The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

52 MARINE REVIEW February, 1927 U. S. S. CONSTITUTION SHOWING STATE OF DECAY OCTOBER, 1925—UPPER LEFT—STEM AND HAIR BRACKETS—UPPER RIGHT— STERN TRANSOM—LOWER LEFT—CABIN STARBOARD SIDE OVERHEAD—LOWER RIGHT—FOREMAST ABOVE SPAR DECK toward the light” appeals to one as being a good one to put into practice. When the drum “beat to quarters” all kept silent, with leathern buckets; | all gun locks and tube boxes were made_ ready. In close action guns were “double shotted’” but only one wad was used to one shot. A _ lee gun was never “kept level while loading” because if the “train tackle” falls or hooks give way the “sponger and loader” men would be crushed between the breast of the gun carriage and the ship’s side. The “lee” side is the side opposite to that from which the wind is blowing; the pressure of the wind on the sails makes a vessel heel over “to leeward” and _ hence a “lee gun” has a natural tendency to take charge and roll outward toward the ship’s side. As to the rapidity of fire attained in these days, the log book of the frigate CONSTITUTION shows that dur- ing the attack on Tripoli, she fired eleven broadsides of round and double headed shot from her “larboard’’ guns in 40 minutes. Her modern counterpart will fire a salvo of 12-inch guns at intervals of scarcely more than one-tenth this time, the energy of each of these modern guns is more than equivalent to the entire broad- side of OLD IRONSIDES. In those days, orders were given slowly and deliber- ately “Handle your match,” “blow your UHUTUUUUCLOUTUUDIOUOTNUUOTUEUUTAETETTTAUOEE UTED EET GUN deck of the U. S. S. CONSTITUTION, port side looking forward. Pho- tograph taken March 8, 1925 at the Navy Yard, Boston. On this deck OLD IRONSIDES carried fifteen 24 pounders on each side —30 in all. Her gallant crew fought here in their bare feet, trousers rolled up to the knee, and with the decks wet down. The capstan for heaving up her anchor is to be seen near the ladder in the right foreground. Just forward of the capstan is the old brake handled bilge pump for clearing the hold from water. TNNUUNUOQNUOOULUOTUOUOQUONEUEEUUOUUGUONLEREREE AAA