Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-18

The men have 10 work hard to keen
their speedy little boat with the DOW
erful big engines. in order. but fortu-
nately the use of oil fuel has climinat-
ed their most laborious task, hat -
coaling ship. Now. on return from a
days practice. they find il as easy 10
fill the tanks with oil as it is to pat
fresh water into the boilers. In steam
ing it is no longer necessary, in tho
heat of the fireroom. for the mon with
aching back. arms and legs to feed
coal under the boiler where the fires
consume il before the next shovelful
can follow. When a stronger fire
needed tenderman opens stoproCk
little wider TO give greater flow OF
Oil
Formerly tho utmost pains were taken
to pick the best coal aud the fires were
coaxed gradually TO their best burn
ing, so there should he no smoke 10
announce where her pirsticai majesty
was pleased to make her course. but
now with proper handling OF the OF
fuel there is no smoke
Yet with the oil they car make
lovely smoke when they want to. ard
sometimes they do throw what they
call a smoke screen. which envelopS
the destroyer and drifts down in such
clouds as to blind those aboard tho
object of attack to the exact location
of the destroyer. which, in this way.
may he able to approach within tor
pedoing distance. THIS is an eNpedi-
ent of doubtful value-only sucCessfu3
under peculiarly fsvora bile conditions
Naturally boat Of such design AMI
light construction is not nrst-ra'e
sea boat. and is not the safest hoaf IN
the world in a severe storm. But ask
an Officer of the right sort" about y,
and he will answer, with literal truth.
that he would not he afraid 10 tahr
her through anything: he would nor
be afraid TO try. hut she mlsnt not 40
tI11
But even one of these will admit tina :.
she does roll just a little IN iact.
they have weird tales of friendly sauap
bles to see which one shall have the
privilege of sleeping in the hathtub
when it is a hit rough, for they are
tossed out of that receptacle only oc-
casonally and in very heavy weather
while a tumble from berth is not I'M
usual on those occasions.
Those who cannot turn-in in bath
tub must be content with tying them l.
selves in bed with a rope passed around
the waist: and often the poor, tired
fellows have awakened after souhd
nights sleep to find themselves hang
ing, like rabbits in snare, from 'iio
side of their berths. -
But this tale has been handed down
from time long antedatins UrdS
No. 80" which forbds the use OF al
cohOllC beverages. dtu 10 phSS' ~
the belief that on one occasion an IN
discreet officer did. unconsc!ously on
his part undress and sleep IN a pain
tuh in the mistaken belief that IT was
his bed So this fable was ihVenteo
to save the reputation of the ooa.
Whether or not ship is roller DE-
pends upon the point of view Whiie
ON practice trip OF the northern
coast of Cuba q gale came up. making
il So rough that a crack destroyer was
irving to make her tunnels touch the
crest of the waves with each duicN
roll The sea made even 'he sreal
hattleships lose some of their dignity,
and they were rolling about TO such {.
degree that "A jackie on the bobhing de-
stroyer broke out with the question:
Did you ever see anything roii Inc
the South Carolina?
There is one of the risht sort Whose
Iuck is so sure or whose nerve is 5"
pronounced that when his boat dlsap-
naared in a storm the other fellows
began to wager that Puggy might
lose his boat and all his crew go with
il. but that he would be found loatinE
on the safe side of a plank Inc nrst
of the boats to arrive at Guantanamo
mad a disabled wireless. SO she could
not send a crackle message. and the
weather was too thick for those ashore
to read her signals. But when her APP
pearance was reported to the dlgnihed
admiral he simply remarked: mat IS
'Puggy.'" And it was.
The government has siNty-tWo OF
these swift craft, besides six new ones
to be built. They bear such names as
Decatur. cambridge, Dale. Benliam.
Farragut, Macdonough, Perry HUI.
Paul Jones: and men of the same In l.
domitable type handle them. and IN
case of need will hold up worthily the
traditions left by those heroes of the
American Navy