It was their duty to watch the temperature day and night and to report the same to the officer of the deck every half hour.
Extreme care was taken to guard against fire.

In case fire was discovered, it was the duty of the man on watch to run and turn on the water--the key for the valve which regulated this being always carried on his wrist.

Then he must notify the officer of the deck, shouting "fire" as he went, after which he must go back and with the hose endeavor to put out the blaze.
Constant, wide-awake, alert watchfulness was necessary.

It was hot and close below, and at night it was almost impossible to keep awake.

It is difficult enough to keep wide awake for an hour's lookout on deck, when there is much to see and the air is brisk and invigorating, but it is quite a different matter to be roused in the middle of the night to stand two hours' watch in a close, hot hold, where nothing more interesting than cases of powder and the bare, blank sides of the ship are to be seen.
At first, the knowledge that the lives of all on board and the safety of the ship herself depended on the alertness of the watch, kept us wide awake and anxious, but as time went on, it grew harder and harder to resist nature's demand for sleep; therefore, when the order was given to unload the ammunition, none were gladder than the men of the "magazine watches." After evening mess the boatswain's mate--he got his orders from the bridge--came aft, shouting as he walked, "All you men who want to go in swimming may do so right away." [Illustration: "HE GOT HIS ORDERS FROM THE BRIDGE"] [Illustration: "ALL YOU MEN WHO WANT TO GO IN SWIMMING MAY DO SO"] There was no doubt as to the popularity of that order.