Lith. by J.F. Gedney, Washn. C.K. Stellwagen, del.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR DELIVERING AND DISTRIBUTING POWDER.
180. In making arrangements to deliver and distribute powder from the magazines, for action, the following general considerations and rules should govern:
181. Cartridges, as experience proves, can be passed up each independent chain of scuttles leading from the magazine to the point at which the Powder-boys are to receive the full boxes, at the rate of one every six or seven seconds.
182. Experience also proves that, under the most favorable circumstances, the broadside-guns of a man-of-war cannot be advantageously fired oftener than once in every seventy-five seconds.
Hence it may be received as a rule, that a single chain of passing-scuttles is abundantly sufficient to supply powder for a division of guns as large even as eight of a side; and that it is also sufficient when both sides of such a division are to be used at once, for then the firing of each piece is unavoidably retarded by the division of the guns' crews.
183. No one chain of scuttles should be required to supply cartridges for more than a single description of guns,[3] unless their cartridges be the same in diameter, weight, and form, and their passing-boxes alike, as in the case of the 8-inch shell-gun of 63 cwt. and the 32-pounder of 57 cwt. If, therefore, there be on a deck of guns but one differing from the rest in calibre, class, or assimilation of cartridges, that one should have a separate chain of scuttles for its supply, in order to guard effectually against confusion, or, at least, delay. In a word, each additional calibre or class of guns, unless the cartridges be assimilated and the passing-boxes alike, involves an additional chain of passing-scuttles for its supply; and it should be borne in mind that errors with respect to cartridges of guns of the same calibre, but differing in class, are more to be apprehended than with guns differing only in calibre.
184. If the guns on a deck be all of the same calibre and class, or of like cartridges and passing-boxes, then one chain of scuttles to supply the forward half of those guns, and another to supply the after half, will be all-sufficient.
185. For each chain of passing-scuttles there will probably have to be—
One man in the magazine to deliver charges from the tanks.