The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-05-24

the target.
"Guess that's bad" said an old man.
o'-war-man looking on admiringly at
the third shot, as the guns crew got
the range and the pillar of white wat
er leaped into the air.
"How would that do for Fritzy?
Suppose that had been a submarine
The buzzer, the roar Of the gun and
the hiss Of air interrupted him.
"Another hit! Gee whiskers that's
shooingt."
On the after deck latest arrivals
aboard the ship were set to work that
day, and every other day, in fact, upon
the loading machines. They consist
principally Of a breach and block and
a slide that carries away dummy pro-
~jectiles and powder bags.
Officers with stop watches in their
hands set one crew after another to
work; the idea being to develop ex-
IRENE loading speed by competition.
The newest members Of the ships
companies work for days at these load
ing machines. The next step in their
new training carries them to the
guns. But they r not yet ready to
fire the regular charges. One pound
ers, that go off with a sharp crack,
are dashed on top of the big guns and
the crews go through all the motions
of firing, but insted Of a big shell, a
little one weighing a pound speeds
for the target when the buzzer sounds
or when the turrent captains in charge
Of the bigger rifles yell "Fire"
After a period Of firing with the
sub-caliber arrangement the crews get
down to real battle practice. There
are few buster places than a turret in
action. Concave steel walls are all
around, and a steel roof is just above
the heads of the gunners. The point
ers sit far forward, underneath the
barrels of the guns. Little seats like
those on a motor cycle are there for
them and on all sides are instruments.
As the turret, begins to fire, a lift,
bearing the huge projectile, bangs up
from below, great bags of powder slide
from the magazines into a long brass
trough. Husky ~bluejackets toss the
powder into another brass trought
that is slipped into position at the
gigantic breach. The projectile, al
most as large IS a man, meanwhile
has been rolled into the trough, a
long automatic rammer has jumped
from the rear and showed it into the
barrel. The powder bags are driven
home, q man at the breach swings a
lever, a ton Of steel swings up with
a hiss Of compressed air. The breach
block turns and locks, a buzzer sounds,
the charge is ignited and with a rush
Of air the guns recoil about q yard
and then jump 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 IL heard.
Outside, it is much different. There
is a flash, a roar, a ring Of smoke
and the loud whistle Of the projectile
rushing through the air. So great is
the conclusion that every man out
side has cotton OF some other sub
stance in his ears to save his ear
drums from being broken.
Fifteen second from Commence
firing" to- Sire" d considered pretty
good time for the guns in the navy.
They have new guns crews in training
now who never saw salt water until
three weeks ago who are doing thing
easily in sixteen seconds.
While the guns crews are being
trained on some Of the ships, abroad
others are being trained men 10 run
the hundred or more German vessels
the United States will opsrats q soon
as repairs are made To their engines
and The fat Of merchantmen being