The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-27

order to clear the ship he also changed her
SVufSe ana headed her directly for the
Stranger whose appearance had caused all
sIe oustle and excitement. AS the increased
s oes.l power made itself felt in the in
dSrenseo speed of the battle ship and she
ureW nearer and nearer the stranger the
captain and the executive officer noticed
snat the stranger, too. showed signs of be-
lHg on the alert. Out Of his tunnels there
rose two black clouds that matched the
i n.,sc columns rising from the Oregons
SsaaoAe pipes. With increasing rapidity he
rose above the horizon and presently his
nun Yves visible. Before the Oregon was
ndIl cleared for action the two ships were
lh Iuli view of each other, and the Oregons
captain could see plainly that the stranger
was battle ship of about the Oregons
SIZE ana general lines AS the ships drew
nearer, and his own colors were run up to
the masthead, he distinguished the ensign
OF the enemy floating from the foretruck
o. the approaching ship He did not know
mat this was the ship sent out specially
20 meet the Oregon and prevent her from
Joining the Atlantic squadron. But now his
own snip is cleared and he gives the order
Ior which his men are waiting:
sound off general quartersr' -
II Is the call to battle. The rafting drum
ana grlevlng bugle sound the notes that set
the red blood leaping through the arteries
Of every one of the $50 gallant fellows in the
instant they respond. Now the constant
drill that has helped to wear away the
from the Pacific coast shows its good re-
suits. Silently and without confusion every
nan goes to his allotted place. Down in
the engine room below the steel armored
deck the engineers take last look around
10 see that everything is shipshape The off
watch, engineers and firemen alike Join
their powder divisions. The water-tight
doors in the bulk-heads are closed and tried
TO see that they are fast. The engines are
ready-the living, breathing power that
makes the ship vital thing is prepared
for ready response to the intelligent direc-
ton OF the men who are to make her per-
form to the last most terrible possibility
her dreadful function as an engine of de-
struction. Now the ships company realizes
the worth of the engineers, for if the power
rails, II the complicated machinery falls
short of fulfilling its utmost duty the beau
tifulr great snip will lie helpless and an
easy prey before her powerful enemy.
GUNS AND AMMUNITION.
AS the engineers are thus making their
last rounds the lighting men of the ship
are taking their places at the guns. The
marine division man the smaller rapid-fire
guns in the secondary battery. They are
trained as marksmen with small arms, and
now they are expected to demonstrate the
worth of their careful drill in the deadly
execution their fire shall make upon the
superstructure and exposed parts of the
eEemy's ship. The men who have been
taught especially to handle the great thr-
teen-inch rifles in the main turrets climb
to their places about their guns. In the
smaller turretS of the elghC-1nch rifles their
particular gun crews take station. Along
the >broadside rapid-fire guns another d.
vision of the crew station themselves.
Some of the marines go up into the light
ing tops and man the murderous machine
guns there. So all the guns are manned,
each by a man thoroughly trained in every
movement of the drill for keeping his gun
iii action at the highest possible rate or
efficiency In charge of each gun or OIL
vision of guns is an officer. In each of the
main turrets senior officer sits in the
seat under the hood with a junior officer
to assist him. Thus. swiftly and noiseless-
w tHa ornr mo
await the word to begin their frightful
work.
While this has been going on another and
most important division of the crew have
been taking stations down at the bottom of
the ship, beneath the armored deck, and far
below the water line. This is the powder
division, and on the men in 1t and their
faithful work depends the success OF the
day. With the order to general quarters
the captain has given to the senior watch
officer the keys to the magazines. This Of
ficer is in command Of the powder division.
Officers under him are in charge OF the n sup
divisions which man the magazines for the
different kinds of ammunition and which
serve the different guns. A petty othcer
captains the crew in the actual work or
passing out the ammunition from each
magazine. The magazines are all opened
up. The electric lights are turned on, and
the carriages and travellers that take the
powder and shell to the ammunition holsts
are tried to see that they work Well Men
position and to unlock the projectiles for the
larger guns. Ammunition for the machine
guns is whipped up into the tops. EVERY
Down in the torpedo rooms the torpedo
division have been preparing their mighty
agents of destruction The war heads are
taken from the magazines and the bricks
of dry gun cotton are prepared to be in
serted with the net ready for instant use
The travelerS that carry the torpedoes to
the launching tubes are tested and found
to be in good working order, and the tor
pedO men await only the captains order
to do their best toward sending the enemy
to DaVY Jones S locker
In the sick bay the doctors have not been
idle Cots have been made ready instru-
ments got out, operating tables prepared,
bandages and lint put ready to hand. and
all preparations made for bloody and
dreadful results
on deck some of the junior officers have
manned the range finders, delicate little IN
struments that tell the exact distance away
of the enemyS ship. The captain quits the
bridge and turns the deck over to the exec
utive officer. He goes himself to the con-
ming tower and the last preparation is
made The next act will be a blow.
In the coming tower the captain finds
system of speaking tubes leading to every
azineS and to the steering room aft, below
the armored deck. He looks through the
little peep slots in the steel walls about
The Oregon and her antagonist are stead
lily rushing at each other The enemy, like
Uncle Sans great champion, is stripped for
the fray On she comes. The men at the
range finders signal to the captain the rap
idly decreasing distance. Soon the first
the order everywhere is the same.
Silence"
CAST LOOSE AND PROVIDE.
In perfect stiffness the men take their in
dividual stations. They are stripped to the
waist, many CT them, and their blue trous-
ers rolled up ont OF the way of their bare
feet. AS they take their regular positions
and stand motioness and silent the second
order comes, in all divisions and all guns
the same:
Cast loose and provide"
Now action begins again, and it is a good
thing, for it keeps the men busy, with no
time to stand still and speculate about the
fearful possibilities of the desperate COM
bat about to begin. In response to the COM
mand every gun is freed at once from the
fastenings which bound it down immovable
while the ship was cruising. Helpless under
the grip of the stout steel clamps, now it
shakes off its shackles and rises to face
the grim work before it. This is to 'cast
loose" but that is only part of the order,
and a small part too. Every man in ev-
cry gun crew has certain particular things
to provide One sees that one accessory
of the gun is in place another another.
and so on clear through the Every
little detail is thus carefully looked out for,
and in doing this work the crew is occupied
during the few minutes when the tension
of waiting is at its worst For it is when
the ship is ready and the command to fire
does not come that the greatest strain on