The herald., 1898-05-22

Behind me was screen, sheltering the
after steering position" fitted up, I found
out later, exactly as the one forward was.
There was also hatch which led down 10
the captains cabin. outside Of which were
store rooms and racks for rifles and cut
iasses. The cabin was a comfortable little
place, and had bunk, wardrobe, writing
table and bookcase, and also a little bath
room outside, but no stove. The captain
in these ships messes in the wardroorn, and
only uses his cabin for sleeping in and for
correspondents work.
Walking over the platform. found tor
pedo tube and alongside Of II hatch,
which, on inquiry. 1 was told led to the
chief petty ofhcers' mess. 1t was quite a
little place. about half the size Of the
wardroom. The engine room artincers
have a similar mess on the other side Of
the deck. Everything was beautifully
clean and the table was white from hard
scrubbing.
Going further forward found that here
was the gallery, and beside It stood the
ships cook, hard at work getting dinners
ready. There was also here a dynamo for
supplying electricity to the searchlight,
which latter was placed between the en-
CINE room matches on deck.
Passing the big after funnel. came on an
open space and couple Of ue-jackets,
who were splicing wire rope, volunteered
the information that this was where the
foremost torpedo tube would be placed
when the ship was used solely as torpedo
boat Here l was Joined by one of TIC
junior officers. who offered to show me
round the rest Of the ship, as the captain
could not yet leave the bridge for any
time.
1 rather liked the rig he was ina thick
pilot coat, ditto trousers, football sweat
er, with white silk scarf in lieu of q col
lar, fairly old cap, heavy sea boots, thick
gloves and a pair Of binoculars slung round
his neck, formed his attire; which, as he
went forward, could not help thinking
was, for this sort Of rough-and-readyl life.
absolutely the best he could wear.
Between the two foremost tunnels Is the
standard compass, with the flag locker un-
derneath 1t and chart table.
"How many men are there on board?"
said I.
"Oh, our complement is fifty-two, all
told; but about thirty Of these are stokers.
This is their mess deck"
'You see the deck is covered with kind
CT linoleum; 1t is found to answer much bet
ter than wood in this class of ships. Here
are two six-pounder guns; these and the
twelve-pounder up there constitute our
bow fire. Pretty strong for so small
ship, isn't 1t? This is the coming tower.
with half an inch of armor on 1t. We can
steer from here, and in bad weather we
have to, as enc would be washed away on
the bridge
looked inside. There was just room for
two people to stand up inside, and II was
fitted with a compass, steering wheel. tel
egraph to the engine room and voice pipes
to the torpedo tubes and various other
parts of the ship.
You say this is only half an inch thick?"
I queried. How thick then. is the ships
side?"
"Oh." saaid he. laughing. about an
eighth of an inch" and before could quite
steel really is in thickness he had disap-
peared down a ladder at my feet.
This is the mess deck for the blue
jackets, under the turtle-backed forecastle,
you see."
One long table stood in the center, and
two rows of lockers ran along the ships
side. A few men were down here, one
stitching canvas, another mending his
clothes. one reading book, another writ
ing letter and one stretched out right for
ward fast asleep, utterly oblivious of every
thing going on beside him.
About twenty men live down here" said
my guide. ''These are their hammocks,
and that is the capstan engine-we have a
steam cnpstan.'
He pointed above his head as he spoke.
More store rooms under our feet, too"
he continued. 1--WE keep the explosive war;
heads for the torpedoes down below here.
We have two eighteen-inch torpedoes, car
ried, without the heads, in the tubes them
selves. Now let US go up on the fore
bridge"
We had increased speed. and now we