Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-06-08
BRITISH NAVAL DRILL
Practice That Keeps the Crews
In Fit Condition.
CLEARING SHIP Fos ACTION.

IL Is little after two <lls In the
forenoon watch. or. in sllOS going talk.
0 a. m, and the officers and men OF
the battleship wear All expectau, air.
The ships company Is fallen in AZ sta
tons for general exercise. The COM
mander. surrounded by his staff-a
midshipman. bugler and the chief
boatswain's mate-is standing on top
OF the after barbette. kind OF tense
hush Is over all hands aud. indeed.
over the res; Of the squadron at anchor
In the bay II Il general drin morn
ing. and the ships OF the squadron are
about tW~oI,i'str against each other
at various rv"iatirisS
on the asici irlI,-e the glasses OF the
signal boatswaiD and his yeomen are
glued ON the tlagship. Presently a
couple OF rayly colored days are hoist
ed at her main. Hardly have they left
the rail when the signal boatswaIn
spins round. signals place net de-
Tense. SIR" he cries. "Out netsr'
bawls the commander. "Out netsr
shout the boatswain's mates. Instant
~ hories OF men dash ut the neat roll
OF wire nets lying on the shelf round
the ship ant push II overheard. One
edge being held In place. IL unrolls as
II falls. making veil Oh the side.
Clear the net shelf,'' The men van
ish- Man the purchaser Somewhere
above bugle blareS out &c"
The marines. handling large bearing
out spars. shove the upper ends of the
booms. from which the nets hang. out
board They revolve slowly about their
lower ends. which are near the water
line and. hauled by the steam capstan
on one side and the Seamen on the
purchase on the other. extend them
selves at right Angles TO the hun.
Break! bellows the commander. and
signalmau jerks the halyards. A
rcd. white and blue pendant. hitherto
waiting In ball at the topsall yard
arm, breaks from its confinement and
noats out on the breeze. announcing
To all and sundry that the ship has
finished the evolution and is now pro-
tected from torpedo attack BY her
crinoline OF nets. First ship. sir" re-
ports the signal boatSwain. aud the
men. once more at their general sta
lions. grin contentedly and make con-
temptuous comments on the struggles
or the remainder of the feet. There
IL short pause Till these are ended:
then another hoist rises from the flag
ships bridge. In nets" Is the order
and the ships company Is once more
galvanized into action. Amid a scene
OF 0rfiarlv-
return 10 position. shut back against
the ships side. the bralis which pass
beneath the nets every few yards are
manned. all hands haul with n will.
the mass OF steel ileShs,s is rolled up
and secured on it's shelf. and the bright
PENDANT AT the topsall yardarm Is
again broken by the signalman.
A short stand easy. follows, soon
ended by another signal. Clear for
actionT To the mind OF the bewilder-
ed spectator pandemouium follows.
But IL Is only In appearance. Each
man knows what he has TO do and
does II. Under the onslaught OF the
seamen davits. stanchions. rails. stove
pipes-in fact. all things that can pos
sibiy restrict the dire OF the guns-dis-
appear with rapidity that gives the
impression OF their being moved down;
skyhghts are masked by steel matches.
boats are turned In and secured, ana
In two OF three minutes the decks are
stripped bare and the men again fall
en- In. awaiting the order TO replace
gear This done-a longer Job. but
still accomplished with celerity-the
last and most exciting signal OF the
forenoon appears-"Away all boats
crews; pull round the feet
The men tumble into their boats az
the davits. the lowerers pay out the
falls. and In a few moments the cut
tiers. whalers. gigs aud galleys are
pulling for dear life. mIdshlpmnn I'm
charge OF each. On the after bridge
the commander. waving two small
hand hags which control the huge
steam derrick. is lifting the pinnace
and launch from the boat deck and
depositing them In the water. Men
drop into them. double and treble
banking the long oars. and soon these
are pounding after the lighter boats.
The evolution Is a race, ship against
ship. Who will have the first boat
back? Who VIII have all boats back
and hoisted first? Midshipmen. prob
ably with bets on the matter. are urg-
Ing their crews on. Every man Is
putting his back into IL for the honor
OF his ship. Telescopes watch prog
ress from all the vessels OF the fleet.
Here comes the galley-the captains
boat manned by n picked crew and
dancing through the water under the
long sweeping strokes Of the oars
nrst boat back Again the tricolor-
ed pendant flies out. and the captains
"doggie" (midshipmanl climbs out of
the galiey's stern sheets. beaming all
over his boyish eountenance.
The boats are hoisted as they return.
the men left on board manning the
falls and running away with them to
the sound OF the ships band playing
on the shelter decg Presently all fs
square again. The boatswain's mates
pipe Hands carry on smoking" The
rorenoon's drills are over and officers
and men alike are In good humor.
proud OF the final signal received from
the all powerful flagship:
EXECUTIONS smartly performed.--
London Globe.