Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-14

stroyer In the middle Of the river A
points to the right. A voice, clear ana
slow. sounding from the speaking tube
which needed no dependence upon
electric circuits-repeatei the instr1c.
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 at which even first ranging
shots might be fred, but the Arizona
was closing with the enemy. the Car.
thage and the two Peras were Offering
themselves yet, and the range was
shortening.
Toad"
Wendell had heard moments before
the rumbling below, which told that in
the handling room the shells and the
powder bags for his three mighty guns
were waiting upon the cars. He turn.
edfrom his periscope US the steel traps
to the handling room opened aud the
ammunition cars came to place behind
the open breaches of the guns. The
crews, sweating and silent. rammed in
the monster shells. thrust the great
powder bags in behind and closed the
breech Of each gun. The ammunition
cars. empty, dropped below. the trap
doors closing above them. At each
gun the plugman put in the primer.
The three fourteen-inch guns were
ready, each separated from the next
by steel bulkhead to limit as much
as possible an accident in the turret.
A few yards farther forward and low
er the three great pieces of No. / tur-
ret, too. were ready, their muzzles lift
ed to extreme elevation toward the
eastern sky.
Range. one. nine, o double o! De-
Fiction five four the telephone said.
The visuals displayed the figures IN
black and white again. Commence
firing with one gun!' the order came
on the telephone as the sight settlers
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. as the waves passed I'M.
der the ship the deck moved, but as 1t
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
at bis telescope the cross hairs which
divided his field OF sight rose now
above the tunnels Of the third ship on
tie horizon. Sow.,s,s the gun dropped,
too much Of the gray. white fecked
sea appeared. For flashing instant
only-a frightful infinitesilnal of q sec.
ond-the faraway tunnels. the masts
and the bridge Of the enemy ship
showed exactly in the cross hairs Of
the sight At that infinitestimal the
gun must fire. The firing pointer bet.
tor than any one else knew that as he
strained. sweating, and lingering his
firing key.
"Bxz1yzsr' The buzzer, hung against
his chest now. was sounding the signal
to IRE. For an intervaEmeasured and
noted in the chief fire control station
from which the signal came-the buzz
er would sound. The firing pointer
could choose when during those count
k,<1 ,ocopdc <hs, ,,,,,, u-os, SOM, <l,o to root
and he should loose the charge. but II
he did not fire while the buzzer stin
was sounding the turret must wait In.
struction from the tops again-the
sights must be altered. the gun aimed
again, that chance for dealing destruc.
ton be gone. Y
''Bzzzzzz!. the buzzezr was still go.
ing, but 1t would not so forever. Had
1t not been going for-minutes now?
Bob Wendell jerked. stiff and strained,
toward the firing pointer. He tried to
speak, but he could not till he wet his
lips: then as he saw the pointers face
the rebuke stayed on his tongue. The
gun pointers face was drawn as in
agony. his arms strained and stretched
as in torture. his lips moved ceaseless-
ly, soundlessly. and his fingers played
with the firing key as surgeons TAX.
ing up a scalpel. The mans eyes.
CLASSY In their steadiness. stared
through the telescope. Too much Of
the sky was in the field OF sight. but
now the deck was dropping again and
the buzzer still was sounding. The
firing pointers fingers pressed togeth-
er, and the monster bulk Of steel be.
side him leaped back in recoil. while
the air before the turret was yellow
and ethernns with blazing gas and the
ship shuddered ut the shock Of the dis.
charge
The firing pointer, falling back as
the doors from the handling room
opened again and the car came up for
the reload, gazed toward Wendell.
Bob, counting the score Of seconds
during which the shell would be in
fight, said to himself. Eight. nine"
Then, aloud. "That was right. Louden:
fire when you're on the target! He
nav that the gun was reloaded and
from his station gazed through his
periscope out over the sea.
n he missed-he and the firing point
er and the turret trainer, the sight