The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-05-18
Inside the Olympia's Turret.

In the forward turret Of Admiral
Dewey's flagship Olympia in the harbor
of Manila, al dawn Sunday before last,
stood twelve Yankee gunners.
Twelve gallant Americans trained
the Two eight-inch guns, now upon this
| Spanish armor clad, now on that, and
again on the forts at Cavite.
With the precision of a machine the
twelve men during that terrific hour
and halls engagement, bent TO their
work, loading, sighting, aiming and
firing again and again. The roar of
the guns and the crash of the enemy's
shells on the steel walls of the turret
did not interfere in the slightest with
the business in hand, as with clock-like
regularity they got those death-dealing
eight-inch terrors into shape TO tear a
hole in Spanish hull or break through
a Cavlte wall.
Like the awakening of some angry
monster, striving only to lay waste, the
guns poured shot after shot from the
revolving turret, and the twelve half
stripped men peered through the port
holes as the steel projectiles of death
screeched across Manila Bay.
AS an example of magnificent disci-
| pllub anu uhCulue-llhc OUtuluCt W
duty in the face of death, there is moth
ing to compare with the men behind
the guns in a modern fight between
ironclads, such as the historic battle of
Manila Bay.
When an ironclad like the Olympia
goes into action the order comes sharp
and barking: "Muster the crew." the
gunners on the Olympia, twelve in
each turret, six for each gun, fall in
position in response to their numbers,
called out by the captain of each crew,
and stand rigid and ready for whatever
order may come.
Each man knows his place, knows
what is expected of him, fully conpre-
hends bis responsibility, and perhaps,
his eyes sweep the deck in farewell.
There are five chances in ten that he
will enter the turret TO die. But
death like that makes history. His
passing will be under the flag, honor
able and on duty, and he waits the
next command.
At each gun there is a captain,
plugman, loader, sponger, liftman
and a shellman. Their separate du-
ties are clearly defined. They have
been drilled to fight, if necessary TO
die. If one of them drops at his post,
another, without murmur, takes his
place. The twelve men in the turret
are like 30 many automatOns.
At the battle of Manila that forward
turret on Admiral Deweys flagship
Olympia, smoking and cleaning with
the glare of war, demolished the iron
clads OF Spain and sent them founder
ing and on fire into the sea.
1t WIS the hour of retribution, the
day for which the men in the turret
had waited patiently. The order to
"Muster the crew." came ID these men
like ben 1iction, and the reckoning
with Spa'n We at hand.
"Two, three, four, five, six, seven,
eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve" sang
out The tuiiet cap lin, who is No. of
the crew, end in less than minute the
two guns of the Olympia's forward tur-
ret were manned.
"Slence," rang out the command
through the still morning air, and the
crew faced the guns voiceless and at
tentive.
For a second or two the men stripped
to the waist, stood mute, straining to
catch the next order.
sect loose and PROVIDE" COM
manded the division officer, and in an
ms mt the captains of the gun crews
on the starboard and polt guns began
rapid inspection of the mechanism of
the guns. Skilful fingers opened the
breech, the loader and sponger has
tened - see that the elevator gear for
hosting ammunition out of the maya
inns was clear; to cast off the lashings,
place them amidships out of the way;
TO open the ports, TO see that the load
ing tray Wa in place, and to remove
the woo len plug and the muzzle bag
from the muzzle of the gun with steel
LANYARD.
Each crew cap lin took the firing lock
from iis case, prepared it for use,
placed the rear sights, removed the
covers, saw that the printing wires and
minor appliances were in place, pro-
vided himself with primers, closed the
breech after the sponger had performed
his duty and reported ID the division
officer that f'l wf3 ready.
The plugman, loader, sponger, lift
man and shellman arranged their ma
terials for action, and fixed the para
phernalia necessary for quick work in
their appointed places. Sponges, tubs,
swabs, cutlesses, rev0lvers and rifles
were racked within reach, and the belts
for smaller ammunition were hung at
arms length.
The instant the order to "cast loose
and provide" was executed, each man
returned to the position occupied when
the order of "silence" was given.
The powder tank was brought up and
the captain having inspected the fuse
and the primer, all was ready for the
order to "load." This order was in
stanty followed by Nos. 8 and 10, haul
ing up the projectile and placing it on
the loading tray. No. pushed it home,
assisted if necessary by No. 6, while
9 and 10 went for another prOjectile.
The powder charge was then taken
from the tank, the cartridge placed in
the tray and showed home by hand.
The gas check and screw lock were
wiped off and No. closed the breech.
The captain inserted the primer, hook
| ad tho loeb LANYARD frat and than fnll