The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-10-13
NAVAL GUN CREWS
Warm Work Is Theirs When a
Warship Is In Action.
RANGE FINDING AND FIRING.


The gray battleship seems strangely
deserted and bare, for her decks are
denuded Of men. while all rails and
other outstanding encumbrances have
been laid fat on deck for big gun
practice.
In the coming tower, with its twelve
inch armOr, stands the captain, his
navigating officer, midshipman or
two and several other officers and men.
The small circular erection, barely ten
feet In diameter. seems very cramped
for all 1t has to contain.
Above the coming tower is another
armored erection, containing a range
finder. and inside this Is the gunnery
lieutenant, with half dozen more
officers and men. He is surrounded by
strange looking instruments, while the
man at the range finder, with his eyes
at its rubber eyepieces, IL monotonous-
ly chanting out the distance Of the ap-
! preaching target
Inside the turrets themselves the ex-
pectant men are grouped around their
monster thirteen inch guns. The great
prOjectiles and the c0rdite charges be-
hind them have already been pushed
home by the hydraulic rammers, and.
since their weapons are thus fully load
ed, the guns crews are idle for the
time being.
| But the gun layers-the men who aim
and fire the guns-and the trainers
those who keep them pointing In the
right direction-are anxiously keeping
the sights on the target, and every now
and then. as they move their small
brass handles. there is a wheeling Of
hydraulic machinery, and the great
breeches rise and fall ever so slightly,
while the whole arm0red structure con-
tanning them revolves an inch or so at
a time to keep the sights on.
A minute or, two later. after an order
has come through from the control
position, the lieutenant In charge Of
the foremost turret suddenly raps out
the order. Bring both guns to the
readyr'
The men standing by the breeches
flick over their small levers. Fright
gun ready! Left gun readyv they re-
port in rapid succession.
The range meanwhile Is decreasing
rapidly, and about ten seconds later
there comes the strident rattling Of an
electric bell.
| 1t fs the signal to open fire The gun
layer holds his breath sees the cross
wires Of his telescope cutting the lat
ticework OF the target and then presses
an innocent looking brass thumb piece
AS he does so there is a roar, and. with
blaze Of orange fame and pail OF
brown smoke. a pr0jectile weighing
more than half a ton is sailing through
the air on its way toward the target
Outside the turret the concussiOn Is
terrible. but inside 1t is barely felt, and
the only means the guns crew have of
knowing their weapon has gone Off is
by the rocking Of the turret and the
recoil of the gun. Back she slides.
with the water whistling and gurgling
through the hydraulic valves far be-
low. She stops and then, as the run
ming out springs exert their strength.
is driven back to tbr firing position.
The men meanwhile are working
like demons Some one. by moving q
small lever which actuates hydraulic
engine, has opened the breech. A cloud
of acrid cOrdite snOke fills the turret,
but another man. turning tap. sends
jet of water spouting into the cham.
ber to exting,lish any still burning
fragments.
Everything seems chaos, but every
one knows what to dO--he has done
II time after time-and III less than
thirty seconds we hear a sharp order
"Right gun. lOad!'
A man moves an upright lever, and
an arrangement looking like riinia
ture lift climbs into view through the
floor. 1t has come up from the shell
room below laden with the new charge
and projectile and stops dead In the
rear of the gun
| Reposlng In a tray In the shot itself
Another lever In worked. and flexible
chain hydraulic rammer, looking like {
snake. carts out OF its resting place ant
| pushes the shot before It into tn
breech Of the gun.
1t is driven home with dull thud
The rammer Ia withdrawn. anOthe
handle il pulled and two enormous
brown cylinders of cordite fall int
the tray just vacated by the projectile
They, too, are rammed home. and be
fore we quite realize what has hap
pened the rammer and lift have disar
peared. the breach of the gun has bee
swung home and the great weapon |
ready for firing.
In the fire control position the gur
merry lieutenant has seen the first sh0
tear a jagged hole In the target an
promptly whispers an order to ma
at his side The latter moves sma
handle. and thirty seconds later ther
b another discharge
III In about ten minutes II is all owe
and the ship Is approaching the targs
| to zee the result Of her shooting. -Lol
don Answers.