The San Francisco call., 1906-10-21
WITH 1FfE aISFTT7S oF FIlI7Nd pLscE sTTiSN 7IES0

top. Her beam Is rs feet inches. or
more than an average street she IL
nearly 500 feet long
AS we patrol the main deck OF thu
starboard bow the most striking OBJ
tects are two thirteen-inch guns OF the
main battery. with their dark mouths
showing twenty-three feet through the
ports OF the revolving turret. itself 4
round steel wall seventeen inches Thick
revolving on a circuitous track based
just under barbette built UP from an
eighteen-inch armor belt below. stand
Ing there We see an uubroken wall ok
steel seventeen inches thick. protecting
the gun crew. the pivotal machinery
and powder and she'll In the uncer-
families Of war II Is not likely that ona
shot In thirty striking this turret would
ind an opening. Just above the mug
zle OF the starboard gun IL seen the
turret sighting hood. from which the
chief gunner watches the enemy. and,
by means OF handy fevers, trains and
fires the great guns.
Peering over the main turret are
seen the four forwaru eight-inch rifles.
paired In two turrets. one on each side
of the ship. Armored Ammunition
tubes pass from the barbettes down to
the three-inch steel deck for convoy OF
powder and she'll. On the main deck
and under each eight-lnch turret IL
six-inch gun so arranged as TO DE-
liver broadside and dead ahead irs.
Taking our stand at the stern and gar
ing forward, we see the same array
of turrets and guns. Behind the for
the base OF the military mast 10 the
coming tower plated with twelve
inches OF steel. Here the commander
viii place himself when going into bat
tie, and through the narrow sighting
hood viii watch the enemy Inside the
9 1c on -
ment OF telephones, electric calls and
speaking tubes communicating with the
engine-rooms. the various gun stations
and the steering station at the far end
OF the ship.
When this battlsship goes into action
one man. snugly tucked in this small
steel cage. can lay hand on any part
Of the vessel. veering her at will.
wheeling her grim turrets In a fash
and focusing her huge guns ON any
given spot of the enemy Above the
coming tower Is the pilot house. from
which navigation 10 directed except In
time Of battle. Over the pilot house.
on each side Of the mast, are zoo. 900
eandle-power searchilghts, and the
range nnder, by which the distance Of
the enemy can be very accurately d.
termlned- Descending to the berth
deck and seeking the extreme forward
end Of the vessel. we enter the bow
torpedo room. where q nxed launching
tube, ready for It's deadly work, bends
at sinister angle to the water. The
torpedo. Weighing 1899 pounds, has
three compartments Hanamed in tha
urst - charge OF gun cotton. hred by
contact when the torpedo strikes the
marx; the second is charged with air
At 1000 pounds TO the square inch, and
the third houses the small COMPRESSED
air engines which drive the screw pro-
pellers automatically There is an
otner nxed torpedo tube at the stern.
and on each broadside there are two
movable tubes. Between the main tur-
rets are slowed lifsboats. gigs and
steam pinnaces.
Considering the highly dersfopasA
gunnery Of our navy. IS il any wonda&
tnat the Iifeboats and other lIfe-sav-
ING appliances on any ons OF our
sreater oattIeships will not carry more
than q third OF the msn on her decks
and that every lighting man 10 made
TO feel that he is a part OF the vessel
ana must 90 survive or perishe