Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-12-14
LOADING BIG Guns
They Get Quick Action on the
Modern Monster Warship.
STORY OF A PRACTICE DRILL.
What Happened After the Order to
"Firel" Was Very Different From
What Would Have Occurred Had
cordite and Projeetiles Been Used.

touches Il lever. uud Win u Mss Il mass
OF bright stecl turns and twists back.
and the breech of the gun gapes open.
Another touch on the lever. and from
beside you hydraulic ram shoots out
like n golden tongue into the brecch
and Immediately shoots back again
All is clear Now, at your very feet.
I hole gapes In the floor Of the turret,
here Is a slnt and crash Of metal. and
as you look down into the hole you see
u small lift travelling up with incred-
ible rapidity and Internal chatter bear
ing on II the immense projectile. weigh
Ing more than seven hundredwcight.
and. In another compartment, the two
cartridges of cordite.
Up comes the lift. locks itself with n
crash aud spills out the proiectilc on II
metal tray in line with the open brecch.
The golden tongue OF the hammer
shoots out again and pushes the pro
jectlle into the gaping breech. extend
Ing itself apparently indefinitely until
the projectile has disappeared The
lift shifts II little. bringing into line
with the gun its other compartment,
which contains the two half charges.
each cylinder holding 1870 pounds OF
cordite. Out shoots the ram again.
with no more respect for them than II
they had been spongeS. and pushes
them steadily home behind the projcc
tile. and. having done its deadly busi-
ness. rctires again out Of the way TO be
ready for another cycle OF the same oi'.
erations.
Half turn of the wheel. and the
breech block swings home with n sigh
and click Right gun loaded. sir"
Now you wait IN suspense. and n voice
In the coming tower gives the range
$500 yards ri gun layer In his quiet
corner has all tins time never taken his
eye from the glass. He turns one
wheel. and the whole turrct swings
round over the ships quarter; he turns
another and with little hiss and sigh
OF imprisoned water the whole mighty
tonnage of the gun. sweei.y balanced
on its trunnlonS. rises ana Tits itself
To the push OF the hydraulic press.
The range Is decreasing by some thir-
~ yards 4 second since the target Is
n ship approaching US nj II speed equal
10 our own-ffteen knots-and ms the
falling ranges are given the gun metal
wheel Is turned an eighth or u quarter
Of nm inch. and the muzzlc OF the gun
sinks down little as gently rs a fall
Ing leaf The sights are reported ION"
the gun laid. and the word we have all
been waiting for Is sharply given
Fire The gun layer pulls n trigger
no bigger than that Of II pistol and
The projcctile was n dummy one
made Of wood covered with leather.
and there was no cordite In the car
trldges II II had been otherwise the
pictures that adorned the commanders
room. the mirrors and toilet accesso
rics on the cabin tables and the va
rions elegant adornmcnts OF the cap
tains suit would unless they had been
previously packed away have come
crashing down from their places. and
the navigating commander. who hap.
HtHth at Wv NtAtt w wv fNiftNftAh- ~
an unwilling listener on the quarter
deck by what skill aud foresight he
had avoided setting the ships stern on
TO the break water ut Portland. would
have been blown on the deck
These things were unnecessary. for
quite understood. The click and 81
lcncc that followed the word Fire.
were quite eloquent enough 90 me Of
all the SCATTERING tiainnation they rep
resented proiectilc weighing $50
pounds hurtling 10 It's mark AZ the
rate OF almost thousand yards sec
ond.
But we IN the turrct would have
known nothing for before II had reach
ed the target the brcech block would
have opened 10 the screcch of the air
blast which cleans ont the burning
fragments OF cordite in the breevh the
hammer would have shot In with its
mop aud ont again. the ammunition
hoist would have come gathering and
screaming up. another prolcctlc would
have rolled into the tray with another
two hundrcdweicht OF death packed
behind Il. the hammer would have
pushed II home with q kick. the block
would have swung 10 again. the great
gun would have been sighted and
swung In the air. again the word would
have been given. and again the frag
ment of concentrated power that men
had tollcd In factories and drawing Of
fees. IN laboratories and foundries TO
perfect would have been sent winging
through the sea air 10 spend itself In
destruction.
And only one man In the turrct would
have seen It's fate: only he with his
eye 10 the telescope. who had'seen the
hui OF that ship in the distance cover.
ing the threadIike cross on his glass
as he pulled the trigger would see and
guess when the distant target would
burst into yellow smoke what work
had been done London Standard