Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-09-26

aA1Euo AA1a 80
jettisoned, and fire and collision par,
ties stand to quarters. Watertight
doors are closed and at each a man 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 lis
~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 Pinch guns, and the cap
tains of the smaller weapons are at
their posts.
whether by quickfrer, 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 ac-
ton 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
commences. 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 six,inch and 12-pounder quick
flrers, are being worked by sweating
J, crews. Already, too, the Via Dolorosa
to the cockpit is marked by its sig
o nifcant trail. Ammunition Is being
flung up 20 rounds at a time to be
spent as fast as guns can speak, for
to a ship in the midst of the work
n everything has ceased to exist but the
L enemy's hull in front of it. BY this
time small casualties have overtaken
the ships. With the best of good for
n tune she cannot hope to escape being
hit somewhere. The mighty, yet deli
cate mechanism of a b~attleship is vul
" nerable at a hundred points. Batteries
Ig are working with diminished crews
a hydraulic ammunition hoists are
smashed, and consequently supply par
ties are passing up shot by hand, ant
forward a stoker fire brigade is eS
tinguishing small fires.
THE fleets are now but 500 yard
apart, but the best gunners being dead
accuracy of fire will have diminished
Possibly, too, the fighting line viii
have been replenished by staff add
tons from stokehold or magazine, TO
a modern b~attleship carries no re
serve of men. Now, though the rang
is hazardous, the luck of the torped
might be attempted by the enemy
Rendered desperate, the losing ba'
tleship must now resort to it's las
weapon of o%ffense, the ram On tn
! first bugle, Prepare to RAM all gun
are laid on the bow and made ready [
pour a broadside on the opposing shil
l. Every man not working the quicl
irers must protect himself from til
enemy's projectiles and take cove
Granting your opponent, however, Ill
impaired enginesi ramming is a col
summation infinitely difficult I
achieve. Miscalculate your distance b
a score of yards, and, missing vol
mark, your a~dversary's 40 tons of ste
itself must be showing into you. An
further, as a fact, the torpedo wi
even prevent navigable ships comir
too close together. Nor is it fair
say will many ships surrender. Fo
though it's vitals be torn and bar
only absolute destruction can put {
Y its weapons out of action. Defe
must mean not retreat, but annihil
ton