The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-16
Lieutenant Charles Gleig in Chicago
Chronicle.

Lieutenant Charles Gleig in Chicago
Chronicle.
| A fleet of six gray battleships is
steaming rapidly in calm sea. Far
ahead Of the fleet can be distinguished
the bulls and slender masts Of several
cruisers. These are the scouts, the
"eyes' of the feet, upon which the
admiral relies for news of the enemy s
movements. Other cruisers, out of
sight of the battle fleet, are securing
the seas upon some prearranged plan.
Let us, however, confne our attention
to the battle feet. The six great ar
morclads are all of one type, forming
homogeneous squadron. Each is Of
$4,000 tons displacement, of equal speed
and carries similar guns. To the eyes
| of the landsman they are like as half
a dozen dried peas and their similarity
is accentuated by the gray paint that
covers them from truck to water line.
They are formed in two divisions, not
as yet in order of battle. The two
leading ships each flies an admiral 8
flag. The divisions are six cables apart
(1,200 yards), but the space between
each unit is 400 yards, and this inter
val, you will notice, is maintained
with ON accuracy won by constant
practice. Little smoke issues from the
tall, gray tunnels. In the smooth sea the
heavy ships have no perceptible motion,
tho you can see they are making prog
ress by the white foam at the bows and
by the broad ribbon of foam churned
up by the twin screws of each vessel.
l. Presently red and white "answer-
ing' pennant streams from the mast
head Of the flagship. One of the
scouts is signaling. She begins to close
with the squadron. One perceives that
other and more distant cruisers are
also steaming back to the. fleet. We
guess the reason long before our keen,
eyed signalman can distinguish the
message. The enemy has been sighted
some twenty miles to the eastward
flagship runs up the signal: "Prepare
for action; form the order Of BATTLE
For in these days Of fast steamine
twenty miles interval affords but com
Portable breathing space, unless the
enemy decides to run away. If he il
bearing down upon us we may be with
, in range Of him in quarter Of al
hour. Such, it seems, is his design, 81
our ships must form at once into singh
line. =.
Let US note what preparations are be
ing made for the coming battle. TIL
, game has been rehearsed often enough
, so often, indeed, that we can hardl,
realize that this is at last the rea
thing, the grim reality. Take any shil
r at random. The same preparation
are being made in all. Seven hundre,
men are going about their ordinar,
business. Suddenly bugle blares GU
the familiar call to general quarters, ,
. and ere the harsh notes have died ava,
every man begins to run to his ap
n pointed station. Some make towar,
the great barbettes, where the 12-inc
. guns are snugly sheltered; some for tn
- armored easements isolating the 6-inc
j weapons; others run to the light, quick
+ frers, mounted upon the superstructure
Y Others, again, and these mostly nor
9 combatants (if any such can be in
ship Of wary, hurry below to the shell
:. rooms and magazines.
The great shells for the barbette gun
s are being placed on the hydraulic lifts
Q A lever Is pressed and up they go. 1
l.. another moment they have reached tn
t breach of the gun. A gunner closes tn
q heavy mechanism Of the breach wit
n one hand. "Run out,' orders the OIL