Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-07-08
ON A WARSHIP.
HOW HIGH EXPLOSIVES ARE STORED.
ON A BRITISH VESSEL.

HOW HIGH EXPLOSIVES ARE STORED
ON A BRITISH VESSEL.
Precautions That Are Taken to Prevent
Accidents-Thc Magazines Are All Mas
sive Iron and Steel Tanks Built sepa-
rately Into the Ship.
The British navy has not been without
Its Maine disasters, though fortunately
these have been unattended by any ques-
tions of foul play, and they have taught
us a lesson. The last such catastrophe
was in 1889, when the gunboat Dottcrel
was sunk and 145 lives lost through an
explosion in n Of her magazines.
Since that time great attention has been
paid to tho storing of high explosives on
board all the ships of navy. Tho mag
azines are now huge iron tanks built sep
arately into the ship. Tho sides, bottom
and crown of these are made of thick steel
plates weighing ten pounds to the square
foot. These plates are lap jointed and
strongly rivctcd.
Should any side of tho back OF a coal
bunker be exposed, that side is built Of
plates that weigh 1915 pounds to tho
64OSsAo 4OOUs 1AAS oUAC11S U11 ID LII
order to prevent any explosion of coal gas
that may occur in the bunker from tear
ing open tho magazine. Further, tho
plating is stiffcncd with heavy bars that
make all parts of the surface of equal
strength. Should the magazine DO placed
heal tho engines or in any other place
where there is u high temperature, it is
coated with asbcstus. Electricity is used
for lighting purposes.
All the lights arc in what are called
eight boxes" placed outside, the light
penetrating into the magazine itself
through thick glass illuminators, which
are protected by gratings of brass wire.
Tho keys of these boxes are kept by tho
gunner of the ship. Near them is u stock
Of candles ready for use in case tho cleo
trio current should fail. Entrance to the
magazine is from the top, but out of what
is termed tho handling room. The hatch
Of this is in line with the crown of tho
magazine, and tho floor of tho room is lead
covered.
For ventilating purposes air is pumped
In at the bottom and passes out through q
specially constructed uptake, but on very
dry days air is let into tho magazine nat
urally in order to prevent too much moist
ure accommodating on tho cases and thus
causing tho powder to dcteriorate. In an
engagement the magazines would be kept
closed down, SO as to prevent the encmy's
shot from entering them, and mir would
be pumped in or tho men working inside
could live but q very few minutes. Before
entering tho magazine tho men have to
leave behind them their knives, pipes and
matches INT to put On special boots that
are studded with brass nails.
With the old fashioned powder u spark
caused by the friction of a nail in ones
boot with the floor was sufficient to cause
an explosion. Nowadays there is far less
danger of accident. Many OF the explo-
sives now used viii only ignite by dctona-
ton. Prismatic and pebble powders if set
on fire will frizzle away like q fuse, while
cordite, il handled with ordinary care, is
quite harmless.
All the bays-i. c., recesscs-are marked
with the number of cases hat are to DO
slowed in them, and they AFRO provided
with strong wooden uprights to prevent
the cases from being thrown out Of place
by tho motion of tho ship. Tho doors Of
all the magazines open outward, so that if
in a violent storm tho cases broke loose
they would not block tho entrance. No
fuses, tubes or other articles that contain
their own means of ignition are ever
slowed in magazines. All such articles
are placed in special storcrooms far away
from the powder. Quick firing ammuni-
ton cartridges for machine gun and rifles
and dry gun cotton also have their scpa-
rate compartments.
All magazines are fitted with q flooding
arrangement, SO that, should tho ship
catch fire, they can be at once filled with
water. No one but n responsible officer is
ever allowed to handle the keys, and he
must first obtain permission from the cap
tain. The heaviest charges arc placed
nearest tho doors. In tho old days tho
powder monkey used to carry tho cart
ridges from the magazine to the guns in a
case. Now the ammunition goes up q
hydraulic lift that works on ar1norcd
shoots. Carrying it would be an impossi-
bility, as some of the charges weigh 96O
pounds. Tanks containing fresh water
and drinking cup are fixed in tho han
ding room for tho use of the men, and all
the floors arc sprinklcd with water before
work begins.
Speaking tubes lead from outside tho
magazines-which, by tho way, are usual
~ below the water line-to tho gun decks,
the bridge and the coming tower.
There is Il quarterly examination of the
dry gun cotton to ascertain whether acid
is accommodating. If it is, the explosive
is at once saturated with water. Wet gun
cotton, being q very safe material, is kept
in m ordinary storeroom md is weighed
periodically to detect deterioration, u plug
being at the same time removed in order
that gas may escape. The ''warheads'' of
the Whitehead torpedoes, being filled with
wet gun cotton, are slowed by themselves
and tested in the manner just described.
But the ''pistols," which contain dry gun
cotton, and tho detonators for igniting the
wet gun cotton in the torpedoes are placed
together in q compartment that can be
flooded if necessary.
The only other dangerous explosives
carried by our warships are the filled
shells, which are given a place to them
selves. None but the most stubborn fuses
are fitted to these, unless they are at tho
Z gun and ready to be fired. Their danger
Gus nature is indicated by their red paint
ed heads and tho broad red band around
them. Seamen are trained to handle them
with tho utmost care. Even signal lights
and rockets are kept carefully out of tho
way of irresponsible persons. Intact, ev-
cry possible %precaution Is taken to pre-