Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-23

r Nv
A Cheer Burst From the Gun Crew
Of the Arizona.
the turret and the yellow light OF the
battle lanterns. He took his place Mt
the rear Of the guns, and as his men
went to their stations he gazed through
the telescope p%eriscope which let him
look out above the top OF the turret
toward the upper works Of the enemy's
vessels far Off to the east He found
himself repeating his directions in a
voice not strange. I've fire at the rear
ship In the line
At his command he felt the mighty
turret revolving slowly beneath him;
the turret trainer and the gun point
ers. mt their places ut the periscOpe
sights, were bringing the three o
ster gun to bear. Every man was try
ing to be MS calm as though the COM
mand which had been repeated was
simply "F!re at target No. B." But not
ever Holt. the turret captain. who had
made the record for his ship at the last
gun trials on the ranges. was entirely
steady. If Wendell were killed there
was no other officer in the turret to
succeed. The nearest would be Wayne,
the ensign. in the handling room be-
low. Holt set his lips and cllnched his
powerful hands. The heat In the tur-
ret was sitting. Fans sucked at the
air. but sweat streamed over the bare
bodies Of the men standing idle-the
sight settlers. the %gunner's mates, the
strikers and the firing pointer. with
the electric buzzer strapped over his
bare chest. rising and falling as he
painted for breath. The sound Of the
Pennsylvania guns came. mufhed,
into the turret. but envy for the sister
ship was gone. The Arizona soon
would be In action and would SHOW
them. At the call to battle stations
the Arizona was only a couple OF
thousand yards astern the Pennsyl-
vania. which had just come within ex-
treme range Of the enemy. But The
enemy's ships We're withdrawing. Fac
they begun to fee so fast that the Ari-
zona would not have a shot?
stand by!"
NOW, lhltluI IuhSSs I"Chty thS~
sand: detection, Ave four!"
The voice which first gave 1t spoke
on the telephone circuit: Simultaneous
IS the visual signal clicked and the
range and the DETECTION stood Il In
sharp figures in yards and points
"2O.OOO." DETECTION "5 4"-meant four
points to the right. A voice, clear and
clr~. cr,,nJ;rr from tim cno0ki,D tNhn
which needed no dependence upon
electric circuits-repeated the instruc-
ton.
But the sight settlers. helmeted with
the telephone headpieces strapped over
their ears. already were making their
adjustment. The distance was greater
than that ut which even first ranging
shots might be fired, put the Arizona
was closing with the enemy, the Car
thage and the two Peras were Offering
themselves yet, and the range vas
shortening.
"Load!'
Wendell had heard moments before
the rumbling below, which told that In
the handling room the shells and the
pOWuSL UusS " AiS lLANo' hiSuls gums
were waiting upon the cars. He turn
ed from his periscope as the steel traps
to the handling room opened and the
ammunition cars came toSplace behind
the open breeches Of the guns. The
crews, sweating aud silent, rammed In
the monster shells, thrust the great
powder bags In behind and closed the
hrnoch 80 oonh n,n ~ fVhn n ,p,,,pitfnn
cars. empty. dropped below, the trap
doors closing above them. At each
gun the plugman put in the primer.
The three fourtcen.inch guns were
ready, ench separated from the next
by a steel bulkhead to limit as much
as possible nm accident In the turret.
A few yards farther forward and low.
er the three great pieces Of No. l. tur.
ret. too. were ready, their muzzles lift
ed to extreme elevation toward the
eastern sky,
Range, one. nine, o double o! De
Election FIVE FOUR the telephone said
The visuals displayed the figures In
black and white again. Commence
dring with one gum" the order came
l IA NuS tSiVIloAC 10 tuC BIZ III SCtlChS
sprang to their sights. The voice tube
repeated the order. and the firing
pointer. holding his electric button IN
hand. stopped and strained at his tele
scope to follow closer the pointing Of
the guns. Up and down, up and down.
up and down. rs the waves passed un.
der the ship the deck moved, but as II
moved and as the ship steamed for.
ward and the target ship also moved
the trainer and the gun pointers work.
ed ceaselessly turning the turret and
elevating and lowering the guns to
keep the sights steadily on the tar
get. but as the firing pointer crouched
Mt his telescope the cross hairs which
divided his field of sight rose now
above the tunnels OF the third ship on
the horizon. Now. ms the gun dropped
too much Of the gray, white lecked
sea appeared. For a flashing instant
only-a friGhtful Infinitesimal Of a sec,
ouA-kho fu, u-or f,rtaJp Ala p,uStS