The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-24

| improvised mufflers tight about their
! necks. Coal shovelers, bag bumpers
I whip tenders, winch operators, tally
men and coal weighers, each finds his
station without confusion. Soon the
work has begun.
A bedlam of din arises. Chuggigng
steam winches on the collier add
their chortle to the heavy rumble of
the coal disgorged from steam SHOW
els to the deck of the warship. The
shrill shrieks of blocks are lost in the
deep tones of the travellers carry
ing scoop buckets back and forth on
the derrick arms. The voices of Off
GERS yelling orders or istructions,
their purile contribution, are lost in
the pandemonium of clamor over
which the ships band, playing on the
forward turret, predominates.
Hourly, flag hoists are run to the
signal yards on the fore and main
mast The progress of each divi-
soin is a matter of record Competi-
ton is severe. Long before the sun
forces through the murk, sweaters,
blouses, and other excess clothing
has been cast aside and grimy, per-
spring men are revealed in under
wear and trowsers.
Across the deck which has been
cleared of all impediment, rush trucks
with their loads of coal. Waiting
men at the bunker holes grasp the
bags and dump tie contents to the
bunkers below The empty trucks
are rushed back for freseh loads.
Energetic hands grasp empty bags
and drag them across the deck for
refilling.
Below in the bunkers black demons
clothed but to the waist stow the
coal as it arrives. The sweat pours
from their bodies. The air is thick
with flying dust until the extended
hand cannot be seen. Suffering
parrafine torches serve hut to light
occasional cigarettes The scene is
as weld as some medieval withcery.
At seven-thirty the hugle summons
tke hungry men to breakfast NO
second invitation Is necessary.
They do generous justice to an
ample meal. Refreshed and rested
they return to labor half hour
later.
The heat of the day becomes op-
pressive. Shoulders that have not
been barred to the sun become red
and burn. On or two men don
jumpers; the others ignore the heat.
They pay for their negligence later,
for that night they annoint burned
skins with oil to assuage the pain.
But the coal must come aboard IN
record time.
a chute becomes blocked. The
coal goes down the chutes faster than
the toilers in the bunkers can care for
it. A group of shovelers on deck
grow active in transferring the &C
cumalting pile to the next open chuIe.
A careless fellow is occasionally
zoa1o1S ha11ier of an
emptv truck. He rises and laughs or
perhaps he swears-then everyone
else laughs And so until near noon
The coal which for a time piled on
TIE deck disappears. The wlr1chmen
who lead the warship's workers for
time are caught up with. Bunker
after bunker is filled and its cover
cover is put on. By noon the collier
off and leaves.
But the task is not yet done.
CoaIing gear must be slowed, chutes
amounted and the secondary battery
rennounted. And the ship must be
cleaned. From truck TO water
line she is no more the stately, for
nidable fortress OF the sea; dls-
reputable mess with but the outline
of he former self she remains until
cleaned.
After the noon fneal Lhe tleaAinS
bapins. No part of her ESCAPES the
cleansing wash, for even the dynamo
rooms and the store rooms deep with
in tbe hold have suffered from dust
that entered through the ventilating
system. By night interior and ex-
terror, masts. stacks and sides have
been subjected to a vigorous scrub
hing The risino sun of the next dav
discovers a rejuvenated mistress of
the seas.