The evening times., 1900-06-11

The midshipman Of the morning watch,
standing aft, barefooted, on tae sounding
machine platform, watches the galley'e
crew closing the captains watertight door
TO the sternwalk, wonders little, and goes
down TO call his relief. A grimy stoker,
easing of the funnel guys, gives the last
turn TO the screws. takes his last breath
Of fresh air, and climbs down and down
again irto the stokehoId-the place where
heat IS being converted into energy. The
boatswain looks over the bows. and sees
that the wire slip rope is arranged 20 his
liking. The powers that be appear on the
bridge; few calm orders are given, passed
and received. the effect Of which is TO
change the state Of the ship which contains
the midshipman, the stoker, the boatswain.
and the powers from a state Of being at
anchcr'' TO that of being under way" and
then to that Of being "upder way and NOV
ing through the water;' slowly at first. to
get clear of the harbor. then increasing
every ten minutes as the speed is worked
up for four hours full speed trial.
And now a mufied and shaky message
comes up TO the bridge that the trial has
begun Yes, surely IL has; do not three OF
your hve senses tell you so? Climb up on
the shaking bridge. il is there; 90 down
10 the einder covered quarterback, it is
there; 90 into the gttermOst parts of the
screw alley. il is there also. On the bridge,
trembling as If IL would wrench itself of
the coming tower. the officer of the watch
is glad TO get behind the shelter of the
glass screen, for the speed has converted
a Eght breeze into half gale of wind; ne
can there watch, with q little more com
fort, the movements Of the ships that are
20 be passed by, as IL al anchor, and incl
dentally the white curling wave az either
how the leadsman in the chains. with his
chinstay down, trying tO Eeave MS Icai
against the wind. and the lookout trying
10 find lee behind the three FOUNDER gun
shield.
or sudden comes a deep toned roar, as
OF the ioudest note Of a giant organ played
fortissimO a sound which indicates that
one boiler, at least, has reached its safe
working load and cries with its huge lungs
Enough" From the tunnels no black
smoke emerges from the Welsh coal, but
transparent yapor. which nningling with
the feathery waste steam, strangely warps
tle mainmast and streaming pennant seen
through il; their gay canary color is peel
ing of from the heat leaving great, ugly
black patches that viii soon spread all
over them. The foremost one is rocking
to and fro from the vibration. The officer
of the watch turns again and takes another
look at tramp. which is being rapidly
overhauled and his thoughts, directed by
noise and shaking and speed, turn 10
thinking Of the real thing" or how often
cne could hit the opponent, passing with
an equal speed. at what range he would
open fire, II what a terribly short time
would elapse between the sighting and The
fighting OF the enemy. OF what he would do
IN that short space with his own guns il
the classmates down below But he dis
misses such blood and thunder thoughts
fer lighter ones as he sees his relief com
ing forward Three hours OF the four have
elapsed: the roar OF the safety valves has
ceased. There Is no more waste steam;
the stokers are beginning TO struggle with
dirty" fires. in order TO keep the re-
J Quired stes-n; the smoke comes a little
less transparent, both tunnels are now
black all over Still the vibration. the
intoxicating sense Of extreme possible
speed
The officer Of the watch looks at the log
/ on the charthOuse table, signs it, and says
TO his relief that IL is as near twenty as
may be, saving the odd shillings and pence,
i the drop OF oil wanting in the cherub log,
/ aLd perhaps the personal error Of the small
/ mi0shipman. The relief opens his mouth
! 10 exelaim ''Ah. good" when a wicked lit
/ tie wave TOP Of spray catches him in the
I faee and makes him spluIter instead and
| seek shelter behind the screen. Tie small
midshipman is again standing aft on the
! sounding machine platform, now clothed
| and in his right mind: be no longer won
ders at the 6oings Of the galley's crew. A
| seething. white mass OF water, reaching
half way to the upper deck. clings 10 and
| boils round the stern, so that he Is thinking
| that IL he fell overheard into IL he would
stay close 10 the ship. and be able TO pull
! himself up again by the sternwaIk stanch-
ions; and lest he may get giddy and 90 it
be glances over the quarter 10 one side, anl
sees the water, rudely heaped into break
ing waves, tearing past at twenty knots
| He thinks better OF il. knowing that b
! would be a good mile astern before a boa
could be lowered, and goes below, to IN,
his overhead locker shaken down and al
his household gods and the photographs o
all the only girls he ever loved strewI
about the gunrOOm and on the deck, We
from a leaking scuttle- He picks them u
and, looking round TO see that none of hi
nserciless messmates have seen the dane
programme with the little bit of goldel
hair sticking out, puts them away, NOR
safely. in the private till OF his chest.
| Just open one Of the doors leading dow
1 10 I1e engine IOS&l- dlfU AOOh IONA OpO1
the mighty beatings Of the vessels heart
take the proffered bit of cotton waste an,
20 down backward, holding on 10 bOtl
rails, and keep your elbows TO yourself
and as you descend realize more an,
more fully that here. here indeed. is tn
full speed trial itself in all its glory Tn
noise OF twenty different engines strik
the ear banging and clanking, separate.
and collectively. each one at its own par
ticular task; the dynamo. the circulatin
pump, the air fan, and so Oh. all jamme
and crammed into the engine room beloV
the water, the sure armor that makes sho
| and shell to ricOchet. the stopping of an
! one OF which by some small rod breakin
or smaller pin coming out would. directl
or indirectly, cause the speed of the shi
to slacken more or less, according TO IN
"a n -