The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-05-24

Red Cross-Chamber OF Commerce
building, 525H West Main street,
Lee Huckins hotel, Westfall's drug
store, Kress store, kerr's Dry Goods
company, Scott Halliburton Dry
Goods company, Rorabaugh- Brown
Dry Goods company.
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gins to fire, lift bearing the huge
prolectlle bangs up from below, great
bags OF powder slide from the maga-
zines into long trough. Husky blue
jackets toss the powder into another
brass trough that is slipped into position
at the gigantic breach.
The projectile, almost as large as a
man. meanwhile has been rolled into
the trough long automatic rammer
has jumped from the rear and showed it
into the barrel The powder bags are
driven home. man at the breach
swings lever ton OF steel swings
up with hiss OF compressed air. The
breach block turns and locks, buzzer
sounds the charge is gnited and with
rush OF air the gun recoils about yard
and then Jumps back into position
There is a loud Swish swish" as the
guns come back and then 60 forward
Inside the turret not much more than
that is heard.
Gunners Have Cotton in Ears.
Outside it is much different, There
is flash, a roar, ring OF smoke, and
the loud whistle OF the projectie rush
ing through the air So great is the
conclusion that every man has cotton or
some other substance in his ears to save
his eardrums from being broken.
Fifteen seconds from Commence FIR
ing" to Fire" is considered pretty
good time for the big guns in the navy.
They have new gun crews in training
now who never saw salt water until
three weeks ago who are doing the
thing easily in sixteen seconds
Smash Dummy Subma rines.
Some nights the ships OF the ileet
cruise in waters nearby for night battle
practice Other nights they are an.
chored in the base waters, where crews
are drilled at torpedo defense The
guns are manned and dummy torpedoes
and submarines arc picked up by the
searchlights and theoretically destroyed.
The fleet has gained efficiency in tor.
pedo defense. They tell story in the
ward rooms of an American submarine
which decided to change It's anchorage
without giving notice. The fleet Is
dark after a certain hour at night. No,
ligh, shows, but the watch is in
tcnSely alert
One OF the deck officers saw the sub
marine outline itself and a gun quickly
was trained The submarine was hailed
but the men on IL failed to hear The
fact that the SubmcrSlbe was running
behind the patrols was the only thing
that saved it A five-inch gun prob
ably would have blown II 10 pieces il
the maneuver had taken place on the
other side OF the net. Now submarines
don't move around like that at nigh, i,
was dangerous business
r,.., 600. :, Mill,
be'ore the 'leet - darkened' the snips
lying in every direction present m in
spring spectacle. Lights, as OF city,
snow everywhere Hii'nker hanah
'lash ON and oii--signaI'ng IN 'he do'S
ana ds'he' oi the Morse oode, Long
fingers OF whlte from Searehligh'S shoo'
up INTO the SKY, ON and OIL ON ana OIL
signaling also with dots ana dasheS'
other searehlight beams PICK UP
boats that approach them some iiIun,in
ate landing wharf Away IN tne ais
tance 'earehlight' OF me patrol boats
flash on every now and then, sweep the
waters to discover that what mlgh'
nave been periscope Is only a wh''e
cap. Then they Ticker out again FROM
the shore at night, boats passing any
where IN the ne'shborhood suddenly
lind themselves IN the glare o' search
hsh"'
Getting the Men Ready.
While the gun, crew, are helms
trained ON some Of me ship, aboard
others are he,ns trained men 10 tur
the hundred or more German vessel, IN,
United State, will opera,e AZ soon A,
repair, are made ON Their engine, .nt
the fleet Of merchantmen being bull, 4
carry food and supplies to the allies
ne ''eet Is training engineers, eleclrl
o,ans men TO MI every position. n
Atlantic iIeet IS soniiden, that IT vii