The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-22
YANKEE GUNNERS
WORK MIRACLES
Fighting Bob" Evans Says
American Seamen Are
Best in the World.
NOTABLE TRIBUTE
TELLS OF THEIR GOODNESS AND
BRAVERY IN THE FACE OF DAN
GER AND OF THEIR GENERAL
PREPAREDNESS.
NOTABLE TRIBUTE

NiSoIOuSly dIIdlSlluS the u VI
the American navy in Hampton's Mag
azine for March. Rear-Admiral Robley
D. Evans pays a notable tribute to the
efficiency and bravery of American
gunners. Quoting one critic as fool
ishly saying that three times already
by a miracle American ships have been
saved from the explosion of their mag
azines because of burning grains If
powder falling in the handling ROOM"
Fighting Bob declares:
When the powder began to blaze in
the handling room of the Missouri.
two gunners' mates, NJ. Mommsen and
c. S. Shepke, who were in the maya
zine, at the imminent risk of their
lives, prevented the flames reaching
the powder there. This heroic disre-
gard Of their safety was the mira
Gle that saved the ship. Why not call
it by its proper name? 1t was the
prompt action of brave, Dol headed
sailor men in blue shirts that saved
the navy l an proud to say is full of
miracles. Those miracle workers
walk about the decks of our ships by
the hundred.
THE first I ever knew of a flare
back came about in this way-and l
believe this was the first n eve
seen and recognized as a danger in our
navy. adds the Admiral. 81 was
standing over the after thirteen inch
turret of my flagship. the Kentucky
watching the firing of her thirteen
inch guns at target practice in Manila
bay. Many shots has been fired. when
suddenly, as one gun was discharged.
a sheet of flame shot up through an
opening in the top of the turret. This
vas so unusual, and to me alarming,
tina l ordered the firing to cease until
l could ascertain the cause of it.. The
officers and men all wished to go on
with the firing, not realizing that they
were in any danger, though some OF
the men in the turret were slightly
burned about the body and had their
hair singed.
"Of course our experience in Manila
Bay was fully reported to the navy de-
partment, and the chief of ordnance
took steps at once to put proper gas
| electors on the guns which would act
automatically when the breech was
opened. From that day to this there
has been a steady improvement in the
fitting and working of this device. and
feel perfectly confident that If it IS
properly and carefully used there will
never be another bareback"
Speaking of ammunition hoists, con-
corning which there has been so much
misunderstanding and bitter contro-
versy, and to which the explosion on
the Missouri was attributed, Admiral
Evans says:
when the Indiana and ships Of her
milton hoists for turret guns were con-
structed on the principle hat h am
munition should go straight from the
handling room to the u in the tur-
ret. In some cases the English for ex
ample. this was accomplished by the
use of a closed tube or cylinder. but
this plan required that the gun should
be returned to a certain fixed position
before loading. which was a Serious
handicap to rapid firing, and our de-
signers discarded it in favor OF the
open car hoist. which revolved with
the turret and allowed the guns to be
loaded in any position. The advantage
thus gained vas so apparent that for
eign practice soon followed ours in an
| effort to overcome the very objection
able feature of having to bring the
guns to a liked position before they
could be loaded, and the English final
ly in 1904, installed on two battleships
ammunition hoists which were in ey-
cry Essential particular counterparts oil
the American hoists.
Other nations as a rule have fol
lowed the same general plan: that is to
say. a straightaway ammunition hoist
for turret guns from the handling
room to the guns, the handling room
being centrally located with reference
to the magazines and shell rooms. and
separated from them by carefully con-
structed water-tight bulk heads The
magazines are provided with efficient
means for quick flooding in case OF
fire. and doors with flaps for safe
handling of the charges. These condi'
lions. or, shall / say. mode of construc-
ton. has been and is now general in
every naval service in the world