McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1915-05-14
IS WARSA|P's HEART.
Control Room Most Appropriate
Iy So Designated.
There the Commander, During Bat
tie, Issues His instructions to
All Parts of the Vessel
Really Steel Blockhouse.

When warship sails into action
her heart pulses and throbs as eager
for the fray as the hearts of any of
her crew. Yes, warship has a heart.
The heart of warship is the control
room deep down under the deck, sit
uated aft, usually abaft the second
funnel.
Even on big fighting ships the heart
is small. Generally it is only ten
feet by six, and is almost noiseproof
and eerily quiet. 1t is really steel
vault, entered by door not unlike
the door of burglarproof safe.
From floor to ceiling the walls are
lined with dials, wires, gauges, elec-
trio bells, speaking tubes, switches,
and a great amount Of other appa-
ratus which keeps the commander in
constant touch with every corner Of
the ship. 1t is the most wonderful
and the most fearful room on earth
or sea.
1t is fortress within fortress,
steel cell within the steel walls Of
the fighting engine.
To be in the control room during
active service is to feel like being In
vault with the door locked on the
outside. This little compartment,
which visitors seldom see, will keep
alive as long as there is living soul
on board able to hear and answer a
call.
It is through the control room that
the commander issues his instruc
lions, observes and notes how the
battle is going, calls the gun crews
from place to place, directs the en-
gineers, steers the whole fabric, and
supervises everything. If submarine
is seen in any direction, it is through
the control room that 1t is reported
A little bell rings, voice far ava,
speaks: Submarine on the port bow
sir! Two leagues off!" In an in
slant the answer thrills the gur
crews: Ware submarine on the POI
bow! Enemy's craft! Ready" TIL,
gunners have been ready for som,
time, and when the chief gunner ha
laid the gun to his satisfaction
bang goes a message the enemy will
not forget, If it hits him.
II a gun has to cease fire, the OF
der comes through the control room
If the enemy lands a she'll on dec
or anywhere in the warship. the dot
tors are notified that they are wante
at that spot almost as soon as tn
: men have fallen. II the gun crew ar
dead, it is from the heart of the shi
that the order is given for fresh me
to fill their places.
Though the captain himself Is
the coming tower above, he know
through the officer in the control roof
Il Just what has happened to his shi
and the extent of the damage; and
the captain is killed in the connin
tower or ON the bridge, the chief of
Ger in the control room goes up {
once.
They know that even when. th
coming tower has been smashed l
shot and shell and the bridge ha
5 been carried away--as was the cas-
: in the recent fight of Helgoland-
; they must stick to their switches
long as there is an officer alive to d
rect operations. Not until the sh
! is blown up or rammed are they Q
: lowed to leave that little room. ar
: then they go down with her.
Up above the control room is Il
coming tower, the brain Of the wa
ship as the control room is the heal
9 1t is steel blockhouse. II Il
J, ironclad is a flagship she has tv
Q floors, the top one being used by u
y admiral. and whenever the action b
D. gins the captain shuts himself up
l. bis steel coming tower to direct u
lighting.