Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-05-21
BRITISH NAVAL DRILL
Practice That Keeps the Crews
In Fit Condition.
CLEARING SHIP FOR ACTION.
A Lively Time While the Decks Are
Being Stripped of Everything That
Would Impede the Fire Of the Guns.
Working the Torpedo Nets.

working the Torpedo Nets.
Ii Is a little after two bells in the
forenoon watch, or. In shore going talk.
a. M, and the officers and men Of
the battleship wear an expectant air.
The ships company is fallen in at sta
lions for general exercise. The COM
mander, surrounded by his staff-a
midshipman, a bugler and the chief
boatswain's Mates standing on top
of the after barbette. a kind OF tense
hush Is over all hands and, indeed,
over the rest OF the squadron at anchor
In the bay. II Is a general drill morn
ing, and the ships OF the squadron are
about to compete against each other
at various evolutions.
On the after bridge the glasses OF the
signal boatswain and his yeomen are
glued on the flagship. Presently a
couple OF gayly colOred flags 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 nets!
shout the boatswain's mates. Instant
~ hories of men dash at the neat roll
of wire nets lying on the shelf round
the ship and push it overheard One
edge being held in place. it unrolls as
II falls. making a veil on the side.
Clear the net shelf" The men van
ish. Man the purchaser Somewhere
above a 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 reyolve slowly about their
lower ends, which are near the water
line and, hauled by the steam capstan
on one side and the seameR on the
purchase on the other, extend them
selves at right angles to the hull.
Break bellows the commander, and
a signalman jerks the halyards. A
red, white and blue pendant, hitherto
waiting in ball at the tOpsail yard
arm, breaks from its confinement and
floats 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. and the
men, once more at their general sta
E lions. grin contentedly and make con-
! temptuous comments on the struggles
Of the remainder of the fleet There
is short pause till these are enue,--.
then another hoist rises from the flag
ships bridge. I'm nets!7 is the order,
and the ships company is once more
galvanized into action. Amid a scene
of orderly confusion the huge booms
return to position, shut back against
| the ships side, the brails which pass
beneath the nets every few yards are
manned, all hands haul with a will,
the mass of steel meshes Is rolled up
and secured on its shelf, and the bright
pendant at the topsan yardarm Is
again broken by the signalman-
A short Stand easy.' follows, soon
ended by another signal, Clear for
actionF" To the mind of the bewilder-
ed spectator pandemonium follows.
But it is only in appearance. Each
man knows what he has to do and
does It Under the onslaught of the
seamen davits, stanchions. rails, stove
pipes-in fact, all things that can pos
sibly restrict the fire OF the guns-dis-
appear with a rapidly that gives the
impression of their being moved down;
skylghts are masked by steel matches,
boats are turned in and secured, and
In two or three minutes the decks are
stripped bare and the men again fall
I 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 at
the dayits. the lowerers pay out the
falls, and In a few moments the cut
| tiers, whalers. gigs and galleys are
4 pulling for dear life. midshipman in
/ charge Of each On the after bridge
the commander, waving two small
hand flags 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? Ardshipmen. prob
4 ably with bets on the matter, are urg-
ing their crews on Every man is
F., putting his back into it for the honor
1 OF his ship. Telescopes watch prog
ress from all the vessels OF the feet
Here comes the galley-the captains
boat. manned by a picked crew and
dancing through the water under the
long sweeping strokes Of the oars
first boat back Again the tricolor-
ed pendant flies out, and the captains
'-doggie" (midshipman) climbs out Of
the gaIley's stern sheets, beaming all
over his boyish countenance-
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 deck Presently all Is
square again. The boatgwain's mates
pipe Hands carry on smoking" The
forenoon's drills are over. and officers
and men alike are in good humor,
proud of the final signal received from
the al powerful flagship:
EXECUTIONS suartly performed. -
London Globe.