The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-08-12

YNCLE SAM is a schoolmaster
Of the old type He neither
spares the rod nor spoils the
~ child. He has many pupils,
those who enter his service
In the government departments and
the army and the navy. His course
Of training in the navy 10 rather 20.
we're. for he requires every man who
enlists for service under the Stars
and Stripes on sea to become q skilled
artisan. Probably the most interest
ing of all Of Uncle Sans trade schools
u the school for seaman gunners. at
the navy yard In Washington. It Is
here that the men who aim and fire
the great guns learn their principle
and mechanism 80 thoroughly that the
efficiency of the United States navy
d unequaled by any navy In the
world.
There are more than 1926 men In the
seaman gInners' class at the present
time, enrolled for six months Of the
hardest kind Of study in the shops
and In the classroom. Every one Of
these men is picked. and in the serv.
ice 1t is considered great honor to
be chosen to join the class Only
men vino have been in the service
four years are eligible. and then only
Uuhay thatr Nnrduof nd pAAApA
are exceptionally good. Graduates Of
the school are the backbone Of the
navy. Here the men are taught the
only really distinctive naval trade, and
It Is here that the men who load, train
and fire the immense guns are made.
Requires Much Study.
They learn the making of the large
and small guns. They learn by prac-
tical experience how to take them
down and assemble them again. The
breech mechanism. everything to do
with the practical part Of ordnance.
the manufacture of shells, fuses and
powder and torpedoes all require
thorough and extensive study. The
work 10 equally divided between the
naval gun factory shops and the class
room. where they have instruction at
the hands Of skilled ordnance experts
and special instructors. In addition
70 tho ordnance course they are ~.
CURED 70 become proficient In the sci.
ence Of metallography and skilled in
The manufacture and principle Of tho
storage battery.
Work on the big guns start from the
raw casting. This huge. 76ton eylin.
der Of steel 10 bored out trimmed and
grooved. The casing. another huge
cylinder Of steel. is bored out, heated
white hot and shrunk onto the groov.
ID lining. The manufacture Of this
part Of tho monster 14-inch rides takes
about four weeks.
Then the gunnery force enters the
forge and hammer shops. where they
remain for two weeks. After this tho
class ID divided into small SQUADS.
some Of them going into the black.
smith shop. others to the machinists'
bench. the carpenter shop. the tin.
smith. the coppersmith and the
plumber for instruction. Each man
must hammer and turn out from raw
metal every piece Of steel which xoes
into the complicated breech block me.
chanism and the firing devices. Pro.
3ectiles and smokeless powder also
got . great deal Of attention. this last
phase Of the work taking the school
to Indian Head. Nd, for several
weeks work.
When these men graduate and leavs
Washington for the various ships o4
the Atlantic heet to them falle tAs
duty Of keeping in repair every Dor.
tion Of the ships armament. II dur.
Ing battls practice . spring o. bit AZ
mechanism breaks. these seaman sun.
nsrs must sntsr the ships machine
shep and forge o. turn out a psv
pisce.
The gunner b IN absolute comna,A
'ef his gun. He has under him an A..
'Slstant In the big drsadnaughta a.
today. there are SIX turrsts, WITH two
guns to sach turrst Each turr,t a
Sapplied with ammunition for tvo
nAgasines. Also there d q runnsr
n charge Of the magazines. Beside,
these. there are smaller ilve-inch r,flsa
six and onepounders located on y.r,.
eas portions Of the ship. To the.s
smaller guns the recently graduated
class 10 always sent In time nav
ars promoted and placed IN char.
q . big gun or even . whole turrst
ssvsrs With Students.
Uncle Sam ID exceedingly ssysrs
with his students. They must turn
cut promptly At 6 o'clock In the morn.
lns. roll mp their hammocks, svseu
cut their quarters and b washed.
shaved and cleanly clothed for break.
Inst at Z O'Clock. At 3 O'Clock they
nmAnR thA Rhona ~ tha ,.->, - A..