The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-06-01
THE MOST HAZARDOUS SERVICE
IN ACTION.
Gunners Who Occupy the Most DAN
gerous Positions in Battle


Now, more than ever before, the ques
tiOn presents itself to the American
mind, "What positions in a great wal
offer the greatest dangers?" True, il
would be cowardly TO select branch OF
the service or function in battle such
as would guarantee immunity, yet it is
important to know what men must be
selected TO hold those important posts
which appear to promise certain death.
The most dangerous positions in a
naval battle will probably be those oc-
cupied by the gunners occupying the
circular galleries arranged upon the
military masts. Their function will be
to man rapid-fire guns pouring hail
storms of bullets upon the decks and
ports of hostile ships with sufficient
severity TO make the handling of their
largest guns impossible. twill, there
fore, be the first duty of a great war
ship to raze TO the decks the military
masts of its adversarics. 1t is not ex-
pected that any ship will come out Of a
hot engagement with military masts
standing. One well-directed shot would
be sufficient to trim off each mast. The
great tower of steel would fall with a
crash, the gunners of the superstruc-
ture dying deaths of agony worse than
any projectile could inflict. The bat
tleship Indiana has twenty rapid-fire
guns mounted in these armored CALLER
les. The decks being cleared for action,
their gunners will mount the ladders
with almost certain death staring them
in the face-a glorious martyrdom, but
one disagreeable to anticipate. They
VIII have but one duty before them-to
kill as many OF the enemy as they pos
sibly can before the trembling Of the
great mass beneath them announces
their summons to another world.
TOrpedOboats are in greater danger Of
destruction than any craft on the sea,
and their crews will embark in open
battle almost certain of death. During
night attacks there will be less danger
than in the day, but during all Of their
hostile movements their only hope viii
be the avoidance OF the rapid-firing
guns of the battleships selected as their
prey, and such hope will be at all
events forlorn. A tiny tOrpedoboat may
wipe out a 100000 warship OFF the
sea and send 500 men to the bottom,
but the likelihood that any one on
board the former will live to brag Of
the destruction is very scant. In day
attacks flotillas of torpedoboats will
distribute themselves and hide behind
the great hulls Of the giant warriors as
the young chicks hover beneath the
wings of the mother hen. To make a
bold dart beneath the sun would be
done at a sacrifice, and every one on
board would expect death. Their mast
valuable work, of course, will be done
at night. With all lights out OF below
deck, with noiseless machinery, with
smOkeless fuel and with bodies painted
the color of the sea, they will venture
closer and closer to their giant prey,
continuing to launch automobiles until
assured that at least one has taken ef
feet. The giant seareh-lights of the
adversaries would discover one of these
little sneaks a mile away. Should she
be discovered at this distance she would
have about minute and half to do
her deadly work. Within that space
of time she would be in sure reach of a
rapid-firer, and one-pounder could
send her to the bottom. With the
knowledge that she was wounded and
done for, she would probably continue
under a rainstorm of projeetiles, hoping
to remain above water until assured
that her adversary would follow her TO
destruction. 1t is estimated that from
60 to 50 per cent. of the torpedoboats
attacking cruisers and battleships in
the next great naval war will go to the
bottom.
The great ram Katahdin has been
compared to bee, for it is said she will
Immediately lose her own life after in
serting her sting. She has been the
subject of more adverse comment,
doubtless, than has been hurled against
any other ship in the navy, and many
officers prophesy that she will surely go
down with her prey. This is expected
to occur as result of her inability TO
back out after inserting her ram, or Of
mashing her own bow, Furthermore,
she could readily be torpedoed by her
adversary within u distance of 800
yards. After one bold stroke her ca
reer would probably be ended, and all
on board would go to the bottom. The
full complement, except the captain,
would be sheltered inside during an as
sault, and there would be little chance
of escape. They would have less to do
in fight than any crew in our navy,
yet they would be faced with the most
terrible death which might be pictured
in the imagination, imprisoned as they
would be beneath the surface of the
water. The Katahdin has practically
no defence whatever, only four little g.
Founders of the rapid-iire type, effect
i've only against torpedOboats.
In actual battle the crew 1f the dy-
Mantle cruiser Vesuvius would embark
on the hostile errand with many