and then we followed in
principle the practices of the French
Inc modern mast on a fighting ship is
Puieiy ioI Hpitary purposes, fe., on such
shlps as are without a spread of canvas
OF any sort; and its duty now is principally
Tor service that was once merely incl
GENITAL to those of the sailing ship To bear
signals is Its first mission, and then to car
ry an armament of rapid-fire guns with
which to meet the attack of torpedo-
boats. to sweep the open ports, and to en-
filade the unprotected gun stations of an
enemy. With Satling guns pouring out a
Veritable rain of bullets at the rate of
2,o0O minute, and with other heavier
automatic guns capable of hurtling a hun
cred or more one pound shells in the same
time, the modern military top is some
thing to be considered where the hand