Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-05

as the men were becoming accustomed to
this premature and prodigious Fourth of
July celebration there occurred suddenly
and without warning, an explosion which
caused the ship to culver from stem to
stern and the uninitiated to almost
lose their footing. Some were inclined
to think magazine had exploded, and re-
membranes of the Maine were forc1bly re-
called. But it developed that the happen
ing was not at all direful 1t was merely
that one of the 6-inch guns had been fired.
The pay clerk happened to be standing on
IA cargo hatch. just above the big gun,
when it was discharged. The statements
of eye-witnesses vary as to the distance he
assembled toward the clouds The paymas-
tiers chief assistant reached the deck with
out any fractured limbs however but II
was many hours before he recovered from
the shock and even now his pulse is doing
extra duty. o.
Good Marksmanshfp.
Some of the marksnen did very we'll in
deed, while the work of others was not of
character that could be highly commend
ed. For some reason the firing with the
six-pounders was more accurate than that
with the six-nch guns. One man. with a
six-pounder, put string of shots so near
the distant target as to call forth special
praise from Commander Mackenzie of the
Prairie. Each shot caused the water to
splash high. One man at a six-inch gun
who placed his eye too close to the sight
Ing glass, sustained severe cut due to
the recoil
The men of the Naval Battalion per-
formed all the work in connection with the
firing, such as hosting ammunition from
the magazines and loading the guns The
work of the morning was educating as well
as novel, and If the occasion should ever
arise the jackies of tho District of Column
bia could take their places aboard any of
Uncle Sans fighting ships and perform SER
vice in defense of the flag that they would
have been incapable of doing one week
ago.
No further work was done with the e11ns
Saturday afternoon, the men being assem-
bled after the regular drill hour in order
that the rolls might be verified An hour
or more was devoted in swinging the ship
so that the compass could be tested and
rlghled, to correct any disturbance result
ing from the use of the big guns The
,rairie was then headed for the entrance to
chesapeake bay, which was about 800 miles
distant. At O'Clock in the evening the
quartermasters were instructed as to deep
sea sounding, patented instrument being
used: AT the time the sounding was taken
forty fathoms of water interviewed between
the ship and the bottom of the sea-
Subcaliber Gun Practice,
The day following the big collegiate boat
race at New London was devoted by the
men of the Naval Battalion to subcaliber
gun practice in Gardeners bay. The work
was merely a continuation of that inau-
gurated Wednesday, with the exception
that the firing was conducted in accordance
with bugle signals. A decided improve
ment was noted in the work, the targets
being badly dsfigured by the bullets All
hands had an opportunity to fire ten rounds
with both the six-posnders and the six
inch guns.
During the morning Paymaster Bieber
commanded an expedition and went ashore
IN whale boat to secure supplies in the
way OF food for the men. The party was
gone several hours and when it returned it
was with a boat ladened with all manner
of denizens of the deep. The fish We're cap
tured to order. so to speak, seine being
party also brought back a baby lamb that
will hereafter be the mascot of the Naval
battalion. Later in the day quantity of
fresh meat was brought from shore hay-
occasion of his visit during the morning
and, for day or two at least, the sailors
lived high.
The hosting of the boats loaded with
hSh, ana, by the way, the hoisting aboard
CT boats at all times is an operation
worthy of mention. These boats are heavy
BLOCK and tackle are placed in position
ana ana all hands are piped on deck by the
poatsWain. Everybody available grasps the
ropes and, with the bugiers sounding a
quickstep. the line moves forward and the
boats ascend as smoothly as though the
motive power was steam or electricity.
In the Ships Boats.
with view Of affording the men some
recreation, Commander Mackenzie Friday
afternoon placed the ships boats at the
disposal Of the Naval Battalion num-
Der of crews were organized. each in
charge of petty officer, and for several
hours they rowed about, Gardeners bay.
Soma went ashore rand 9indulged in salt
water bathing on the beach. One of the
crews captured pair of young eagles.
and they will be returned to Washington
among the trophies of the outing.
me climax of Friday was a series of
sparring contests held Id the evening on
the lower berth deck. A regulation prize
night ring was roped off, with canvas car
peting. Everybody bn board, including the
omcers who were off duty gathered about