The Opelousas courier., 1904-08-27
THE EVE OF SEA BATTLE.
Mat a Naval Engagement Means
on a Modern Ship of War.

6 s formerly of the British
n Navy, is printed in the
~o~ Chicago Chronicle:
A feet of six gray battle
Ships is steaming rapidly in a calm
sea. Far ahead Of the feet a be dis.
tinguished the bulls and slender masts
Of several cruisers. These Care the
scouts, the "eyes" of the fleet, upon
which the Admiral relies for news OF
the enemy's movements. Other cruis'
ers, out of sight of the battle feet,
r securing the seas upon some prear.
ranged plan. Let us, however, confine
our attention to the battle feet. The
six great armor clads are all of one
type, forming a homogeneous squad
ron. Each is of $4,000 tons displace'
ment, of equal speed and carries sim
liar guns. To the eyes Of the landsmen
they are like as nalf a dozen dried
peas, and their similarity is accentu-
ated by the gray paint that covers
them from truck to water line. They
are formed in two diyisions-retnftpy ct
in order of battle. Tkg two leading
ships each flies an Admiral's flag. The
divisions are six cables apart (120O
yards, but the space between each
unit is but 400 yards, and this interval,
you will notice, is maintained with an
accuracy won by constant practice.
Little smoke Issues from the tall, gray
tunnels. In the smooth sea the heavy
ships have no perceptible notion
though you can see they are making
progress by the white foam at the
bows and by the broad ribbon of foam
churned up by the twin screws of each
vessel.
Presently a red and white answer
ing" pennant streams from the mast
head Of the flagship. One Of the scouts
is signalling. She begins to close with
the squadron. One perceives that other
and more distant cruisers are also
back to the feet. We guess
the reason long before u keen-eyed
signalman car distinguish the message.
The enemy has been sighted some
twenty miles to the eastward. Such is
the welcome news. At once the flag
runs up a signal: prepare for
form the order of battle" For
IN these days of fast steaming twenty
miles interval affords but comfortable
breathing space unless the enemy de-
to run away. If he is bearing
Town upon us we may be within range
him in a quarter of an hour. Such,
It seems, is his design, 20 our ships
must form at once into single line.
Let US note what preparations are
being made for ~the-coming battle. The
game has been rehearsed often enough
so often, indeed, that we can hardly
'ealize that this is at last the real
hing, the grim reality. Take any ship
1t random. The same preparations are
icing made In all. Seven hundred men
ire going about their ordinary bust
less. Suddenly a bugle blares out the
'amiliar call to general quarters" and
re the harsh notes have died away
very man begins to run to his appoint
ID station. Some make toward the
.reat ~barbettes. where the l2-inch guns
re snugly sheltered; some for the ar
nored easements isolating tie 6-inch |
Weapons; others run to the light, quick
Irers, mounted upon the superstruc-
ure. Others, again. and these mostly |
loncombatants Gf any such can be in
ship of war;, hurry below to the
hell rooms and magazines.
The great shells for the barbette |
'uns are being placed on the hydraulic
its. A lever is pressed and up they
o. Another moment and they have
cached the breech of the gun. A
closes the heavy mechanism of
ne breech with one hand. run out!r'
rders the officer of the turret. An
Their lever does the business. The
normous weapons glide smoothly out |
yard, their long necks projecting over
as the barbete is trained. A
men and one officer complete the
of this pair of heavy guns. The
ficer stands upon a little iron plat
orm, peering above the turret, with
voice tube at his ear. The captain
t the turret is peering through the
elescopic sights.
Glance into m of the isolated case
Rates. The thick, armored door is
hut now, ~inclosing the 6-inch gun and
. crew in a box Of steel. The gun has
cen cast loose, trained on the beam,
nd loaded within four minutes Of the
ugle call. Reserves of shot and shell
re being whipped up into the case
lent through a round aperture lead
10 to the shell room below. Twenty
T thirty rounds soon accumulate, and
ne guns crew will stake their lives
the entry of a shell through
re easement. Here, too, is an officer
directions through a voice
The men have stripped to their
annels and trousers. A tub Of lime
lice stands in q corner.
Down in the bowels Of the shin the
rped0 men r clustered around their
lbmerged tubes. With great care
icy are adjusting the Whiteheads,
id their movements are slower than
lose of the gunners, since the chance
r a shot viii not come early in the
sht. Yet a lucky shot from the
lemy might explode the torpedo in its !
Ibe. They accept the risk, these
liet-looking men, and long for close
nge later on. Then they will show
e gunnery branch what a Whitehead
n do.
The captain and the gunnery lieu
are in the coming tower-a
amped little structure bristling with
ice tubes. It contains q small steer