Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-06-17
4 BAlILESHlP'S BRAINS.
TIE koDEkN COMING TOWER Is
TIE III ID AND CENTER OF
EA Il CRAFT.

Like - Bu=i "a S. dan the .Ioaern c ,ptain
Direct lght Dy Telephone
The br.tu, # 80 meu.oi-war is lis
cpuru- ."eer. II was there that
d., ,....I 5. ucu he directed hi, vic
ta4,4, d.l against the Spapiards IN
Mapi,a nt.. There the admiral stands
.Na.,ntp. .u, ude OF battle and direct
Tie movemcuis of his ships and
men
rhc coming tower /, a modern in
venti1n. H. tue o.d days the admrais
fought side 10, SIDE with their men and
tur.r.,,,i 20 cooId be heard above tie
r,u OF BATH. encouraging lhrm tr' m
the main deck. When Paul Jones
fought the Serapi, with tn BOahomme
Richard in l179 ne assisted with his
own hands To- lash his own ship 10 the
British boat aud led the boarders VINO
Invaded the prize Later when there
were fur'hrr changes IN lighting Meth
oct, Falragu stood in the rigging of
the ship Watching the plogroSS of "a
battle, giving personal advtc" 10 the
gunncrs. tclIi1g them where to ann,
while hr himself wa, a conspicuous
target for the sharp. shooters OF the
enemy.
Now when battle Is fought the
commander COZ, 10 the coming tower
and there he direct, every movement OF
the vessels nor, effectively than in the
old DAYS. more ,afely and with many
improved methods tor the transmission
of hi, orders 10 his ship captains. The
coming tower sands over the forward
turrc' Ii a circular chamber, scarcely
six feet aero, and protected by walls
of steel y inches thick. Above the
admirals noad IS a roof of solid steel.
The coming tower j. The target OF
many missile, sent from the enemy
guns. but they glance hArmIcs,ly off.
\ laudsmau upon his first entry into
coming tower would imagine that
the enemy aud ALI other things were u-
visible Bu, on stepping forward and
Bringing his eyes to the level of the
armor plating between the archcd root
above aud thc steel walls inc becomes
aware of little narrow slit along
which he may sweep his eyes and take
in The whole range of the horizon. The
sharp pointed bow Of the boat i below
and directly ia front OF him are the two
biz guns that protrude from the forward
tulret.
From the moment OF the beginning
of tn. battle until the end the COM
mander is invisible to his men. His
voice is the only thing present-mainly
through speaking tubes and telephones.
All the picturesque "blue water. way
ing flag" elements of the sea fight, so
dear to the ncart of Marryat are absent
No heroic figure of the admiral stand
ing at the prov of the boat with the
plight of battle in hi, eyes, his sword
tSshing in the air; no Nelson standing
on the quarterback with his empty
coat sleeve and the stars in his coat
marking him for the enemy; no Paul
Jones graphing hana to hand with the
commander of the other boat merely
prosaic, bu,inesslike looking gentle
man, who without hi, Uniform might be
taken for the head Of The dry goods
concern seated at table and calling
through telephones.
The story of Manila shows, however,
that he gets there" with considerably
greater force and precision than his
predecessors in the business of sea
fighting.
The fittings Of the modern coming
tower are extremely simplc-two letters
printed ON a brass tablet speak in vol
umes of condensed power.