Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-08-03
80 =. r - ~
THE BRAVE FIGHTERS
How They Keep the Great
Ships Going.
WHEN THE BATTLE is ON
Down beneath the Protective Decks In III.
Glare OF Electric Lights. They Obey
orders. Knowing No,hi"g of
How the Battle Goes.
WHEN THE. BATTLE is ON


may gain" said Commodore SchleE
and speaking loudly to overcome the
noise Of he friShtful guns. the gallant
captain of The Eruoklyn said with a
smile: II always do that sir. | consii-
er it necessary for the esprit corps
and stepping into the coming tower, he
called down tie tubes: Tell the men
below The Maria Teresa is running
ashore At tilt same time Executive
officer Mason rllshcs to the firing t,lt-
rc;s and calls in TO the men the same
JOYFUL news. 1t was II" Srd Of July
:,nd the excitement Of the frs: cail to
battle had hardly subsidized on the big
cruiser Brooklyn when the foregoing
incident occurred. Commodore Schiey
stood upon small temporary bridge
running about the coming tower While
.stAptain Cook spent his time between
the interior of the tower. where he Iii
rected the machinery. or the platform
where he could see the enemy.
Fighting for the honor ur America
three better prepared and more heavily
ainnored ships OF Spain. this splendid
type Of the American navy was one
mass OF ilamc and smoke as she spit
Z. out defiance. tingcd with death. and
Yet but one-third Of the entire crew
could see the enemy or any part of tn.
fight. In tn. big turrets. half naked
men worked behind the stee! walls with
no knowledge Of how the battle went
unit! they We're Informed by Mr.. Mason,
and below the protected deck fully 800
or more men worked under the glare #
electric lights. keeping this great engine
al destruction mechanically and rapidly
ut work The big turret S-inch guns
could not have done their deadly Shoot
ing even with the trained eyes guiding
them had not the men below sent UP
the ammunition and the Brooklyn could
not have KEEP, side by side had it not
been for the engineer ana iire-room
force working below the deck Xix.
fiends.
WORkING THE BIG GUNS.
The men i'll tht iurrets of 5-inrh steel
see as little the men below deck ex-
cept that once in while they get a
glimpse of the object fired at. When
The ships of Spain We're sighted coming
out on this eventful morning the ei,,h,
ana fiNe-inch guns We're all loaded and
In each turret. within two minutes after
the summons. eleven men stood half
naked awaiting the word to fire. The
chief Of the turret. n lieutenant is il,
the hood. his eye on the telescope. gets
the line of his gun. on The. hirhor. ana
awaits the signal Five thousand
) yards. sings out an orderly in the ttlr-
ret opening and the gun goes up to th,-
proper elevation as the lieutenant in tn
hood orders the "levaiing gear turned.
The number one man at the guns con
meets the electric Wire to the primer
with the hoods hand-firinE apparatus
and all is waiting. Commence, firing"
comes. The turret lieutenants hama
closes on the electric apparatus ana the
gun jumps back foot or more as 40
pounds of exploding powder drives y
$50 pound shell from the muzzle OF the
great piece at n rate of 1850 fee. per
second Then before the roar has
ceased the hand OF the man in charge
Of that tyr .SsLl.ched the electric ley,
md fos 5 ter moye,1
quickly and almost noiseily around un-
til the mother gun of the twins was in
the same position as the first one had
been. Slowly the muZZic comes uJ, To |
the right elevation, once more the ner-
vous fingers close on the electric handle
ana another 80 pounds Of Sie,! shoot |
away on its death errand Then if ynu |
could have looked in this particular |
iurrrt on that nenora bic and glorious |
morning Of July 3rd YOU would have
seen Il picture of activity that would |
have amazed you. Hardly had gun !
number one bclchcd forth its defiance |
to The group Of Spanish ships than the |
five men behind it. until this minute |
statues of inactivity. sprang into life. |
No. and No, opened the breach
washed off the mushroom and EAs |
check with a sponge. oils the hrecci |
plug. extracts the exploded priinrr and |
sees the ven, clear. No. seizcs tn
long briStle sponge Wet with water and |
assisted by No. :: sponges the gun, lays
aside the sponge and SeiZeS Tho. ramner |
ready to drive home the new charge.
While they have been working there |
has appeared at the top OF the ANNA
milton hoist new shells and new ammu-
milton. and the officer in command OF
the turret cries load
NO. raises the ammunition corner
Of the hoist and with the assistance OF
No. OF The other gun. grasi,s the han
die upon the carriage and swings il to
the rear of the gun. The projeciile is |
= h
primer. while No. /, assisted by No. G. !
rams home the 80 pound projec.ile.
Then the quick succession of No. ;. !
No and NO. ram in the two charges
q OF powder in packages OF s., pounds.
each done UP in serge or muslin ana
IN grains Weighing an ounce and Il
4 quarter each. NO closes the breech
No. again connects the wire and the
gun is ready To fire. All this has taken
just four minutes and with two guns,
the big turret is shooting once every
two minutes.
0 THE POWDER DIVISION.
But where are the myterious hands
that send UP these death dealing,
charges to the guns in such shos;-lke
way? Down below the water iine Of
7, the ship. beneath the protective deck
II that IN TOO many battles has proved
" the lid to the steel coffin Of hundreds of
brave men is naked perspirin:s crowd
*45of heroes. their eyes efrectuaily closed
fsto the changing scene Of battle but
4 their SENSES keen!y alive to the fac.
that torpedo or shell below. or through
the arnor belt may mean death these
4 men Work with an energy tina, proves
q their patriotism and. devotion 10 the
4 nag On this day they sent VI, to the
various turrets and guns over 10000
U pounds of ammunition, taking il care
y fully out of the big magazines without
accident.
2 The men detailed in the handling
d rooms of the Brooklyn are from tn"
$&hfth or powder division. composed OF
n those not detailed as gun crews, such
n az carpenters and gunner's mates. serv-
y ants, id!ers Of all kinds and the relief
~ "dtth or the eng cheers division. ThiSs
II nieotev or men is of many rationale
Il iis" and rs known on board the Brook 4
!yh as coSey's Army and is com
VI i IH ny the senior deck officer. Dr.
$%s Griffin. with four or five other officers