The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1915-01-01
laval Gun CREWS
Il Work Is Theirs When a
Warship Is In Action.
RANGE FINDING AND FIRING.
How the Target or the Enemy IL Lo-
Dated and the Way the Monster Gums
Are operated-The Scene In the Com
ming Tower and In the Turrets.

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.
1 In the coming tower, with Its twelve
inch armor. stands the captain, his
navigating officer, a midshipman or
two and several other officers and men
The small circular erection, barely ten
feet In diameter, seems very cramped
for all It has to contain.
Above the coming tower is another
armored erection, containing range
finder. and inside this is the gunnery
lieutenant, with half a 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. Is monotonous-
~ 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 cordite charges be-
hind them have already been pushed
home by the hydraulic hammers, and,
since their weapons are thus fully load.
ed, the guns crews are idle for the
time being.
2ut the gun layers-the men who aim
hire the guns and the trainers
who keep them pointing in the
iirection-are anxiouSly keeping
Sights ON the target, and every now
then, as they move their small
Is handles, there is wheeling Of
draulic machinery. and the great
yfeeches rise and fall ever so slightly.
while the whole armored 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
nick over their small levers. Fright
gun readyl Left gun ready" they re-
port In rapid succession.
The range meanwhile Is decreasing
rapidly. and about ten seconds later
there comes the strident rafting Of an
electric bell. @ M
1t Is the sigl / 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
Az he does SO there Is roar. and, with
blaze Of orange flame and pail Of
brown smoke, projecfile weighing
more than half a ton Ia sailing through
the air on It's way toward the target.
Outside the turret the conclusion Is
terrible, but inside It Is barely felt, and
the only means the guns crew have Of
knowing their weapon has gone or 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 rum
nning. out springs exert their strength.
driven back to the firing position.
The men meanwhile are working
Ike demons. Some one. by moving a
pall lever which actuates hydraulic
Engine, has opened the breech. A cloud
be acrid cordite smoke fills the turret,
but another man, turning tap, sends
q Jet Of water spouting into the cham
Der to extinguish any still burning
fragments.
Everything seems chaos, but every
one knows what to do-he has done
It time after time-and in less than
thirty seconds we hear q sharp order.
Right gun. loadl"
A man moves an upright lever, and
an arrangement looking Ike minia-
ture lift climbs into view through the
door. 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.
Reposing In a tray IL the shot itself.
Another lever is worked. and a flexible
chain hydraulic rammer, looking like a
snake. darts out Of its resting place and
pushes the shot before it into the
breech OF the gun.
It Is driven home with a dull thud
The rammer Is withdrawn. another
handle is pulled and two enormous
brown cylinders Of cordite fall into
the tray just vacated by the projectileA
They. too. are rammed home. and be-
fore we quite realize what has hap
Spened the rammer and lift have disap.
peared, the breach Of the gun has been
swung home and the great weapon Is
ready for firing.
In the fire control position the gun
merry lieutenant has seen the first shot
tear a Jagged hole In the target and
promptly whispers an order to a man
at his side. The latter moves a small
handle, and thirty seconds later there
e another discharge.
In about ten minutes It Is ali over
i and the ship Is approaching the target
No see the result OF her shooting. Lon
Answers.