The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-08-09
WORKING BELOW DECK
FIERCEST ACTIVITY WITH HE
THERMOMETER AT 100.
TOiLING AMID FLAMES IN STOKE HOLD
A Dantesque Picture of the Interior Of the
Brooklyn During the Great Battle in
Which Admiral Ceryera's fleet
Was DESTROYED.
Was Destroyed.

Santiago, August 2-'Captain Cook
keep your men below the protective deck
informed of any advantage we may
gain" said Commodore Schley. and
speaking loudly To overcome the noise OF
the frightful guns. the gallant captain
uf the Brooklyn said with Il smile, Il al
ways do that sir. | consider it necessary
for the esprit de corps and stepping
INTO the coming tower he called down
the tubes: Tell the men below that the
Maria Teresa is running ashore. At
he same time Executive Officer Mason
PUSHES to the firing turrets and calls III
To the men the same joyful news. 1t
VAS the third Of July and the excitement
If the first call to battle had hardly
subsidized on the big cruiser brooklyn.
when the foregoing incident occurred.
Commodore Schley stood upon a sinai
temporary bridge running about the con
ming tower, while Captain Cook spent his
time between the interior of the tower,
where he directed the machinery or the
platform where he could see the enemy
Fighting for the honor of America
against three better prepared, and
more heavily armored ships or
Spain. this splendid type of the
American Navy was one mass
of flame and sn,oke as she snit ont de-
tauco tinoaJ with death with machine
no raorl,ritv and vol hnt onn-thirn
of tba entire crew could see the enemy
.r onv mart of The tiont. In the bio
turrctS. half naked men worked behind
the steel walls With no knowledge Of
how the battle Went until they We're
informed by Mr.. Mason. and below the
protective deck fully 300 or more men
vcnrked under The Glare of electric light.
keenino this GREAT engine of destruction
mechanically and rapjdly at work. The
hio tnr,et S-inch guns could not have done
their deadly Shooting even with the train
ed eyes ending tbera.had not the men be
low sent up the ammunition and the
Brooklyn could not have kept side BY
side with the Spanish vessels had it
not been for the engineer and
tirc-room force working below the deck
like fiends.
r
" ~
The men III the turrets OF hFe-lnch
steer see as niue rs the men pelo" deck
except that once III Il WINE tneA get Il
glimpse OF the obJect nfed at. Nhen the
Nhlps OF SPAN were sl@hted coming out
on inns tNtlltIui morning Tue clSHt ana
hNe-lhch guns were all loaded ana III
the eleven men stood half
naked awaiting the word fire. The CHIEF
Of the turret. Il lieutenant. Is III the hood.
his eye to the telescope. gets the line OF
his gun on the harbOr. and awaits the
signals. Five thousand yards sings
out an orderly in the turrct opening and
the gun goes up to the proper elevation
as the lieutenant in the hood orders the
~clevating gear turned. The number one
man ut the guns connects the electric
wire to the primer with the hood hana
firing apparatus and all Is waiting.
commence firing comes the order and
quickly the answer comes. The turret
lleutenantS hand closes on the electric
apparatus ana the gun Jump backs a
foot OF more rs 10 pounds of exploding
powder drives a 30 pound shell from the
muZzzle Of the great piece at a-rate of =,
OSo feet per second. Then before the
Foar mas ceased the hand OF the man III
charge Of that turret touches the electric
lever and the great 900 tons OF steel
moved quickly and almost noiselcssly
around until the mother gun of the twins
was III the same position as the first one
had been. Slowly the muzzIc comes up to
the right elevation. once more the ner-
N"uN hhgcrS close on the electric handle
ANA another 800 pounds Of steel shoot
away on its death GRAND. Then if
You could have looked III this particular
lufrrt on that memorable and glorious
morning of July Bird. YOU would have
seen Il picture of activity that would
nave amazed YOU. Hardly had gun
number one helclled 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 breocn. washed off
'"' MUSHROOM ana gas check with Il
oxnIoded nrinonr and anos a. II