The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-05-21
IS WARSHIP'S HEART
Control Room Most Appropriate
ly So Designated.
There the Commander. During a Bat.
tie, Issues His instructions 20
All Parts Of the Vessel
Really Steel Blookhouse.

When a warship sails into actiol
her heart pulses and throbs as cage
for the fray as the hearts OF any o
her crew, Yes, a warship has hear,
The heart OF warship is the contro
room deep down under the deck, sit
uated aft, usually abaft the seconC
funnel.
Even on big fighting ships the hear
is small. Generally II is only ter
feet by six, and is almost noiseprooi
and eerily quiet. II Is really a stee
vault, entered by a 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, II is the most wonderful
and the most fearful room on earth
OF sea.
II is a fortress within a fortress,
a 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 a living soul
on board able to hear and answer a
call.
Il is through the control room that
the commander issues his instruc-
tions, 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 a submarine
is seen in any direction, It is through
the control room that IL is reported.
A little bell rings, a voice far away
speaks: Submarine on the port bow,
sir! Two leagues off!" In an in
slant the answer thrills the gun
crews: Ware submarine on the port
bow! Enemys craft! Ready" The
gunners have been ready for some
time, and when the chief gunner has
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 or
der comes through the control ROOM
If the enemy lands a shell on deck
or anywhere in the warship, the doc
tors are notified that they. are wanted'I
at that spot almost as soon as the.
men have fallen. If the gun crew are
dead, it is from the heart OF the ship /
that the order is given for fresh men |
to fill their places.
Though the captain himself is in /.
the coming tower above. he knows
through the officer in the control room
Just what has happened to Ills ship
and the extent of the damages and if
he captain Is killed in the coming
over or on the bridge, the chief Off
,er in the control room goes up at
)nce.
They know that even when the
coming tower has been smashed by
shot and she'll and the bridge has
)een carried away-as was the case
n the recent fight off HelgOgand-
hey must stick to their switches so
ong as there is an officer alive to di-
'ect operations. Not until the ship
s blown up or Tammed are they al
owed to leave that little room, and
hen they go down with her.
Up above the control room is the
coming tower. the brain of tine, war
hip as the control room is thssheart.
1t is a. steel blockhouse II the
ronclad is q flagship she has two
loors, the top one being used by the
dmiral, and whenever the action be-
tns the. captain shuts himself mp in