The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-09-26

against fire. All spare wood has been
jettisoned. and fire and collision par.
ties stand to quarters. Watertight
doors are closed and at each q mar is
stationed, and collision mating is
prepared-'Upper deck quarters; out
collision mating would be the order.
Steam pumps are also In readiness.
Each ship has been marked by a dis
tinctive band of color round her fun
mel for in the smoke of battle, you
know, it is good to know your friends.
Gunnery instructions have taken
charge of the barbettes, which contain
the great 12-inch guns, and the cap
tains of the smaller weapons are at
their posts.
Whether by quickflrer, shell room.
or torpedo tube, every man, through
months of training, has learned his
place. Even the band knows its sta
tion-it is to collect the wounded.
Guns are loaded and the ammunition
hoists seem to be in order; and sup
plies of drinking water are arranged
along each deck.
THE coming tower is the brains of
the ship, and the captains place of &C.
tion is there. 1t is the cynosure of the
enemy's guns; the post of signal honor
and acutest danger. Beneath him is
10000 tons, mainly steel, and before
him is the something he has either to
burn, blow up, or sink.
sight for 5000 yards" wings down
the tube, and the game of long bowls
cammences. The two great forward
guns eoar out a welcome, and the
sighting lieutenant bends forward to
mark the damage. First shots, how
ever, are a pure speculation, and too
high or too low is generally the YER
dict. But before the ammunition hoists
can jerk up more food, the distance
has decreased, and $500 yards will be
the sight. By that time the work is
warmer, for some of the smaller guns,
the sixinch and 12-pounder quick
firers, are being worked by sweating
crews. Already, too, the Via Dolorosa
to the cockpit is marked by its sig
nificant trail. Ammunition is being
flung up 20 rounds at a time to be
spent as fast as guns can speak, for
to ship in the midst of the work
everything has ceased to exist but the
enemy's hull in front Of it. By this
time small casualties have overtaken
the ships. With the best of good for
tune she cannot hope to escape being
hit somewhere. The mighty, yet deli
cate mechanism of battleship is vul-
nerable at a hundred points. Batteries
are working with diminished crews,
hydraulic ammunition hoists are
and consequently supply par
ties are passing up shot By hand, and
forward stoker fire brigade is ex-
tinguishing small fires.
"The fleets are now but 500 yards
apart, but the best gunners being dead,
accuracy of fire will have diminished.
Possibly, too, the fighting line will
nave been replenished by staff addi-
ions from stokehold or magazine, for
/ modern battleship carries no re-
serve of men. Now, though the range
S hazardous, the luck of the torpedo
night be attempted by the enemy.
Rendered desperate, the losing bat
leship must now resort to its last
Weapon of offense,, the ram. On the
lrst bugle, Prepare to RAM all guns I
re laid on the bow and made ready to
our broadside on the opposing ship.
lVery man not working the quick.
rers must protect himself from the
nemy's projectiles and take cover.
iranting your opponent, however, un-
impaired engines, ramming is a con-
infinitely difficult to
chieVe. Miscalculate your distance by
score of yards, and, missing your
lark, your adversary's 40 tons of steel
self must be showing into you. And,
lrther, as a fact, the torpedo will
ven prevent navigable ships coming
20 close together. Nor is it fair to
ny will many ships surrender. For,
lough its vitals be torn and bare,
My absolute destruction can put all
S weapons out of action. Defeat
ust mean not retreat, bU: annihila-
on