第 8 节
作者:希望之舟      更新:2021-04-30 16:13      字数:9322
  shown that they were useless waste of men and money。 The battleship was
  propelled by rotary engines developing fifty thousand horsepower; driving
  the   ship   at   a   sustained   speed   of   thirty   knots   an   hour。 The   ship   had   four
  propellers; two on each side at the stern; and the boilers were heated by
  petroleum  with automatic feed。 The engineer informed me that they  had
  tried   gasoline   and   other   explosives   (for   the   rotary   engines   worked   well
  with them) but they endangered the safety of the ship and the lives of the
  crew。 There were only two decks in the ship; the lower deck just above the
  waterline and the gun deck; the lower deck floor was two…inch steel and
  was not divided into compartments; having no partitions; so that if solid
  shot or shell entered the side of the ship it could not scatter a shower of
  steel splinters to kill or wound the men; and for further protection against
  fragments of shell heavy  woolen blankets   were hung   on the   inside   from
  the ceiling。 A double partition of two…inch steel ran bow to stern through
  the center of the ship; reaching from the floor of the hold to the lower deck;
  with a space between the partitions of four inches filled in with concrete;
  and    the   gun   deck   was   supported     by   heavy    steel  pillars;  as  the   space
  between   the   lower   deck   and   the   gun   deck   was   twelve   feet。 A  fireproof
  platform four feet wide with a railing four feet high of netting; encircled
  the smokestack about twenty feet above the gun and connected with it by a
  rope ladder。 It was the lookout station and the Captain's post in battle from
  where he directed the action。
  There   was   only   one   smokestack   on   any   battleship   and   no   bridge   or
  superstructure or   any  inflammable   material   above   the   waterline;   and   the
  officers and men eat at the same tables and partake of the same food。 If
  any officer or private objected to it or violated this rule; he was dismissed
  the service; for it was considered injurious to the service on board ship to
  keep any discontented person。 The crew consisted of two hundred privates;
  fifty   corporals;    five  sergeants;    ten   lieutenants;   ten   captains;   one   chief
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  engineer       with   two     assistants;    one    lieutenant    commander        and    the
  commander; who was captain of the ship and had the same rank and pay as
  a colonel in the army。
  The    gunner     and   assistant   gunners    held   the  same    rank   and   pay   as
  captains and lieutenants in the army。 The chief engineer received the same
  as   the   commander       and   took   orders   only   from   him;    and   his  assistants
  received the same pay as majors in the army; and the sergeants; corporals
  and   privates   the    same   pay   as   in   the   army。  The   gunners   and    assistant
  gunners were chosen from among the crew for the best shooting; for it was
  justly   held   that   victory   in   a   naval   battle   rested   mostly   on   the   shooting
  qualities of the man behind the gun。
  The other battleship was rated first class and her dimensions were as
  follows: Length; six hundred and thirty feet; breadth of beam ninety feet;
  draught of water thirty feet。 Armament: sixteen twelve…inch caliber guns in
  single turrets   and placed   in   the   following   manner:   forward on the   lower
  gun deck; five guns; one on the center line of the ship near the bow and
  two on each side further back。 Five guns aft on the lower gun deck; one on
  the center line of the ship near the stern and two on each side in the same
  way as in the first part of the ship。 Three guns forward on the upper gun
  deck;   one   on   the   center   line   of   the   ship   and   one   on   each   side   nearer
  amidships; three guns aft on the upper gun deck in the relative positions。
  All the guns were placed so that twelve guns could be brought to bear on
  an enemy ship。 The lower gun deck was twelve feet above the water line
  and the upper gun deck two; and they were constructed and equipped as
  those on the second class。
  The first class battleships carried one hundred and two more men than
  the second class; consisting of six gunners; six assistant gunners; eighteen
  corporals   and seventy  privates。  No   additional   force   was   required   for   the
  Engineer   department   of   the   ship。   I   inquired   of   the   Chief   Engineer   what
  make of engine they used and he replied that it was the Hammond & Co。
  Rotary      Engine     and   added:    〃We     are   indebted    for   this   engine    to   a
  countryman of yours named Leonard Hammond; who perfected it so that
  at present it is in universal use and has revolutionized the industries of the
  world     by   its  saving    of  fuel   and   the   low   price    at  which    it  call  be
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  manufactured;        so   that   it  has  consigned      every    other   make     of   engine;
  reciprocal and turbine; to the scrap pile; and of the most notable benefits
  derived from it has been in the shipping not only in economy of fuel; but
  also in the small space they occupy so as to give more room for cargo and
  in the almost   total   absence of   vibration;  and in   the   battleship   from  their
  being on the propeller shaft at the stern far below the water line。〃
  The   battleships   remain   for   ten   months   of   the   year   in   the   rivers   and
  harbors;   where   the   officers   and   men   are   kept   busy   dredging;   building
  levees; wharves and breakwaters; and they take a cruise to different parts
  of the earth during the months of December and January; and during that
  time   engage   in   gunnery   practice。 A  battery   of   three…inch   caliber   guns   is
  taken   on   board   each   battleship   for   that   as   the   big   guns   will   not   stand
  continual      firing  and    are  only    used   on   special   occasions      to  see  if  the
  gunners have improved。 The men are highly pleased with the service and
  the majority of them re…enlist。 On inquiry I was told that they had thirty
  first…class    and    thirty  second…class      battleships    and    that  they   kept    them
  always together so that they could strike an enemy with force; but as they
  held no people in subjection and had no colonies or outlying possessions
  there was at the present time very little danger of war…but if it should come
  they   were   ready   to   fight   and   to   strike   hard。   As   I   left   the   navy   yard   I
  thought what a pity it was that the people inhabiting the other countries of
  the earth were not governed as these people are; for then there would be
  no    need    of  battleships    and   the   kindly   earth    would    slumber     lapped    in
  Universal Laws。
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  CHAPTER IX。
  DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE。
  On inquiring at the Department of   Commerce I was informed that   it
  had charge of all vessels engaged in internal traffic as well as in foreign
  trade;   and   operated   lines   of   steamers   running   to   all   ports   of   the   globe;
  carrying   freight   at   a   rate   between   home   and   foreign   ports   that   defied
  competition; but they did not carry freight between foreign countries。 The
  men for the Mercantile Marine were furnished by the Army and had the
  same   pay。   They   were   required   to   load   and   unload   cargo   in   every   port
  where they took on or discharged freight; and shippers did not have to pay
  wharfage charges or pilot fees; for everyone took his ship into port and out
  without     a  pilot。  The   department     also  had   charge   of   all  Government
  warehouses;      wharves    and   docks    and  appointed     all  consuls  to  foreign
  countries and received their reports; which were published in the National
  Gazette。
  The    business   of  the  Department      was   run  on   the  principle   of  the
  greatest good to the whole people; so that whenever the profits any year
  exceeded the expenses and the sinking fund; freight rates were reduced。
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  CHAPTER X。
  DEPARTMENT OF RAILWAYS。
  I went from there to the Department of Railroads and was given a copy
  of   freight   and   passenger   rates   which   on   examination   proved   to   be   very
  sim