PREPARATIONS FOR EXERCISE AT GENERAL QUARTERS, WITHOUT POWDER.
167. Sling the topsail yards and gaffs, and put the preventer braces in place; distribute fighting stoppers and jiggers; stopper the clews of the topsails; get whips on each side of the lower masts for tricing up the pendant tackles, and also the mast-bands and fishes required for securing a crippled mast. Make arrangements for using grapnels; get hauling-lines ready for sending small arms and ammunition into the tops; if not on soundings, haul over boat and boom covers and stop them down; bring up and stow, if down, such hammocks as interfere with the guns, or are in the way of the powder division;[2] haul over and secure the hammock-cloths; hook and mouse the relieving-tackles; place the spare tiller and compass at hand; put the chronometers, and other instruments of navigation, out of the reach of shot; distribute the small arms together with their accoutrements and a supply of filled cartridges, to the men appointed to use them; place axes and hatchets at hand on the spar-deck for clearing away incumbrances at guns; grapnels in mizzen channels with whips to after-davits and spanker-boom end, to hook up any gear likely to foul the screw. In steam vessels, topgallant masts and rigging ready to be sent down and all unnecessary gear unrove.
If underway and on soundings, get the boats ready for hoisting out; the ground-tackle ready for use and keep it clear, and make every preparation for towing, warping, and anchoring with springs on cables; stopper the chains; get lights in the light-rooms, including those of the shell-rooms; light powder division; also gun-decks, if at night, and it be ordered by the Captain; drop magazine screens; get shot and shell whips, and buckets or nets, in place; rig canvas chutes for returning empty passing-boxes; remove every obstruction to the free passage of powder; clear away and open shot-lockers; see the hatchways of the next deck above the powder division properly covered; division and fire-tubs in place, with wet swabs by them, and at the landing of each line of scuttles through which the passing-boxes pass; rig main, force, and channel pumps and fire-engine, which fill with water; get light Jacob-ladders and slings ready for lowering the Carpenters outside, and materials for stopping shot-holes; take down cabin and other bulkheads, when directed, and pass them below; sand the decks; place a bucket of water and a wet swab in rear of each gun, and for all rifle-guns a bucket of oil or prepared grease; have spare breechings at hand; rope ladders for hatchways in place; a bag, to be supplied from one reserve-box, containing a flask of priming-powder and the following spare articles: two locks, four lock-strings, eight thumbstalls, two boring-bits, two priming-wires, a shackle-punch and pins and some old rags, to be slung round the neck of the Quarter Gunner of each division of guns; rammers and sponges placed, and the latter uncapped; one worm in place, on each side of the deck, for each division, and a ladle at hand for each calibre on board; pistols, in frogs furnished with cartridges and caps, and cutlasses and battle-axes, belted round the respective persons designated to wear them; marines accoutred and under arms, and distributed as the Captain may direct; tourniquets to be distributed as may be judged necessary. (See [Articles 139] and [151.])
PREPARATIONS FOR EXERCISE AT GENERAL QUARTERS, WITH POWDER, AS THOUGH ENGAGED IN BATTLE.
168. Crew cast loose the guns; shell-rooms and magazine are opened; powder and shells passed up, and every thing ready for firing, the order for which is awaited. If the beat is followed by orders from the quarter-deck to fire, then this is performed as soon as each gun is ready. In this case, besides what has just been prescribed for a General Exercise without powder, the following further preparations will be made: Put out galley fire and all unauthorized lights; light match and place it in manger; open magazines and powder-tanks, and also shell-rooms, when ordered; close and secure air-ports; fill division and fire tubs with fresh water; place cans of fresh water and wet swabs in magazines and shell-rooms; light up the cockpit, or other place, for the wounded; place mattresses, and if there be room, sling spare cots; get ready the amputating-table, instruments, bandages, lint, medicines; have a plentiful supply of fresh water and swabs, and sprinkle the decks. Make a particular examination of all the arrangements for extinguishing fire; see that force-pumps and hose are in good order, and the men stationed at them in their places.
Speed being one of the principal elements of military force, steamers will, on going into action, have all the furnaces clean, and the fires in condition to make steam rapidly.
The beat to quarters for action is therefore a signal to start fires in any furnaces not in use.
PROVIDING BROADSIDE-GUNS.
169. When the exercise of broadside-guns is to be confined to one side only, each gun's crew is to provide its own gun, on the side at which it is ordered to assemble, as follows: but when the guns on both sides are to be exercised at once, each part of a gun's crew is to provide its own gun; each Captain, Loader, Sponger, &c., doing separately what is done by both himself and his second when the exercise is confined to one side only.
170. Captains of guns to provide themselves with percussion-primers, thumbstalls, and priming-wire, and to see that the men of their respective parts of the gun's crew discharge their several duties promptly and carefully.