Page:America Fallen!.djvu/177

Rh a snapping crash, a burst of flame, a drift of light-brown smoke, and the 1,400-pound shell was away on its flight. Twenty seconds later a beautiful snow-white column rose a little short of the German flagship and slightly astern. The "spotter," his eyes glued to his glasses, called into the mouthpiece of his telephone: "Up 300; left 6."

Down to the central station below the water-line went the message. The necessary corrections in the elevation of the gun were there figured out and telephoned to the sight-setter at the gun. Again a shell sped to the mark. This time the splash was beyond the ship and ahead. "Down 200; right 3," called the spotter. And now the necessary corrections being made on every gun in the ship's battery, the fire-control officer, holding the cross-hairs of his telescope on the German flagship, pressed a button and all the 14-inch