The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-08
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
How an IrOnclad Is Fought.
THE British Way, described in London Chronicle.)

nent the nature of the discipline on
board an ironclad in action will be of
interest to the general reader. The
distribution of the crew for action is
based on the principle of dividing the
armament into Quarters" and to num-
Der or name the guns so as to give
them an individuality without refer
ence to their size. When action is i'm
minent every one on board repairs to
the allotted station, below, on deck or
aloft. The gunner obtains the keys of
the magazines, gives them to the men
in charge, sees that the lights are lit
and everything in working order. AS
soon as the guns are cleared away and
loaded report to that effect is made to
the captain.
When this has been done the gun
crews are provided with small arms,
upon which they close up round their
guns and await further orders. A sup
ply of light, quick-6ring machine-gun,
rifle and pistol ammunition is then
passed up ready for distribution on
deck and proportion of it sent aloft.
This ammunition is served out first to
the small-arm party and to boarders,
and to the remainder of the crew as
soon as their guns are cleared away and
arms provided. In each tube torpedo
is placed ready for discharge. Helms
men are provided ready to take charge
of the handsteering apparatus in the
event of the steam gear being carried
away. Orderlies, buglers and men sta
toned at voice tubes are ordered to re-
pair to their stations, but the use of the
| bugle in action is restricted as far as
| ,N0ootDIa 1nrn onH nj inato1 pal1a
are liable to be misunderstood.
The dress for men in action is as I'M
inhammable as possible, the blue-work-
ing rig being considered the best. There
is no reason why action dress should
not in future be saturated with the
| non-infammable material similar to
that now employed in all American
ships of war.
1t is curious point that in action
boots and shoes are ordered to be worn
by all men on deck and the tops. That
portion Of the crew engaged in the
magazines are provided with list slip
pers. There was great tendency in
Nelson's time for the men to strip dur
ing action. This practice is now dis
couraged. Waist belts and pouches
are worn, and men who have pistols
are obliged to wear them.
A fire brigade, consisting of carpen-
tiers and stokers, screw on hoses
and rig all hand-pumps ready for fire.
A man is stationed at each water-tight
door, which is kept open, ready to close
it when the order is given. AS the
spread of fire may at any time menace
the safety of the magazine, the key of
the valve admitting water to the maya
zine level is either kept in the personal
charge of the captain or at his discre-
ton by the officer in charge of the gun
deck.
A supply of oatmeal and water for
drinking is arranged all over the ship,
especially in the vicinity of magazines,
machinery compartments, stoke-holes
and shell rooms. No intoxicating
liquor is served on the day of action on
board any well-rogulated ironclad.
This is a great departure from the
practice of double rations of grog that
were in vogue hundred years ago.
Each division of boarders ready to
leap onto the enemy's ships and take it
by assault when its armament has been
silenced has special place of its own
on the upper deck, whittier the men
repair when called. Every officer on
board has special station, where he is
to be found unless specially employed
elsewhere.
The danger of fire during action
since the battle Of the Yalu has occu.
pied the close attention of the admiral
ties of all countries. All fires breaking
out below the gun deck are in charge of
the fire brigade, thus leaving the gun
crews free for their important duties
When, however, the fire is likely to
make head notwithstanding the efforts
of the fire brigade one or more gun
crews are called off as necessity may
arise for the purpose of attending the
hose. AS fire may occur in the
neighborhood of magazine or she'll
room, and the supply of ammunition
to the guns on deck during action be
interrupted from this cause, a special
drill for obviating this difficulty is ar
ranged, 80 as to prevent the slackening
of fire, by the provision of shell and
other ammunition from other maya
zines. If the fire is on the gun-deck
the gun crews are not told off to deal
with it except in emergency, as the
maintenance Of rapid and steady fire
| III dCtlOh 10 ehO PuiohOuhe opJSSe Va
every commander. In case the fire
Necomes 80 serious as to make it neces-
sary to 60 to general fire stations, the
guns are fred or their ammunition is
thrown overheard. The small ammu-
milton on deck is either thrown over
board or placed in convenient posi-
ton for that purpose.
Other details of action drill include
the resistance to torpedo-boat attack,
which the Americans are now hard al
work practising in their various squad
rons. If an attack be expected by
night in dry weather the decks, gun
carriages, etc., are whitewashed-a de-
vice which in the absence of artificial
light, is of great service to the crew
of ship attacked by torpedo-boats
The use Of small arms is discouraged
as experience shows that no weapon
using lead bullets is of much use in re-
polling torpedo attack. The guns in
the fghting-tops, as they enjoy the ad
vantage of plunging fire through the
unprotected decks of the torpedo-boats