New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-09

| tHc DlS guns Will FtIlUer naluu 10 mana hight
| ing almost impossible. as most engagements
must be decided at long range. =
1t seems, too, to be the opinion of naval
men that the introduction of such heavy
! artillery will have the effect of decreasing
the personal casualties, as generally ship
| will become disabled before MANY of her
men are hurt. So one more element of the
romance Of the sea is gone to oblivion. No
| more bo;trders away" no more call to repel
boarders. No more will little, manfuI mid
shipman Willie save the Captain from a
fatal blow by shying his hat in the face of
the advancing enemy. Never again, even if
>wOmen's rights attain their fullest position
| will the gallant captain after a hard fought
hand to hand battle,
| Make her head and chief commander
Ofthe valiant Thunder Bomb"
As a reward for heroic deeds achieved in
hand TO hand combats.
We have. previously, stated the compile
ment OF men to be one hundred and eighty
nine. 1t may seem strange that the shin
should not have a crew that would reckon up
in round numbers but the men are assigned
+ to the ship, so many for every gur, the
larger guns requiring of course a greater
number of men than smaller ones.
III addition TO the seamen aboard. the ship
has a company of marines. twenty-fOur in
number, who are drilled in infantry tactics,
but are also trained to assist in working the
great guns. The marines do duty as police
of the ship, and are invariably detailed as
sentries.
During the past few years, besides Gre
ating the rank of admiral in tie navy, sew
eral changes have been made i'll regard to
differing "a ship of war. The introduction
of steam necessitated an additional and
different class of officers than before. Be-
sides this. there has been grade intro
duced between the rank of lieutenant and
mdshipman-that. of ensign: and grade
between that OF lieutenant and columan-
der-that of lieutenant commander.
The duties of officers are, We. believe, not
much changed however. If we are not
mistaken the post of executive officer
(tantamount to first Geutenant), must be
filled by a lieutenant commander. Since
the establishment of the national naval
school at Annapolis, in 1915. a midshipman
is required to spend four years at the school
before entering the navy. Once appointed,
he rises from grade to grade. Each officer
takes his turn IN carrying on the duty of
the ship. For this purpose, as is generally
known, the twenty-fOur hours of day and
night are divided into Watches, seven in
number. OF these five are four hours in
duration. and the other two each half as
long. Thus the watch going on at eight
o'clock 2. N. last till twelve. the second
watch till A. NJ, the third till 4. NJ, the
L NJ.
Then come the two short watches from four
to six. and from six to eight. after which
the five long watches 90 on again.
The object of the short watches is to vary
the routine. so that each officer will Just
have the same duty every day. Those short
watches here spoken of are called "dOg-
Watches but the origin of the name is
not known. One of the gentlemanly Off
GERS. i'll reply to a question why they are
dog watches. told us that it is because they
are cur-toiied. The solution ought to be
satisfactory; it is sufficiently comical SO to
be.
We made somewhat minute inquiries re-
specting the PERSONAL of the crew, their
manners and habits. and were agreeably sur
prised 10 find that Jack" has kept full step !
with the march of improvement going on |
around him and that the man-ofwal's men |
of the present day tat least in the American |
navy is no more like the tar of whom Smol-
let wrote. than the Sharps carhine is like |
the matchbox tusee OF generations ago.
Two things have, no doubt, much con-
tributed TO the Improvement of the sailor
and the elevation of his character-tile
abolishnent OF the whisky ration, and of
punishment.
The refining influence of sObriety can not
be disputed. and SO sailors seem to have had
recourse. little by little, to class of occu-
patton. an amusement of a better sort than |
formerly. They take every opportunity to
read the Journals OF the day, they indulge to
considerable extent in periodical and pic
tOrial literature. Some Of them read works |
Of grave cast requiring thought. but gen.
,rally they content themselves with light
literature. From six until nine o'clock in
he evening, those who are not on watch in
lulge, with few exceptions, in singing and
lancing.
The singing must have progressed like
.verytbing else, it may well be believed,
when the sailors sing such sons as when
he swallows hOmeward fly" and az one of
he officers informed us, sing it WELL there
'eing Il number of good voices an board.
Their repertoire includes large number of |
omic and sentimental songs, as well as war
itties. They have on board the TuscarOra. |
n organized minstrel troupe, the instrl-
lentation of which consists of q flute,
cordeOn, tamborine, two banjoes. cornet, :
riargle and bones.
The follow ing extract from a printed bill S
f the performances of the "Tuscarora :
amateur Minstrel Troupe while the ship
~ at Pensacola will gives some idea of
autica amusements of the present day:
Overture by orchestra, songs Were Com
lg, Sister Mary" "Gipsy Dany." Lone I
tary Hours" Seeing Nellie Home" Then 7
re have comic, such as Paddy Miles," mo il
rish Need Apply Dutch limitations of
etc. All this is mixed up with
ances OF various kinds. Among +
lora McShea, Tommey Lightfoot, signor
riclly, and Mynheer Vousweicomspeiler.
together, there is abundant evidence Il
lat the crew of the Tuscarora will not
,oil for want OF the comic element We b
ere informed by the executive officer that
le ships company consists of good, relia-
e men, with hardly an exception; that :
hy,1a of Ii Il | =,
lse of intoxication among the ''iberty q
en-" seldom happens. We remarked with :,
me little upsetting of our previous ideas
]out the sternness of sea manners, how |
tile things seemed to differ from those of o
~ well conducted establishment on shore, | h
ith gentlemen at the head of it. :,
We will conclude our sketch by few u
ords respecting the vessel, which is the "
biect of it. Il
The sloop of war Tuscarora was built at p
Philadelphia in the year 1862. The building y
cupied only ninety days. She was fitted II
It principally to cruise in search Of the
abama, and is las sailors talk sister to
e kearsarge, famous for sinking the Con- y
derate vessel near the coast of France. y
pc Iuscarora NJ two hundred and seven
ct in length over all, has thirty-two feet Ct
eadth OF beam greatest spreadI; her main al
asst is one hundred and six feet from deck 81
truck. She has an engine W
six hundred horse power, and, using hf- m
en- tons of coal per day, makes about seven N
lots an hour. When equipped for 8 cruise sc
e carries two hundred tons of coal. At r.
., except in cases of emergency, ehe uses
lis instead of steam She has now been pl
commission (for her last cruise) two years
d six months She was fitted out near id
n Francisco, and after cruising year in nj
Q Pacific, at length made her way to the HI
,ters of the Gulf w
Her object in visiting New Orleans is to al