The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-16
JUST BEFORE 4
BIG BAIZZH At SEA

ficer Of the turret. Another lever does
the business. The enormous weapons
glide smoothly outward, their long
necks projecting overheard as the bar
bette is trained. A dozen men and one
officer complete the crew of this pair of
heavy guns. The officer stands upon
little iron platform, peering above the
turret, with voice tube at his ear.
The captain of the turret is peering
thru the telescope sights.
Glance into one of the isolated case
mates The thick armored door is
shut now inclosing the six-inchf gun
and its crew in box of steel. The gun
has been cast loose, trained on the
beam and loaded within four min
utes of the bugle call. Reserves of
shot and shell are being whipped up
into the casemate thru round aperture
leading to the shellroom below.
Twenty or thirty rounds soon accumu-
late and the gun s crew will stake their
lives against the entry Of shell thru
the casemate. Here, too, is an officer
waiting directions thru voice tube.
The men have stripped to their fannels
and trousers. A tub of lime juice
stands in a corner.
Down in the bowels Of the ship the
torpedo men are clustered around their
submerged tubes. With great care
they are adjusting the Whiteheads and
their movements are slower than those
of the gunners, since the chance for a
shot will not come early in the fight.
| Yet lucky shot from the enemy might
explode the torpedo in it's tube. They
accept the risk, these quiet-looking
Fo,, a.
Then they will show the gunnery
branch what Whitehead can do.
The captain and the gunnery lieuten-
ant are in the coming tower-a
cramped little structure bristling with
voice tubes. It contains a small steer
ing wheel and is in communication with
both batteries, the several groups Of
guns and with the enginerooms. Re-
ports are constantly being made thru
these numerous voice tubes: Thus
"All water tight doors are closed, SIR;
"Barbettes ready for4action '"Steam
ready for eighteen knots, sir,'' and so
forth. The chief quartermaster, a
bearded veteran, sprucely dressed
grasps the spokes of the steering wheel
and keeps. an attentive eye upon the
captain. Not man can now be seen
upon the upper deck, but in the thin
protected top on the foremost a few
hands and MILDLY are clustered around
three-pounder gun.
All is now ready. The fleet increases
speed and the cruisers, closing in one
after another, take station to the rear
So we wait-a period of anxious sus
pense, since scarcely dozen men Of
the 700 can see the approaching enemy
At last the 12-pounder, which is ou1
best range-fnder, rings out with shaf1
report. We know that the hour ha!
come. The captain gives an order thr,
the tubes to each Of the barbettes
"Leading ship Of the enemy on tn,
port bow, range 1900 yards" "Al
ready, SIR comes the reply. A mo
ment later the two pairs Of heavy gum
are simultaneously fred, ,,- The shi,
quivers under the, shock. of the dis
charge. The BATTLE has begun. TIL
700 men think swiftly of home, O.
mothers, wives, sweethearts, Of it'll
children. A shell from the enem,
J crashes thru a ightly-armored sectio,
of the hull, bursts and knocks tw,
large boats into matchwood. Again tn
, ! ship quivers and rushes on. Home i
now forgotten. The men turn thei
| minds to the bloody work in hand. TIL
fight is on.