A man-of-war, from the fact that she carries such a heavy deck load in the shape of her turrets6 and big guns, not to mention her ponderous8 cage masts, rolls to a much greater extent than an ordinary craft, and the Manhattan proved no exception to the rule. The great mass of steel[129] that in harbor looked as impossible to disturb as the Rock of Gibraltar itself, was a plaything of the gale and the seas.
The wireless9 kept the rear-admiral and the commander informed of all that was going on on board the other craft of the squadron, and all reported that they were making good weather of it, despite the fury of the sea. But speed was still kept down to ten knots, and it was only when the Manhattan rose on the top of a big comber that those on board, except the men kept constantly stationed in the tops, could sight the other ships steaming on through the storm in column formation.
Many of the greener hands were incapacitated by sea-sickness, and several seamen10 were in the ship’s hospital for minor11 injuries incurred12 on the decks. Orders had been issued that the men were to take no chances, and those not on duty were to remain below. Ned and Herc, being petty officers, were on duty every day during that week,[130] and on the third day of the blow they found a moment’s leisure to chat in the lee of the big thirteen-inch turret7 forward.
“Well, this is a corker and no mistake,” remarked Herc. “I thought that ‘Pacific’ meant nice and gentle and all that. This ocean is just about as quiet as a mad bear with the toothache.”
“It’s about as bad a blow as we’ve been in since we were in the service,” agreed Ned; “but a ship like this is in no danger. It is just uncomfortable, that’s all, and we will have to put up with it like sailors till it decides to quit.”
“That’s so, I suppose,” said Herc, “but I’m getting sick of being wet through all the time.”
“You’re no worse off than any of the rest of us, Herc,” laughed Ned; “and say, by the way, have you noticed a peculiar13 odor about the ship for the last few hours?”
“A sort of rotten-eggy smell?” asked Herc.
“Well, I suppose that describes it as well as anything else. But, Herc,” and here Ned came[131] close to his comrade, “I’m almost sure that the odor is that of coal gas.”
“Coal gas! Where from?”
“From the coal bunkers, of course.”
“What of it?”
“Just this, that I think we ought to investigate. I don’t want to cause an alarm without due cause, but if there is coal gas coming from the bunkers, it means only one thing.”
Herc was struck by the gravity of Ned’s voice. He faced around on him.
“What do you mean?”
“I heard a fireman say that the coal we took on at ’Frisco was damp when it was loaded. It has been rolled about now for three days in this storm, setting up a lot of friction14.”
“Yes.”
“Well, that odor of coal gas may mean spontaneous combustion15.”
“That’s too deep for me. Sponbustible what?”
“In other words, fire!”
[132]
“Fire!”
Herc’s face blanched16. There is no more terrible word at sea, and no wonder Ned had hesitated to voice his suspicions before. On an ordinary ship it is bad enough, but on a floating arsenal17 of high explosives, such as is the modern fighting ship, it has an added terror.
“Gracious, Ned! Don’t, for goodness sake, say a word of this! You’ll have the whole ship in a scare.”
“That is just why I don’t mean to say anything till I’m sure. I’ve noticed that the odor is strongest by those port ventilating pipes yonder. I’m going over to investigate again. Want to join me?”
“Serious! That’s no name for it. That is why I want to make dead sure before I report my suspicions.”
The two boys made their way, not without difficulty,[133] to the port ventilating pipes mentioned by Ned. These pipes are especially designed to ventilate the coal carried in necessarily large quantities by cruising battleships.
As almost everyone is aware, there is no more dangerous cargo19 than coal, especially if it has been loaded while damp. Spontaneous combustion is the dreaded20 foe21 of all colliers, and a modern battleship carries to the full as much coal as the ordinary collier. No wonder, then, that every precaution is taken to guard against the combustion of the dangerous cargo.
“Now,” said Ned, as they approached the ventilators, “do you notice how much stronger the odor is here?”
“I should say I did. It smells like the old furnace did at home when something went wrong with it.”
Ned went up to one of the ventilators and poked22 his face against the opening. He staggered back coughing and choking. As he did so, from[134] the ventilator’s mouth came a tiny wisp of yellowish-green smoke. It was instantly whipped away by the wind. But both boys had seen it. There was no longer room for any doubt.
The constant rolling and plunging23 of the ship combined with the dampness of the coal taken on at San Francisco, had caused spontaneous combustion to be set up, and the port bunkers of the Manhattan were on fire!
“There’s no doubt about it now,” breathed Ned to Herc, in what was almost a whisper.
He knew to the full what a grave situation faced them. Of course, the lucky fact that he had discovered the fire before it had, presumably, made much headway, was in favor of its quick suppression. But it was not a thing to be faced lightly.
“What are you going to do?” asked Herc.
“Inform the captain at once.”
“On the bridge?”
“Yes. It may be a breach24 of discipline, but[135] it’s a case where necessity goes ahead of etiquette25.”
“Why don’t you send word by an orderly?”
“Because the news would leak out all over the ship and cause no end of flurry and excitement. As it is, they may be able to check the fire’s headway without anyone being any the wiser till the danger is all over.”
Ned started for the bridge. As he did so another little puff26 of smoke, the danger signal of impending27 calamity28, issued from the ventilator. There was no time to be lost, and Ned knew it as he hastened aft with his alarming intelligence.
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收听单词发音
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1
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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2
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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3
smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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4
lark
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| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
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5
rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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6
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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7
turret
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| n.塔楼，角塔 | |
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8
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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9
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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10
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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11
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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12
incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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13
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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14
friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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15
combustion
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| n.燃烧；氧化；骚动 | |
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16
blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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17
arsenal
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| n.兵工厂，军械库 | |
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18
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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19
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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20
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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21
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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22
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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23
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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24
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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25
etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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26
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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27
impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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28
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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