The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-09

devotion to the flag. On this day they
sent up TO the various turretS and
guns over 1000 pounds of ammuni-
ton, taking it carefully out of the
Dig magazines without accident.
The men detailed in h handling
rooms OF the Brooklyn are from the
fifth or powder division. composed of
those not detailed as I'll crews, such
as carpenters and g%unner's mates,
servants, idlers Of all kinds and the
relief watch of the engineers division.
rms medley Of men is Of many nation
aiitles II IS known or board the
Brooklyn as "Coxey's Army and is
commanded by the senior deck officer.
Dr. Griffin, with four or five other off,
GERS as assistants, each assistant hav-
ing charge OF a section of about forty
or nifty men. the whole division taking
charge OF all magazine holds and all
space between decks during action.
At the clang Of the alarm for gen
eral quarters" the men rushed for their
stations. struggling through a small
steer match in the protective dock. and
down a narrow n almost vertical
ladder to the magazine and shell rooms
below The officer in charge. DR.. Grif-
hurried to the cabin for the maya
zine keys, grabbing the small leather
bag containing them. from the hand of
the marine orderly on duty at the door
or the captains cabin, and rushed after
ms men, distributing the keys as rapid
~ as possible TO those already standing
at the boX-like tops of the magazines,
the bolts of which a already been
ioosened. The ammunition whips were
quickly laid out, and the men standing
with their hands on a small lever ready
10 urn on the current of the electric
holsts. as soon as the matches were
off. When every thing was seen TO be
clear the endless chains of the hoiStS
started with the whir of the motor and
rolled their loads of rapid-fre ammu-
milton TO the decks above where men
were stationed to receive it.
Down the chute of the 8-inch gun
turret, as an accompaniment to the
deep rumble of the turret as il slow
~ swung from amidships to the port
or ~star-board. comes the command,
'fuIl charge, common shot" from the
officer in charge of the turret and the
answer quickly goes back AYE. aye,
sir, and as a response to a lower tone
OF voice, Quick lads lively now up
comes the long powder tanks and
heaVy go pound shell to the base of
the turret. There the shell was quick
~ seized in the tongs of two stalwart
apprentices, raised and rammed home
in the car; the tops of the long cop
per powder ank taken off and the pow
der in two sections placed in the other
compartments of the car, the signal
given and both cars quickly rise to the
breecn of the turret guns and are sent
back, almost as quickly emptied.
All this preparation of getting ready
occupied a space of four minutes time.
after all the men went below
and the matches lowered and Sc
cured. The heat varies in this
stool 20 Cn from, on fn 1Ac Ia-~oo- IT,
renheit and quickly causes the men to
strip to the waist n settle down to
their work in an air tight box filled
with sweltering humanity, blindly
obeying orders, with unquestioning
obedience and alacrity, not knowing the
cause of the alarm, whether target
practice, bombardment, the Spanish
fleet or a false alarm. Suddenly the
report of the first gun was heard, fol-
lowed in quick succession by another,
and the battle was on. Down the
hOlsts and chuteS comes the powder
smoke to add to the already high tenn
p~erature of the handling room. follow
ed by the hot saltpetre water from the
sponging of the guns, making the decks
slippery and burning blisters on the
bare backs of the men underneath,
who, cropping n choking, feeling their
way through the dense smoke, go 81
lently and Obediently about thier work
with but one thought and one view;
to keep those continually empty cars
and hoists filled with powder and pro-
j%ectiles, not knowing how the battle is
raging until a cheer is finally heard
from deck, their spirits brighten and
an old salt will exclaim: II guess they
must have hit 'em hat time" Then
he goes up and splits on a large shell
for good luck, or as a yell is heard
"Armor piercing, quick and the shells
are quickly changed, he takes an old
oily rag and rubs the cap of the pro-
jectile saying, "That'n make 'er bite
better" and the young boy of the new
navy, who has been in the service as
many months as the old salt has years,
exclaims to his shipmates "Ah, what's
he giving u.s."
That was the routine of the handling
room on the 3rd of July, except that
once in a while the rush was broken by
a carelessly handled shell dropping.
One came down in the forward hand
ling room when Mr.. Hancock had
charge the day Of the battle. There
was the low rumble as it dropped the
forty feet. Sand clear" shouts Han
cock but the command is superfuous,
for if the shell had exploded no man in
that place would ever a seen day
light again. 1t didn't explode n as
he handlers gasped in their Temporal
rily departed breath a prayer went up
to heaven and many uncomplimentary
adjectives to the fellow in the turret
between them and heaven.
SOME OTHER HEROES.
There were other heroes that day,
men who never see the battle but do
the work that keeps everything in the
ships in motion and take a risk great
er than commodore or captain. When
h Vizcaya had been sunk and beach
ed that day Captain Cook having been
ordered by Commodore Schley to cease
firing, called the men from the hand
ling rooms and the turret to take a
breath of air while the chase of the
Colon went on. But the battle was on
for men not visible. DOwn beneath the
protective, informed only of the glo-
ries of that days fighting by Captain
Cooks bulletin, through the speaking
tube, men worked in q pit below the
water in a temperature of over $50
degrees. From the tunnels the black
smoke pouring forth told that stokers
n c~oal-passers and firemen were
working like fiends to give the ship
moro momentum CO tina the foo would