Chapter IV: Manual Exercise (3)

366. The boat must be furnished with suitable and reliable fireworks or other means for announcing instantly the approach of an enemy, and no excuse can be taken for a failure on the part of the picket to give the alarm. The capture of the picket-boat is a minor consideration.

367. When confident of being able to repel any force, the boat should return to give timely notice for preparation; and in this case it may be expedient to be prepared to light up the adjacent waters, to enable an effective fire to be opened on the enemy from guns and howitzers.

368. Commanding Officers of vessels situated as described in Art. 359, are required to practise their crews, by going on deck and hailing, "Boat ahoy," at least once a week.

The time taken for the execution of this order to be noted on the log.

369. In times of anticipated attack from rams or mail-clad vessels upon a fleet or single ship, it is recommended to load the guns with maximum charges and solid shot; but where there is doubt of the character of the assailant, the guns should only be loaded with the service powder charge having ready at hand shot, shell, shrapnell, grape, or canister, as the case may demand.

DIRECTIONS IN CASE OF FIRE.

370. In the following directions, no other object is proposed than to notice some of the more prominent and common preparations which may be generally made, and the measures to be adopted in vessels on the alarm of fire. The variety of circumstances under which that danger may be presented can only be successfully met by properly stationed, well-trained and disciplined men, judiciously directed by the Captain, and superintended by officers whose coolness and presence of mind are proof against every form and degree of danger, which alone will enable them to adopt and execute the best plans the emergency may require.

To this end the Captain will, as soon as the crew is organized, cause a FIRE-BILL to be prepared, adapted to the particular arrangements of his ship, and in accordance with these Directions, by which the crew is to be drilled once a week till expert, and after that occasionally. This fire-bill should, as far as possible, conform to the arrangement for extinguishing fire during exercise at General Quarters. Much confusion has been known to arise from requiring different duties from the same person at Fire Quarters, and in case of fire when at General Quarters.

371. Should the alarm of fire be given when the men are not at Quarters, that alarm of itself is to be considered as a call to Quarters, and the men must repair to their stations at once. This must be impressed upon the men by the Division Officers. But the ordinary call for inspection is to be given as soon as practicable, by way of enforcing the order.

The alarm will be given by the sentinel near the bell, by ringing quickly and loudly successive peals for ten or fifteen seconds, with short intervals between.

The bell is to cease, however, as soon as the drum begins to sound the call to Quarters.

Should it be deemed necessary to water and provision the boats, preparatory to lowering them, the drum will beat the usual call for provisions, when the men stationed for these purposes will promptly proceed with their duties. In this case the shot shall be drawn or discharged from the guns, to guard against accidents in leaving the vessel, should it be impossible to save her.

372. The Captain will direct the Executive Officer, and such others as he may deem proper, to visit the place of the fire, and to transmit reports to him, by officers, of its character and extent, and to suggest the measures which will most speedily and certainly subdue it, or prevent its extension.

373. He will, if at sea, cause the ship to be hove-to, or steered in such direction as will be least likely to increase the activity of the fire, or will best enable the men to use the means in their power for controlling and extinguishing it.

374. If fire should take place in a ship at anchor in port or harbor, his attention must be given to prevent the communication of the fire to other vessels or combustible objects, and to have the cables ready for slipping, boats ready, and, if advisable, springs prepared to change the position of the ship, in order to prevent danger to other vessels.

375. He will decide whether the magazines and shell-rooms shall be flooded, and give orders accordingly; whether the hammocks shall be brought up and stowed; where sentinels shall be placed, and what disposition shall be made of the sick and prisoners.

If hammocks are to be brought up, each man not a Fireman, Pumpman, Hoseman, Axeman, or Smotherer, or belonging to the Carpenter's gang, or detailed as a Sentinel over boats' falls or spirit-room, will lash and carry up two hammocks and stow them in the nettings on his way to Quarters. Blankets, or other woollen materials, when wet, afford an excellent means of smothering fire, and should be left out by the party lashing up the hammocks and collected by the Smothering party, in charge of an officer, whose duty it will be to see them properly used.

376. The Officers of the respective divisions will enforce the strictest observance of orders from those under their command, and allow no one to leave his station, unless by express orders or permission. At the same time they will direct the most trustworthy of their men to perform any particular duty within their divisions which may tend to check the spreading of the fire, or furnish the means of extinguishing it.

377. Officers of gun-deck divisions will be prompt to detach, under proper officers, men who may be directed for any particular service, or who may be called from the guns by the calls for Firemen, Sail-Trimmers, or Boarders. Should the call for Boarders be made in case of fire, the men will answer it without any other arms than their swords or battle-axes. Divisional Officers near the main or other pumps, will cause the men of their divisions to aid in rigging and working them. The ship's buckets are to be passed up to the pumps, as soon as possible, by the persons who may be stationed near them, and these and the fire-buckets and division-tubs filled. The swabs are also to be got up and thoroughly wetted.

Division-boxes, and all powder or explosive materials not in the magazines, must be taken in charge by the Quarter-Gunners and placed in the safest positions, ready to be thrown overboard if ordered.

378. The Officer commanding the Powder division will himself deliver the keys of the magazines, shell-rooms, and water-cocks to the Gunner, his Mate, and the men stationed at the water-cocks, and see that they are prepared to flood the magazines, if orders should be given to that effect; but he must take especial care that the magazines, passages, and shell-rooms are kept closed until orders to open them are received from the Captain.

379. He will also take care that the air-ports are immediately closed, and all other means adopted for diminishing currents of air, especially if there should be a hope of confining the fire to the lower parts of the vessel.

He will at once have the hose led from the bilge-cock, the cock turned, and, if the forcing-pump or engine is worked below the gun-deck, will see it manned and worked by some of the men of his division.

380. The Master will cause windsails to be taken down; and, if set, courses, spanker, and all lower sails hauled close up; head, channel, and all other pumps which work on upper deck, and fire-engine, if on deck, to be rigged and worked by the men of his division stationed nearest to each of them. If practicable, sails, rigging, boats, spars, and the sides of ship must be kept wet, and every exertion made to furnish a full supply of water for extinguishing the fire. Rigging-axes and battle-axes must be ready for use, in case they should be wanted for any purpose.

381. The Chief Engineer will detail such Assistant Engineers and men as may be needed to take charge of steam-pumps, to lead out hose, and to use such other means of extinguishing the fire as may be ordered or deemed advisable. If under steam, the main engine will be slowed on the first alarm of fire, unless otherwise expressly ordered, and the steam-pumps started.

382. The Surgeon and his assistants will be in readiness to destroy, if required, all inflammable fluids, or other medical stores which would increase the fire; and to superintend the removal, if necessary, of patients who may be lame or confined to hammocks or cots.

383. Exercises, by order of the Captain, following false alarms of fire, known only to him and the Executive Officer to be false at the time of giving the alarm, may, it is believed, be resorted to with advantage, especially at night.

Such alarms furnish the best means of ascertaining practically whether the necessary preparations for extinguishing fire have been duly attended to; and what degree of silence, calmness, and promptitude may be expected from officers and men in repairing to their stations, as well as in the performance of their duties in a real case of fire.

False alarms, frequently repeated, may perhaps lead some of the men to move slowly, under the impression that every alarm given is false, and merely intended for exercise; and this impression may be entertained even when a fire has actually taken place. This evil would, however, be comparatively small, since it will be readily admitted by any one who has witnessed the effect of a fire upon a crew at sea, that the great difficulty in such cases is to obtain that necessary quiet and orderly attendance at Quarters which is essential to the success of all subsequent measures.

FOOTNOTES:

[6] NOTE:--In order not to incumber the text with details, they are transferred to the "Notes on the Manual Exercise" (Art. 288 to 357), which are to be carefully studied. Also the notes to Pivot-Gun Exercise.

[7] See notes on this command and the succeeding one, "LOAD," for further important details.

[8] With the nib-blocks the train-tackle cannot be used to assist in securing the gun, unless a special eye-bolt is placed for this purpose.

[9] These should always be kept under the centre transom when the carriage is not in use; also in firing at high angles of elevation to relieve the rails of the shock.

[10] When the trucks are to be brought into play, the levers should be shipped on their axle-squares so as to heave upwards, past the centre, and rest against the wood of the Carriage or Slide; otherwise they must be kept in place by hand or by a pin, neither of which entirely secures the Levers from flying back and doing mischief. If hove down, they are apt to interfere with the Tackles.

In order to ship the Levers expeditiously on the proper square, both are to be marked with a cold chisel.

The Fore Carriage-Levers require the efforts of two men at each, as the weight of the gun has most bearing there; each of the other levers is readily worked by one man.

[11] Principally to moisten the Sponge, which ought never to be omitted, as there is nothing so effectual in extinguishing any fragments that might remain burning in the Bore, and cause accidental explosion in loading, particularly in blank firing. It is a mistake to suppose that this practice increases the foulness of the Bore; on the contrary, it prevents it from hardening and accumulating, as long experience has shown. Sometimes it is convenient for the Spongers to dip the Sponge alongside, and they soon acquire the habit. Superfluous moisture is easily gotten rid of by twirling the Sponge at the handle.

[12] Were it practicable to hook a tackle so that it would move the gun, even from amidships to the port, without being shifted, or were it prudent to leave the gun free while shifting the tackle, there would be no need of a second tackle. But it is not possible, in pivoting, to exert direct action for more than the eighth of a circle by one position of a tackle, and it is absolutely dangerous at sea to leave the Slide unconfined for an instant. When, therefore, the Outer-Tackle is a-block, the second tackle must be hooked and set taut.

[13, 14, & 15] These orders are to be executed in quick succession, so as to be nearly simultaneous; that is, the compression is first relieved by backing its lever, upon which the Front-Levermen instantly bring the carriage on its trucks, and the gun is run back by the In-Tackles, the Out-Tackles being eased gradually, so as to check any violent movement; for the trucks, being fitted with friction rollers, allow the heavy piece to move suddenly and rapidly.

[16] The pivoting of so heavy a Gun is the most complicated of all the operations with it, and demands special drill. When done to windward, the hearty effort of the whole Gun's crew is required, particularly if there be much crown to the deck and no deck circles; to leeward there is no difficulty, and the time at sea to pivot from side to side may vary from four to seven minutes. The advantage of the Pivot-Boss will now appear, as it secures the coincidence of the hole in Slide with that of the Socket, and permits the Bolt to be removed out or in easily. Hitherto the difficulty of doing so without a Boss has caused delay, and contributed more than any thing else to the objections entertained against such heavy Ordnance, which have been in nowise obviated by either the Pivot Shifting-Screws of our own Navy, or the Pivot-Flap of the English Navy.

[17] Some difference of opinion may arise in regard to the shipping of these levers before the gun is run out, and they are required for pointing. To ship them now amounts to having them on the whole time--to which the only objection is, that if on, before wanted in pointing they may be in the way of the men; and, on the other hand, if not on, more attention may be demanded from 15, 16.

The question will not be material when the men are well drilled.

[18] The gun being now pivoted to the Port, the Breechings should be shackled and the rear Pivot-Bolt drawn, in regular order. But neither of these can be done without running out the gun a few feet. For in order to pivot with the greatest ease, the carriage had been previously run back on the Slide to the rear Hurter, so as to bring the weight of the gun as near as possible to the Rear pivot, the very best position being with the Trunnions of the Gun just forward of the Rear pivot. The shackling of the Breeching and the removal of the Bolt are, therefore, deferred until the Gun has been run out in the subsequent proceedings.

The Breeching is always to be shackled to the Ship's side--not to the Slide, which needlessly strains the pivoting, and also causes the shackle with its appliances to interfere with the working parts at the forward end of the Slide.

[19] It is generally expected that the Compressors are to supersede the necessity for a Breeching. But experience shows that in firing it is better to rely habitually on the Breeching, and use the Compressors to assist. Thus, in firing to windward at Sea, the Compressors are always to be set, but only so hard as may be required to ease the shock on the Breeching. In firing to leeward, the Compressors are not wanted, except to secure the gun in its place when in. When the Ship is not steady, but rolling, the discretion is to be exercised.

The Preventer, or Inner Breeching, will be found indispensable to avoid accident when running out to leeward in a sea-way. For with a trained crew, and all precaution in handling the levers and In-Tackles, there is a liability to the gun getting away, in which case it moves out with great violence, and may do serious damage. On one such occasion an XI-in. gun cracked the stout iron straps of the Compressors, and seemed but just prevented from freeing itself entirely and going overboard over the Port-sill. Not being able to replace the Straps, the Compressors were useless till late in the cruise. Preventer Breechings were then fitted, and answered so well that the practice was continued at sea as usual. They now form part of the equipment of all XI-in. guns, and should be just taut when the gun is out, and the Trucks of the Carriage reach but do not ascend the curve of the forward Hurter.

[20] This is to detach from the bottom of the Chamber the fragments of burnt Flannel that are apt to adhere and solidify.

[21] This practice encumbers the deck, and interferes materially at times with the management of the gun. Trial was therefore made on board the _Plymouth_, where the gun was on a covered deck, of hooks attached to the beams above, near each piece, in which the Sponges and Rammers were placed after having been used. The only objection was, that too much time might be lost in so doing; but after continued trials this was found not to be the case, when the men had been properly trained.

[22] Stopping the Vent is omitted by many practised artillerists, as unnecessary in extinguishing fragments of the cartridges. But as so much importance has been and still is attached to its performance, and it costs so little trouble, it seems better to continue the practice, particularly when so many accidents occur from premature explosion, not only to untaught and careless people, in saluting on holidays, but also on shipboard, where they ought not to happen.

[23] Sometimes the box has been fitted too tightly to the Shell, or has contracted on it, and delay is caused in loading. This should be attended to in season.

[24] Otherwise the stout stuff and seams found necessary with heavy charges might resist the primer, and cause a failure to explode the powder.

[25] It was the habit at the Experimental Battery, and in the experimental cruise of the _Plymouth_, to mark the handle of the Rammer, so that there should be no doubt as to the charge being home. This is always useful, but particularly so in case of the gun bursting, as it makes sure of an important fact.

[26] It is a common practice in loading, to expend much zeal in striking the cartridge one or two blows to insure its being home, which is quite unnecessary when the mark on the handle affords so much better evidence thereof.

[27] The XI-in. Shell weighs, when loaded, 135 lbs.; the lifting and entering it into the muzzle was one of the objections of those who were opposed to the use of heavy calibres. There was not one of the crew of the _Plymouths_ XI-in. gun who was not found able, on trial, to take up the Shell and unassisted to put it in the Bore, when the ship was still. At sea a very simple implement was used--an iron segment with a bent handle on opposite sides. The Shellmen, 7, 8, turned the shell out of the box into this ladle, placed on the deck near No. 3, the Loader, who, when ready, took the left handle, and No. 5 (the 2d Loader) the right. These two lifted the Shell towards the muzzle, and No. 4 (Sponger), standing on the Slide, received the right hand from No. 5 as soon as within reach. No. 3, stepping on the Slide, and No. 4 continued to raise the Shell to the muzzle, which was not difficult, because of the Bore being conveniently high above the Slide on which they were standing; the Sabot projecting beyond the Ladle was entered into the muzzle, and the Shell pushed in, No. 5 taking the ladle back and laying it on the deck.

[28] As this is very firmly fixed in the recess of the metal stock, it is to be removed by pulling directly on the tail, which, if twisted, will be likely to break, and thus cause a loss of time. The patch is passed to the Gun Captain, who puts it in his belt-box, and is afterwards handed to the Quarter deck by the Lieut. of Division, in order to verify the number of shells fired. When the Fuze has been uncovered, care must be taken not to let it be touched by the moisture of the hand, or by the sea-water.

[29] As the blow might dislodge the priming of the Fuze and prevent its ignition. It is well to dispense with any wad, even a grommet, if possible.

[30] A good exemplification of the principle assumed for this exercise, that when any one of the men has executed an order, he shall not remain in position until the order is given which requires him elsewhere; for he may not have any part in the next order, or even in that second next, as occurs after pivoting, when only a few numbers participate in the following orders: Sponge--Load, the remainder only doing so at the third following, viz.: Run Out.

[31] No operation with this gun requires more care. There is a weight of 20,000 lbs. moving on friction Rollers along a metal plate, down an inclined plane--if once permitted to get loose and to be propelled by the motion of the ship, the momentum is immense, and must disable some of the apparatus, perhaps the Gun-Carriage itself. On such an occasion the preventer breeching is invaluable, and will be the best safeguard, if fitted so that when well stretched it will not permit the fore trucks to ascend on the curve of the Fore-hurter, for it is this which strains the strap of the Compressor.

Permitting the gun to go out with much force also displaces the shell, whether a grommet-wad be used or not.

[32] To windward, with a steady inclination, the precautions used to leeward are unnecessary. On the contrary, the difficulty is to move so great a weight up the inclined plane. Therefore, the carriage is released from all restraint, and all the available force put at the Out-Tackles, taking advantage also of whatever roll there may be to windward.

[33] This must, of course, be regulated by circumstances, as already mentioned in Note 10; as to windward, set the compressors moderately; to leeward, not at all; off the wind, according to the roll. Let the compression be so adjusted as to allow the muzzle just to come in.

[34] It is an old custom for the Gun Captain to keep the Priming-Wire in the vent while the loading is going on, feeling from time to time if the charge is home. It is a bad practice, because there is a liability of being caught by the charge as it comes along the Bore, and having the wire bent, thus spiking the vent, for a while at least. The mark on the Rammer handle is the best evidence that the charge is in place. The object now is only to clear the vent of pieces of cartridge stuff, which not unfrequently get into the vent, and choke it so as to prevent the primer from exploding the powder.

[35] Though the primers seldom fail to penetrate the flannel stuff of the cartridge, it is well to pierce the latter with the wire, so as not to omit any means that may insure the instant discharge of the gun.

[36] The Sight-Bar of the XI-in. Gun is graduated to its own charge only; if reduced charges are ever used, it will only be at short distances, when the gun needs no elevation. The Bar will then be down entirely, its head resting on the Box.

[37] One turn of which is equal to one degree of the quadrant, and may be of service when the Sight-Bars are not.

The carriages of Gun Sloops and other vessels carrying XI-in. guns allow of an elevation of 20 deg..

[38] When the vessels are moving, it is best to train the gun a little ahead, watching when the object draws in line; then, as the roll brings the piece right in elevation, it is fired.

[39] Many officers are of the opinion that this order should be divided--"Load with Cartridge," and "Load with Shell." But those guns would be very badly served which should wait until this time to give the order for the species of projectile or class of fuze required. _After_ "Load," is the proper time to give subsidiary order to Shellmen what projectile and length of fuze to bring for next fire.

[40] "In 10,000 fires, when testing guns of different calibres, with the regulation locks, less than fifty primers failed from all causes."