The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-04-09
A War Ship in Action.
From the New YORK Tribune

A member of the Naval Reserve who
has studied the subject and is thoroughly
posted and equally enthusiastic said that
a well-conducted target practice on one of
the battle ships is similar in many respects
to naval engagement. Everything is
made shipshape, decks are cleared, and
the same precautions are taken as in actual
contests, and, although there is full assur-
ance that no enemy will appear, the decks
present warhke appearance, and soon
after the exercises have begun the ship
resembles anything more than a pleasure
craft.
TO the novice the discharge of big gun
is startling thing, and may be followed
by unpleasant results unless the usual pre-
cautions are taken. The men brace them
selves for the shock which follows the dis
charge Of Il big gun by holding the arms
rigid and the hands well away from the
body, to give the lungs free play. They
also keep the mouth open, and by that
means equalize the pressure on the lungs,
head and ear drums
1t is question which admits of some
argument, said the Naval Reserve man,
''whether the discomfort comes from out
ward pressure in consequence of the con-
cussion or from the vacuum created after
the shock. The fact that men who use
cotton in their ears experience more trou-
Bile than those who use no external pro
lection shows that there is much to fear
from vacuum and the natural pressure
from within Bursted eardrums and rup-
tured blood vessels are less likely to fol-
low the discharge Of big guns when those
who stand near by keep their mouths open
and their arms extended from the body. =
TO illustrate the force of air conclusions
it was stated that during target practice
on board the Atlanta some time ago
sheep was killed outright by the shock
following the discharge Of an S-inch gun,
although the gun was behind Il barbette
and the sheep thirty feet away. At
another time, also on board the Atlanta,
two G-inch broadside guns were discharged
several times, and then it was discovered
that the cutters and whale boats which
were suspended on davits fifteen feet over
the guns and to the rear of the muzzles
opened in the joints, although they were
well built and seaworthy small craft
Another similar circumstance was men
toned in connection with target practice
on board the New York The two S-inch
guns in the forward turret have range
of about 120 degrees on either side of the
keel and on this occasion one of the guns
was ranged about 30 degrees forward of
the beam and fired with q reduced charge.
Twenty feet away were several signals,
and near these was a signal chest with all
the ships signal paraphernalia. All of
these, chest and all, were scattered in all
directions by the discharge of the gun and
rendered useless.
The noise made by the discharging of
heavy pieces is less painful to the sense of
hearing than that produced by smaller
arms The roar seems to envelop one,
said the enthusiast, ''and the man who
stands in the turret which shields him to
some extent, becomes oblivious to it. The
excitement connected with handling the
guns or passing the charges does much to
make one forget the noise, and the smell
of burning powder has an intoxicating
effect which lends charm to the situa-
ton \ man who has charge of an 8-inch
! Gun is allowed about three minutes to load
and fire his piece, and he and those who
form the gun 5 crew are kept constantly
| busy Smaller arms are fired more rap
idly, and | have seen 5-inch gun shoot
at target two miles away so rapidly that
five shots were in the air before the first
one struck. That is work over which any
one will forget his surroundings