wpiawgfM
1 HOW A 818 BATTLESHIP |
I IS HANDLED IN ACTION. |
g STIRRING SCENES DEC K AND BELOW. j
Few people outside the naval ser
vice know just liow a war vessel goes
into a fight. To put a battleship like
the lowa or Indiana in thorough readi
ness for aotion ordinarily requires
about two hours, though, of course, it
can be done in much less time in case
of urgency.
' There is one tbing that makes it a
comparatively simple and orderly
task. On board a fighting vessel
every man has a certain assigned post
and a certain task laid out for him,
with which he is perfectly familiar.
This holds true from the captain him
self down to the little coolies who
wait on table for the different messes.
When the signal is sounded it brings
every man to his place, and long
familiarity makes the work, so in
volved and complicated to the eyes of
an outsider, a mere matter of routine.
If a ship engages an enemy unex
pectedly, so that there is not the
usual time for preparation, the call to
quarters is sounded immediately and
the men take their places in divisions.
In this case each division attends to a
part of the work of clearing the ship,
but ordinarily the first signal is,
"Clear for action!" At the boat
swain's whistle and the verbal com
mand the men move to their positionj,
those whose places are on deck
forming in squads under direction of
the different officers. The captain
takes his place on the bridge. Latter,
when the battle begins, he will go in
to the protected conning tower,
through the narrow .slits of which he
can watch everything that takes place
on deck and the movements of the
enemy as well. But for the pres
ent, while the preparations are being
made, he must decide the general
plan of action, how the guns are to be
used, and the class and nature of pro
jectile on which he will depend.
Near the captain stands the naviga
tor, who will have charge of the hand
ling of the ship during the engage
ment, the signal officers and the vari
ous aids. First of all, the decks and
working spaces are cleared. The spars,
rigging and boats are secured. Every
thing movable that will not be needed
during the engagement is firmly lashed
into place, where it will not interfere
with the work. The topmen, who are
in charge of the little platform high
up on the mainmast, haul up arms and
ammunition and make everything
ready in their lofty quarters, even to
filling the fire buckets with water
with which to put out a blaze should
one be started up aloft. The carpen
ter, under the direction of the navi
gator, sees to the removal of awning
stanchions, hatch rails and every light
object that is not essential to the man
agement of the ship. The chronome
ters and other delicate instruments
are carefully gathered up and laid
away below, to save them from de
struction by concussion. The torpedo
division gets out its apparatus for
sending torpedoes and spreads the
intercepting nets over the ship's sides,
where they can be quickly lowered if
need be.
Below the activity is equally great.
The engine fires are stirred up and
steam is made as fast as possible, for
a modern battleship is intended togo
into action under a full head of steam.
The steam and bilge pumps are rigged
and the magazine squad stands to its
post, but tlie magazines are not un
locked until the signal for action. The
keys, however, are delivered to the
officers of the powder division by the
captain at tho first signal.
When the ship is cleared the call to
quarters is given and the men take
their places in divisions. The gun
squads stand to their guns aud make
them ready for use. The hatches, ex
cept those that will be used, are cov
ered with gratings and tarpaulins, the
carpenter collects his men and with
the armorer stands ready to repair any
damage that may be done by the ene-
OPERATING A CRUISER'S SEARCHLIGHT.
my's fire or the recoil of the ship's
cannon. A man with a lead line is
placed at the well and during the
light will make frequent soundings to
discover if the vessel is injured below
'ie water line. The hose squad is
led in charge of the lire apparatus,
'y for instant service. Chemical
\tinguishers are used on all the
States warships now, and hand
ire placed in evsry quarter
Every precaution is taken
'nstant stamping out of
it start in or near the
ick bay the head sur-
geon, or "bull doctor," has been di
recting the laying ont of cots, instru
ments and bandages. One hatchway,
as near amidships as possible, is al
ways left open for the passing down
of wounded men. The surgeon may
have no call upon his services, but the
rule in every quarter of a battleship
is, "Be prepared for the worst, and
hope for the best."
When everything is ready the offi
cers move to their stations. If the
ship is a monitor the battle hatches
are closed, and the men at . last hear
J3ATTLE SCENE ON THE GUN DECK.
the final command for which they
have been impatiently waiting—"Ac
tion!"
At that command the doors of the
magazines are opened, and the men,
who form the different chains of sout
tles, begin to pass the cartridge cases
up to the deck. The delivery of am
munition is in charge of the gunner.
In modern naval fortunes the gunner
is not, as many landlubbers suppose,
the man who fires the cannon. He is
a warrant officer, and his position is a
most responsible one in time of ac
tion, for he must see to the prompt
andjsteady delivery of cartridges,shells
WORKING A RAPID-FIRING GT7N FROM THE
CONNING TOWER.
and projectiles to all the guns. The
chief gunner takes his position on
the berth deck, where he can note the
progress of the work ; his chief assis
tant is below in the main magazine
superintending the handing out of
powder, and a quarter gunner is in
charge of each of the other magazines
and of the delivery on deck.
The charges are passed up from the
magazines in wooden cases, which are
painted black, with the size of cali
ber and charge painted in large white
letters on the side. They are passed
out of the magazine to a man who
sends them up to the lower deck.
Then they are passed through a slit
in the magazine screen —a heavy can
vas curtain which in intended to pre
vent the possibility of sparks reach
ing to the powder stores. From this
screen carriers take the boxes to the
nearest powder scuttle, where they
are passed up to the gun deck and
thence to the cannon themselves. For
moving ammunition various mechani
cal appliances, including electricity,
have come into use, though the work
is atill done by hand on some of the
vessels.
"I believe in the hand lift for am<
mun tion," says Bear Admiral Henry
Erben, "because if you depend on
electricity the cutting or breaking of
a wire knocks you out, but if a man is
cut in two you can put another in hia
place."
A crew of sixteen men is required to
man each of the big guns, such as the
twelve-inch and thirteen-inch cannon
of the lowa and Indiana. They are
divided into loaders, spongers, shell
men, handspikemen, sidetacklemen,
intacklemen and porttacklemen, and
are under the direction of a first and
second gun captain. There is also a
powderman, who delivers the charge
to the gun, a fireman and a wreck
clearer.
The firing of a pivot or turret gun
requires ten separate commands. Most
of these explain themselves. They
are as follows:
1. Silence! Cast loose and provide!
2. Bun in!
3. Shift pivot!
4. Serve, vent and sponge!
5. Load!
G. Run ortf!
7. Prime!
8. Point!
9. Ready, fire!
10. Shift and secure!
If the ship is under way the man
with the range finder is kept busy
calling off tho distance of the enemy's
ship or whatever the target may be.
As each new distance is announced the
gun is adjusted to that rauge. At the
order to "Point," No. 1 of the gun
crew adjusts the sights to his satisfac
tion, while all the others stand back
from the gun. Then at the order
"Ready!" he takes a final look, draws
his lanyard and quickly repeats
"Fire!"
In firing at a ship the target is al
ways the waterline. Though the com
puting instruments now used are of
great value, the only way to get the
exact range now, as formerly, is to see
whether the first shot falls short or
over, and to move her a notch or let
her down as the case may require.
The firing of this first shot releases
the pentup tension of the prepara
tions, which is succeeded by a fever
of work. The lines of powder car
riers and runner boys move steadily
back and forward, the men in the tur
rets are soon blackened by powder aud
smoke until they look more like imps
than human beings, but they work on
as coolly as tho engineers, far below,
unmindful of shots that crash about
them. Ail the splendid discipline and
training of years makes itself felt in
these few moments of fighting as the
sailor boys drive their ship manfully
on, still eager to know the issue of the
conflict.
Homes of the Anthracite Mlnrrc.
A group of papers deuling with the
Pennsylvania Coal Regions appears in
the Century. Jay Hambidge gives
"An Artist's Impression of the Col
liery Region." Mr. Humbidge says of
one of the "patches" where the min
ers live: Each little house, with tho
boxes, cuby-holes and fences about
it, has been built by the man who
lives in it. And he is a laborer, a
struggler for mere existence, not deft
iu the use of tools, uor with an eye for
the symmetrical, nor with an appreci
ation for anything beyond the mo3t
primal facts of living. The roofs of
the buildings slant at all angles, with
no two sides of the same length or de
flection. One i>ortion will have eaves,
while its companion will scorn the
luxury. The same incongruity pre
vails everywhere. Some of the small
openings used for windows are high,
while others are low. One door will
open in, and another out. The hinges
have evidently come from the com
pany scrap-pile, and the staples and
latches and locks from the same
source. Some of the roofs have shin
gles, others weather-boards, while
others are formed of great pieces of
rusty sheet-iron.
Accommodating Mourners.
It. Talbot Kelly writes an article
entitled "An Artist Among the Fella
heen" for the Century. In speaking
of the kindliness of the Arabs, Mr.
Kelly says:
Here is an instance of his williug
ness to oblige. I was making a sketch
of the village cemetery, and wanted
only a funeral procession to complete
my study. I remarked to the old
man: "What a pity there does not
happen to be a funeral going on, so
that I might put it in!" His reply
took me by surprise; for, jumping up,
he said: "There is a man ill in the
village, and he must die soon. I'll go
and hurry him!" And, sure enough,
he bustled them all so much that an
hour later my sketch was complete,
and the man safely interred! And I
believe that the bereaved family con
sidered themselves especially hon
ored by my interest in the ceremony!
HELPS FOR HOUSEWIVES.
When Scouring Tint.
Cake tins and strainers that are
greasy should bo first washed in hot
soda water and then scoured with a
soapy flannel dipped into silver sand.
When the surface is perfectly clean
rinse in hot water and dry with a clean
cloth. Afterward polish with a little
dry whiting and finish off with a
leather. Disli covers will never take
a good polish unlesß washed with hot
soda water and sonp firpt. For the
corners and carved part use an old
plate brush.
To Prepare Suet.
To render suet for cooking purpos
es, cut it into small pieces while fresh
and cover with cold water; let stand
24 hours, changing the water once
during the time; this removes the
tallowy taste. Drain well and put the
pieces into an iron kettle with a
smooth bottom surface and add half a
teaeupful of milk to each pound of
suet. Let cook very slowly at first
and moderately throughout until the
fat is clear and light brown and all
sound of cooking has ceased. Loosen
the suet occasionally from the bottom
of the kettle, but avoid stirring. Let
stand until partly cold, then pour off
into cups to become cold. This fat is
as sweet and nice as butter and can
be used in the place of butter for
cooking purposes. The fat in the
"scraps" can be pressed out and used
for frying. It is not, of cotirs >, quite
as nice as the first. When making
piecrust of suet roll the crust with a
large, old-fasliioued bottle tilled with
warm water. For mince, apple
or pumpkin pies, which are warmed
for the table, suet is a perfect short
ening. It is very nice for frying
doughnuts if they are heated before
being served.—Sarah E. Wilcox, in
New England Homestead.
Kitchen Rule*.
Tbe following measures of capacity
may be found useful to hang in the
kitchen for easy reference, says a
writer in Good Housekeeping:
Four even teaspoons of liquid equal
one even tablespoonful.
Three even teaspoonfuls of dry ma
terial equal one even tablespoonful.
Sixteen tablespoonfuls liquid equal
one cupful.
Twelve tablespoonfuls dry material
equal one cupful.
Two cupfuls equal one pint.
Four cupfuls equal one quart.
Four cupfuls flour equal one quart
or one pound.
Two cupfuls solid butter equal one
pound.
Two cupfuls granulated sugar equal
one pound.
Two and one-half cupfuls powdered
sugar equal one pound.
Cue piut milk or water equals one
pound.
One dozen eggs should weigh 1 1-2
pounds.
The following table of proportions
is also valuable:
Oneteaspoonful soda to oue cupful
molasses.
One teaspoouful soda to one pint
sour milk.
Three teaspooufuls baking powder
to one quart flour.
One-half cupful yeast or one-quar
ter cake compressed yeast to one pint
liquid.
One teaspoouful extract to one loaf
plain cake.
One teaspoonful salt to two quarts
flour.
One teaspoouful salt to one quart
soup.
One scant cupful of liquid to three
full cupfuls of flour for muffins. •
One scant cupful of liquid to two
full cupfuls of flour for batters.
Four peppercorns, four cloves, one
teaspoouful mixed herbs for each
quart of water for SOUJJ stock.
Keel pes.
Chicken Gelatin—Slice cold roast
chicken and lay in a mold with alter
nate layers of cold boiled tougue and
occasional slices of hard-boiled egg,
and season with celery salt. Dissolve
half an ounco of gelatin in a pint of
clear brown gravy and pour it over
the meat. It must stand for twelve
hours to harden before cutting. It is
a most appetizing dish, and a very
nice way of preparing cold meat for
tea.
Light Soup—Put a can of peas (re
serving half a cupful), a small onion,
one bay leaf, a sprig of parsley ami
teaspoonful of black pepper in a small
stewpan and simmer for half an hour.
Mash aud add three cupfuls of good
stock aud let boil up. Strain, add
one teaspoonful of cornstarch dis
solved in a little cold water, one large
teaspoonful of butter, and boil for ton
minutes. Add one cupful of rich
milk, half a cupful of peas, salt to
taste and serve.
Prune Pudding—Beat up the yolks
of six eggs and the whites of three;
thin with a few spoonfuls of milk and
stir in four spoonfuls of flour. Stone
a pouud of mashed prunes and mix
them in with the other ingredients;
also add a very small pinch of salt and
two spoonfuls of grated ginger.
Moisten the mixture with tho greater
part of a quart of milk, aud tie the
pudding in a buttered cloth and boil
for two hours. Serve with a sweet
butter sauce.
Fricttfseeof Beaus—Soak over night
one cup of large dried lima benns;
drain, put on the fire in one quart of
salted (one tablespoonful) water and
simmer for two hours, or until thor
oughly doue, but not broken. When
they are cooked, in another saucepan
put two tablespoonfuls of butter, one
tablespoonful of chopped pai slev and
the juice of a lemon; when the butter
has quite melted throw in the drained
beans, and lightly toss for a few mo
ments. Serve in a border of plain
boiled l ' lce > when rice is not served
for luncheon.
CHINESE WOMAN PHYSICIAN.
She la a Graduate of Ann Arbor and Is
Very Competent.
The first native woman in China to
hang oat h9r shingle with an M. D.
upon it is Ida Kahn, who recently
graduated from Ann Arbor (Mioh.)
University. She came to this country
about six years ago to study medicine
MISS IDA KAHN.
and now she has returned to her native
town, Kin Kiaug, on the Yangtse
River.
Her countrymen doubtless consider
her a new woman of the most advanced
type, and at first she will probably
have more time on her hands than
patients on her list.
Ida Kahn, M. D., is imbued with
the missionary spirit. Converted to
Christianity herself before she left
China, she hopes to be the means of
converting others.
She was much liked at the Anil Arbor
University, where she took the full
medical course. She spoke English
very well when she came to America,
and successfully passed the examina
tions necessary for entrance to the
class of medicine and surgery—an ex
amination which required an English
essay, correct in spelling, punctuation,
capital letters, grammar and para
graphing, mathematics j)' (arithmetic,
algebra and geometry), physics, zoo
logy, history and Latin.
The medical course required inces
sant and hard work. There were reci
tations and lectures em
bryology and histology; operative,
minor and general surgery, practical
pathology, internal medicine and der
matology.
Ida Kahn not only gave her atten
tion to these studies, but also went in
for bacteriology, electro-therapeutics,
and she became initiated in the mys
teries of batteries, induction coils,
electrodes and other appliances and
made experiments in electro-physics
and electro-physiology.
The charming oriental garb was only
worn by the maiden from the flowery
kingdom upon high days and holidays.
Upon ordinary occasions she dressed
like an American, a style which she
liked so well that she intends to intro
duce some reforms iu dress among her
countrywomen.
New Antidote For Poison Arrows.
Major Ternan, who has returned to
London from Uganda, reports that
during the recent fighting Dr. Mac
pherson discovered un antidote for
the poison in which the native arrows
were dipped. The antidote cousists
in injecting a solution of strychnine.
Hitherto people wounded with these
arrows have always died, but Dr.
Macphersou succeeded in bringing the
wounded men around iu about two
hours.
Benefactor to the Bait! Headed.
An entomologist says be has known
a common garden wasp to kill 1,000
flies in a day. If we have ever said
anything in derogation of the wasp
and his heated terminal facilities, we
trust that it will be considered as
never having been spoken. Anybody
or anything that will kill 1,000 flies in
a single day is worthy of all praise,
and the wasp will henceforth be per
sona grata among the bald-headed
fraternity.—Boston Transcript.
A Floral Season For Hats.
It is said that a milliner, to be a
success, needs quite as much artistic
taste as an artist, aud we cannot
doubt the truth of this statement
when we look upon some of the top
heavy examples of the new millinery.
Hats literally loaded with flowers
staud out very conspicuously among
the few which are less pr etentious,
and consequently in better taste, and
it is evident that this is to be a floral
season in the department of head
gear. Some of the newest toques aro
made entirely of flowers and leaves.
Fine flowers are used for the crown
and brim aud roses with the leaves
wired into aigrettes for the high trim
ming at one side. The craze for vio
lets aud violet tulle for hat trimming
LOADED WITH FLOWERS.
seems to have taken a new lease of
life, and blossomed out in millions
where wo had thousands before.
Bunches of white and purple violets
are used together in one hat, making
a very pretty contrast.
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS.
The normal temperature of fish ia
77 degrees.
Humboldt said that a single pound
of the finest spider webs would reaeta
around the world.
One inch of rain falling upon one
square mile is equivalent to about 17
51)0,000 gallons of water.
Oats grown on humus soil contain a
much greater percentage of nitrogen
than those on ordinary lands.
One of the constituents of the best
qualities of varnish is a resin known
as kauri, which is only found in New
Zealand.
A dog basin his upper jaw six incis
ors, two canines and six molars on each
side; in the lower, six incisors, two
canines and seven molars on each side.
The beautiful and delieate colors
observed 011 the eggs of birds are not
very fast to light, more especially
when they belong to tho lighter class
of color.
Vaticana is the name given to one of
the latest asteroids discovered, No.
416, in honor of Father Boccardi of
the Vatican observatory, who has com
puted its course.
Roentgen rays have proved of great
assistance to the surgeons of the Brit
ish army in dealing with gunshot
wounds among the troops engaged in
the luckless expedition on the Indian
frontier.
According to the recent calculations
of Professor J. C. Kapteyn of Amster
dam 900,000 miles a day is the velocity
with which the sun and its plauets are
speeding through space in a northerly
direction. The brightest star in that
part of the heavens toward which we
are going is the brilliant Vega in the
constellation Lyra, a sun unquestion
ably much greater than ours. Every
year, by Professor Kapetyn's estimate,
we draw some three hundred million
miles nearer to that star.
A writer in science describes a curi
ous monstrosity which has come under
his observation. This is a cock with
no signs of spurs upou the tarsi, but
with a couple of well-developed spurs
upon the head, on either side of the
comb, giving the creature the appear
ance of being horned. These mock
spurs are not attached to the skull,
whatever they may originally have
been, but are loose. Instances are on
record of spurs being grafted onto
combs, but, so far, 110 similar case is
known to have occurred in nature.
Story of a Fuiiiouh Ditimoiitl.
Only two pure diamonds are known
in Europe. One of them is the fa
mous "Hope" diamond, and all sorts
of rumors have been flying about
lately regarding its sale. This fa
mous diamond cannot be disposed of
except by authorization of the Court
of Chancery, and persons in charge at
the court say no application has been
made for its sale, but the mere tact
of its being talked about brings up
many interesting events of its history.
Few have seen this historic gem,
which, sinee 1870, has been in safe
keeping in a London bank. Its his
tory is one of the romances of great
jewels, for it was brought by Taver
nier from India in 1642, and sold a
quarter of a century later to Louis
XIV, who wore it on some occasions of
great state. In 1792 it was stolen
along with many other treasures, to
lie hidden till 18150, when it appeared
mysteriously in the London market,
and was bought for $90,000 by Mr.
Henry Thomas Hope, but these figures
are not supposed now to represent
anything like its real value. During
its wanderings two pieces have been
cut from it-one of which found its
way into the Duke of Brunswick's
collection—making its present weight
44 1-4 carats. Experts distinguish
this diamond from sapphires, not by
color only, but by its isometric or
cubic system of crystalization, that of
the less valuable stone being hexa
gonal.
Lifting Iterthot Steel by Magnets.
Every one knows that a magnet will
attract* and lift cold steel, but few
have hitherto been aware that it will
lift redhot metal. Yet this is done
hourly at the plate mill of the Illinois
Steel company. The magnets there
are said to be capable of lifting five
tons of redhot steel, and not only so,
but each magnet will pick up half a
dozen large steel plates aud drop them,
one at a time, with the regularity of
clockwork. So cleverly and quickly
do th£v conduct themselves that they
seem endowed with almost human in
telligence. The way these pieces of
magnetized steel pick up the steel
plates that require a derrick to hoist
under any other circumstances and
place them in the desired spot is said
to be truly marvellous. A keen-wit
ted electrician has solved the problem
of operating the magnets so that the
plates cau bo dropped one at a time.
—lndustries aud Iron.
Tin- Appetite of I'liintx.
Mr. H. W. Wiley, of the depart
ment of agriculture, says that the
mineral food consumed by plants is
of two kinds. Some minerals, such
as phosphoric acid, potash, lime and
magnesia, are essential to the nour
ishment of the plant. "But plants
have also a general appetite for miner
al substances, eating freely in addi
tion to tho quantity necessary to their
proper nutrition." Mr. Wiley adds
that plants seem to thrive best where
their appetite for non-essential miner
al food is gratified. He includes soda
in this kind of plant food.
Juvenile Definitions.
A boy being asked to describe a kit
ten said: "A kitten is remarkable for
rushing like mad at nothing whatever
aud stoppiug before it gets there." It
must have been the same boy who
thus defined scandal: "It is when no
body ain't done nothing, and some
body goes and tells."—Tit-Bits.