The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-16


like graceful dove nesting on the wa
ter When she skins over the sea, she
reminds one Of the swan, as with ap-
parently no effort she cleaves the waves
and is at once thing OF beauty and
10y to the eye. In the coat OF white
paint, which was always kept In q state
purity, the simile held good. In lead
sr darker color some Of the grace has
disappeared. and there is possibly for
bidding look about her when with gun
muzzles poking from every portfolio and
crowds Of armed men hovering about
the decks In threatening attitude there
"a no doubt of her bellicose intentions.
Despite the air Of peaceful serenity
when the war vessel IL merely a naval
messenger glintlng across the oceans
from country to province. from king
dom to republic, she is at all times a
veritable death trap. Serious accidents.
IL not wholesale disasters. have fire.
quently been averted only by the readi-
ness of wit and reckless bravery for
which our sailors are famous.
Danger turks everywhere on board
modern man-of-war. The most careful
sailor. marine or officer often finds him
self on the verge OF catastrophe
which without quick thinking and light
ming action on the part of some one
would destroy him and many of his
mates and perhaps entail the entire de-
struction OF the ship and crew. n think
ing head on his shoulders during his
waking hours is an absolute require
ment Of every one on board a man-of-
war from stoker to captain.
A week rarely passes that some one
on a warship is not more or less dan
gerously hurt. II there Is not an un-
guarded open hatchway for him to step
into and fall to the deck below. with
broken limb or cracked skull. the sea-
man has a chance to mash his toes or
crush his fingers in the mechanical ma
neuver drill Of overhauling battery.
On the cruisers that carry sail. both
for steadying purposes and as motor
auxiliaries In case OF need, he may be
struck on the side OF the head by q
loose swapping halyard, or he may be
tumbied to the deck from q suddenly
slackening ridge rope. Down below in
the black hold Of the ship fireman il
often thoughtlessly picking up an al
most redhot slice bar at the wrong end
or getting stream Of steam in his eyes
from the careless handling OF valves.
In fact, the majority Of a crew in q
three years cruise are very likely to
have some manned or injured finger,
elbow or knee and some scar on arm,
face or head as a memento of their term
Of service. The man who returns to his
mother wife or sweetheart as well and
sound as when he left her Is consid-
cred very lucky. Ordinarily there may
be less danger on the sea than on the
land. as the sailor is fond of declaring.
but this cannot truthfully be said of a
man-of-war.
Spontaneous combustion Is, however.
the great bette noire of the fighting ship.
1t Is the most dreaded danger and must
be constantly and carefully guarded
reach the magazines, and there would
ensue tragedy only eQualed by the
horrible catastrophe OF the Maine.
Great quantities OF coal are dug I'm va
rious parts os the world that are prac-
tically perfect for steam making pur-
poses. but this kind is not used on
warship because of its known liability
to ignite OF itself in hot bunkers abut-
ting upon fire and boiler rooms.
In each Of the bunkers there Is, OF
course, an automatic. apparatus that
gives the alarm when the temperature
OF the coal bin rises above a certain
point. The bunkers are numbered, and
II the temperature of No. 3. for example,
rises beyond the set mark the danger
is announced by means of a ringing reg
istering machine placed just outside the
captains cabin. The marine orderly for
the commanding officer whose station
just outside the cabin door enables him
TO keep his eye on this fire alarm, is al
ways the man to communicate the news
to the officer Of the deck. Then the
ships bugler sounds fire quarters" and
every man Is instantly at his detailed
post on the fire station.
There IL no guesswork. Every sailor
has been drilled In this for months. and
he has an exact position In which to
stand. The absence OF one or more men
makes no difference. The vacancies can
be supplied from outsiders. Steam Is
TUNED into the bunker indicated by the
alarm and the fire quickly extinguish-
ed. Such minor con1agrations are not
infrcqucnt. but the Iandsman never
bears of them unless from the idle chat
4 sailors months afterward.
NO coal passer or any other person
sonncctcd with an engineers gang is
permitted to carry an open light into
The bunkers. though the passers often
violate this regulation. The bunkers are
each htted With two standing electric
lights. but in coaling ship the glass
casinss surrounding these lights are
generally smashed by accident. leaving
The bunxers unlighted. As there Is then
Cifnmcrian darkness inside. the passers
carry open lights despite the emphatic
iule that they should nrt.
There are today several warrant on
GERS in the navv who are indebted for
their uniforms to the rapi5 judgment
anil bravery In the face OF impending
magazine accidents. Many true onec-
dotes are related OF the sagacity and
quick wittedness OF sailors. men and of
fre.s IA the moment OF danger, and
TO sc. OF bravery eysr goes unrecog-
nlzsd b. the government.
On- Of the s,rst Of the navy's new steel
ships hai not been "a commission three
months before q bright apprentice boy
executed a rapi1 descent i1to thr an.