New Britain herald., 1923-08-28

angular boilers of copper furnished
 steam at only 25 pounds pressure to {
 humping cumbersome, slow-movinl
 horizontal reciprocating engine. whici | by means of a single screw drove thu | ship at 10 knots at best, where nov
 oil-burning, tubular steel boilers gen,
 crate 290 pounds steam pressure fol | the delicately balanced turbines, ad. | justerd to the thousandth of an inch
 which, without the least tremor of vi. bration and with scarce sigh oi
 sound, spin at about 2100 revolutions
 minute. generating alternating cleo.
 tric current which by twelfth reduc-
 ton turns four screw propellers I'll
 revolutions for shipspeed of 21
 knots.
 For illumination, oil lamps and can
 dies are retained only for emergency
 should electric light fail, and the pres
 ent sunlike searchlight had no like in
 the frigate's days.
 In the days work. the shrill pipe
 and hoarse voice of the Bosn's mates passing the word along the open
 sweep of docks is all but replaced by
 speaking tubes, telephone, and other
 instruments, electrical or mechanical
 for transmitting communications to
 scores of separated spaces all through
 the ship. And at meal times, while
 navy beans still hold their own, salt
 pork, the venerable salt horse, plum
 duff, and hard tack, have given place
 to refrigerated meat, fresh vegetables,
 bakers bread. pie and ice cream.
 Of all changes, however, the great est is in the kind of demands made upon the crew and officers. In the firigate Colorado, the yards were hoisted and braced about, the sails were reefed and furled, the anchor weighed, the boats rowed and hoisted the ship steered, and stores whipped on board--all by hand. Handling sail, besides making strong bodies. taught eye, hand and brain to work nimbly together. In stormy weather a sea- man aloft at dizzy height could work with both hands and exert his full strength, while holding on by his knees or even, in some incredible way, by grip with his belly. In muscle and win in practised familiarity and dextrous skill, and in observant eye and ready resourcefulness, the square yard sailor was an athlete, but he had a contempt for machinery and of any thing savoring of Science" Seaman ship was an art, to him the finest of all arts, beyond expounding or i'm proving by books.
 In contrast, most of the demands for power in the modern battleship Colorado are met by machinery, Where formerly two helmsmen, or four i'm stormy weather, handled a spoked steering wheel, to move the tiller by means of rawhide ropes. there is now no wheel at all. the mod ern steers-man, instead, with one hand pushing an electric control handle right, left, or amidships, with equal ease in any weather, causing electric and oil motors, by means of heavy thread transmission, to move the 'udder accordingly. An electric wind ass below decks inside armor lifts he lotion anchors with ease and thickness; two large electric cranes hoist and swing the boats out or in md handle other weights and stores .oo heavy for the small derricks and installed at various points Ilong the ships sides; while most of ,hhe boats themselves, moro than vice as large as of old, are gasoline notor driven.
 To serve the guns, the old fash oned power boy, shell whip, hand 'ammer, and draining tackles have | ,een superseded by powerful electric | Exertion of human | trength must, of course, be still re- Luired here and there in minor way, | ut mostly by individuals, seldom by masses of men, as formerly was com non in hoisting topsails, heaving round the capstan to weigh anchor, IT otherwise for a "heavy drag" h. tead, now a high degree of technical and skill is needed in many pecialties, to control and use the nu- nerous power appliances correctly nd keep them in condition reliable or service.
 Yet, although athletic qualities are 10 longer needed for woris aloft, a Iealthy body is essential to the Il ealthy mind and cheerful spirit need d for contentment and efficiency The | ctive, open-sir. often strenuous con- itions of naval life in all weathers nd all climates, both need and tend 0 make a strong as well as sound ody, but as many of the specialties 1volve long hours below decks, and s ship life is at best confining, the 1odern naval routine pays consider ble attention to physical training, Il xercise, and recreation, in order to oster and maintain that combination I proficiency, attention to physical exercise and recreation in rder to foster and maintain that com- ination of proficiency, attention, f- elity responsiveness, initiative, re- courage, endurance, nd recuperative power, which Is ummed up in the term morale. Thus, riefly. while the naval man is still f athletic quality, duty makes little all on his main strength or beef" emsnding instead high degree of ractical knowledge and dekterity ith many kinds of modern technical