Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1904-08-20
ON BOARD A BATTLE SiIp.
In Action or Practice The Crash of
Big Guns How the Jackies'
Stand the Modern He'll.

f0 " a. ~ 49, A<%seA 1saNA NA~ -
counters of the Russo-Japanese bat
tleships in deadly earnest have beer
the means of arousing universal in
terest in the modern war vessel now
being so thoroughly tested. The
following article, prepared for the
HERALD by one who has been 'be-
hind the guns will be found both
enlightening and interesting to all
landsmen, giving as it does an in
side picture" of the service on a
modern man-of-war's gun-decks-
some of the terrors" which the
sailor man has TO undergo, whether
in battle or at drill. All war-ships
are alike in this matter, and the de-
scription applies equally we'll to the
cruisers of Uncle Sam as to those of
Jap, or Russ:
"The sailor or the gunner aboard
modern battleship, when in action
with an enemy, is not half SO much
afraid Of being killed by shot from
another ship as he is of the Aoise of
his own guns and this applies to
the officers, too. They can, in a
measure, get away from the thought
of being hit because they are too
busy at their stations to consider
that chance, but there is no getting
away from the awful noise 1t can
not be forgotten or warded off. In
fact, they are SO absorbed in wait
ing for the crash of their own guns
and in trying to neutralize the eff
feet of the conclusion that they sell
dom think of the projectiles from
the guns of the other fellows. The
only American sailor killed in the
engagement off Santiago was stand
ing by the 6-inch guns, which were
Just about to let loose a broadside at
the Spanish. He was waiting for
the word to fire, and, as is custom
airy, had just raised himself on his
tiptoes and opened his mouth so
that the blast would not jar him so
heavily, when Spanish shell came
along and took his head clean off.
But that was undoubtedly the last
thing the man was thinking of. The
sight he presented as he fell to the
deck created neither fear nor con-
sternation among his companions.
They, too, were on their tiptoes,
awaiting the word for that 6-inch
broadside. Not a man came down
to his heels after their comrade was
struck. The broadside was cut
loose, then they rushed to him and
made proper disposition of his body.
-" That it is the noise of their own
guns they abhor, and that only, is
shown by the fact that men of wars
men, fore and aft, i'll the u. S. navy
do not dread a battle any more than
they do target practice with the big
guns. They are proud of their pro-
fciency with the gigantic weapons,
and keen is the competition between
the ships of the fleet at the anchored
mark but the keenest among them
hates and abominates the noise and
terrible shocks. This is no indica-
ton whatever of timidity on their
part. It is purely physical dread
"a shrinkage of the body, not of
the mind. 1t is a thing that few
men in the service ever really get
used to. When target practice is
announced as coming on, some of
the bluejackets will purposely over
stay their shore leave, when chance
offers, in order 10 avoid the drill.
A jackie who did this once upon a
time was hauled up before Admiral
tthen Gaptain) Bob Evans, his com