Show r OUR NAVY f 1 t I Vigorously arraigning the critics of i i i tho the American navy nay in Hamptons Mag Magazine Magazino azine for March Rear Admiral I I I I D Evans pays pars a notable tribute to the j f efficiency and an bravery of American I If gunners Quoting one ono critic as fool foolishly I i saying s that three times Umes already alread I by a 3 miracle American ships have I i been saved saed from the explosion of or their I II I I I 1 magazines because of burning grains i I I o of powder falling Calling into tho the handling room Fighting Bob declares 1 When the powder began to blaze In Inthe the tho handling room of the Missouri MI r i two gunners mates M and I C S who wore were In tho the maga magn magazine zinc zine at tho the Imminent risk of or their theft lives prevented pr the llames from reach reachIng I I Ing lug tho the powder there This Tills heroic p I f fI I disregard of their own safety was the tho miracle that saved the ship Why not call it by bJ its ita proper name It was the prompt action of or bravo cool coolheaded coolheaded J headed sailor men In blue shirts that I saved saed the ship and If l they were mira miracles 4 des cles then the tho navy naT I am m proud to toI toI I I say sa is full of miracles Those miracle workers walk about the deck of oC our ouri i ships by the hundred The first I over ever knew of ot a flare back came cuno about in this way and I believe bellee this was WU tho Ute first one over ever seen seeni i I and recognized as a danger in our navy nav adds the admiral ad I was wasi I i I I standing over the after aCter k turret of my mr flagship the tho Kentucky watching the firing of or her r I I guns gun at nt target practice In Manila bay i Many shots had been fired when sud Bud suddenly Budden sudI I denly den as one of tho the guns was wag dis discharged dIScharged discharged charged a sheet of or shot up upi i through ush an n opening In tho the top of or tho the thoI I turret This was wan so unusual and to tomo tomo I mo me alarming that I t ordered Ute the firing I II I I to cease until I could ascertain tho the 4 cause cau e of It lt The Tho Th officers and men inca I all wished to go 0 on with the tho firing p not realizing that they tho were in any H I danger though somo of oC the tho men mon in inthe I I j t the tho turret wore slightly burned about 4 I I I the tho body bod and had their hair hall singed I II t I I 1 OC Of course courso our experience In Manila I I bay hay was as fully full reported to the navy naY l 1 department and the tho chief of ordnance I took stops steps at once to put proper gas as 1 ejectors on tho the guns which would act I I automatically when tho the breech was as 1 I i I opened From that day to this there has been boen a steady stead improvement in tho the fitting and working of this device derIc and andI nd t I feel fee perfectly confident that If it itis Itis I l is properly and carefully used thero there I I will never bo be another 1 i I Speaking of ammunition hoists con cont t corning which there thero has been so 50 soI r I I i much misunderstanding and bitter t r s I controversy and to which the explosion sloe sion on the tho Missouri MI ouri was attributed I ii i I Admiral Admira Evans says sarti I When the Indiana and ani ships of her hor herI 1 class were designed all aU foreign I I ammu ammunition t tf I hoists for turret guna guns were con conS on the principle principIa that the am arm ammunition should go straight from the handling room to the tho gun In the tur turret rot ret In Jn some cases tho the English for example pI 0 this was WIlS accomplished by bJ bythe bythe the use of oC a closed tube or OT cylinder but this plan required that tho the gun should be returned to a certain fixed position before loading which was a serious handicap to rapid firing and our designers discarded It In favor Cavor ot tho the open car cor hoist which revolved v with ith the tho turret and an allowed the tho guno guns to be bl b loaded in any position The ad advantage a advantage vantage thus gained was so apparent that foreign practice soon followed ours in an on effort to overcome the tho very vor objectionable feature of or having to bring the thc guns to a fixed position be bc before before fore foro they the could be he loaded and the tho English finally finall in 1904 1901 installed on two battleships ammunition hoists which wore were In every essential OnUal partie particular ular tiler counterparts of or the tho American hoists Other Othor nations have hae as nR a rule fol Co followed Cooed followed lowed oed the same general plan that is isto Isto isto to say sa a straightaway ammunition hoist for turret guns cune from the hand handling handling ling room to the guns the tho handling room being centrally located with ref reference reference to the magazines and shell rooms and separated from them by b carefully constructed watertight bulk bulkheads bulkheads bulkheads heads The Tho magazines are provided with efficient means for quick Hooding flooding in case of fire and doors with flaps for lor safe sare handling of the charges These TheBe I conditions or shall shan I r say sa this mode of construction has been and Is now general In every een naval service in the Iho thoi i world |