The New York herald., 1871-10-23
WAITING FOR ALEXIS.


Admirnps Fiagship-When win He Come e
The Vessels Of the Squadron and Their PER-
s0nnel.
steamer OF small size, nne day and a clear
conscience are three things likely to make a ,r,p
down the Bay highly enjoyable at this season OF the
year. You can walk on the limited deck forward
well az the potato barrels and bread baskets Will
permit you, or you ambulate the leeward side
and take In successfully through your oactories the
odor OF oil from the machinery and the perfume Of
simmering salt Junk from the galley. When these
have cloycd your senses with delight you can enter
the pilot house and enjoy cigar, the CLEAN OF the
sunshine on the rippled wsters the gentle slopes OF
Staten Island the big guns at the FORTS and then you
can listen TO the perverse chaning between the man
at the wheel ana his friends the Captain and some
nautical Diogenes who can also make the spoke ny
round. The HERALD reporter after while fell bacK
On listening to the char. The man at the wheel
answered to the name or .Joe.n What fatality OF
ridlcule there Is In the bare mention OF the worI
lug oapsain looked ut the helmsman as . living
JOKE ana for no other apparent reason than that he
Doro the Aforesaid comic cOgnonen. DiO9enes
snaried at him good humoredly for the same reason.
Joe was OF an earnest turn OF mind and was con-
stanty making earnest remarks, whereupon
Dlogenes would jeer and the Captain laugh. said
Joe.
'Vapn, I'd dream last night.u t#rrn
"wel, what dye dreami'
"You know that mecrschaum pipe lost over.
0oardr,
ibid you nnd isg' quotn Diogenes.
..No," said Joe.
"Then what's the good o. dreaming about ~,
snarled Diogenes.
"S'elp me, dream't was smoking it.r
"Don't mind him, Cap'n,n interposed Diogenes;
''he's got 'em bad; them Brooklyn boys Is after
him. - ....
Joe steered and steered, but could not propifiato
his rOrmentCrs until Lower Quarantine was passed,
when Dogenes took the helm and told him mildly
10 put his mead In bag II ne couldn't steer any bet
ter. The vessels OF the United States squadron
were now looming up ahead, and after an amount
Of backing, shouting and steering Diogenes the
little steamer along the port side Of the frigato
Congress and the reporter skipped chats nautica
up the ladder and was IN ltanty lace 70 face with
the marine on guard upon the limited platform,
which IS his sentry walk.
"WhOm do you want " r'
Admiral Rowan 8E ef
.'See the officer on deck SIR"
Steps on deck and finds a number OF officers on
deck, but at length discovers the exact one de-
sired In the person Oi courteous lieutenant com
Admiral below. l saunter on the snowy spar deck
WI winch me au'n 1aner ,ore a, and arr saar aar gaze
aU tae rigging 'ns 'spes scneray Ss 50 Hopeless ana
landsman IKE myself. Everything Is snug, clean
and neat. A marine comes on deck and respect
fully asks tnat go below and see the Admiral,
whose quarters are aft, on the gun deck. Vice Ad-
mirai Rowan ~ tall. well-bur man, with aquilino
features, gray mustache ana hair, and gray perc-
lug eyes-every inch commander. He welcomes
me on board, and has no objection In the world To
nnd loom, the Congress being already somewhat
CROWDED This part or the business was soon scttel,
spmSns nT qasrssrs ms being M the only Sleeping
vacant IN the ship and that only tor the night.
sssas n my nre reom w ns 10
tnese gallant young admiras OF the future am soon
ut home; Tor y there Is On onhand hospitaole class
IN the world IL the naval officers 1t Is neverthe-
less curious study how much reserve and dlsci-
plume there is between the various grades wnicn
and tapers on to me bow Of tho ship. AT Of all
ss ss me Saa almost ely Alone Then
como the officers ABOVE The grade Of midsnpmen,
next the midshipmeu themselves, and following
them boaiswain, gunner, carpenter and sailmaker.
Beyond them the marines and crew, until the bow.
| The mcsses follow In the sane order.
and tne gun deck, where officers and
smoke and Just ,csse as srSy ody
along this deck and observe the Captain ~ he
soleinn,y walks up and down pu,hng his Havana on
the port side outside his office; on the starDoard
side the officers pun In q circle and cnaL Forward
OF the next big gun the midshipmen are grouped
crew pun IN as many groups as they please. need
not continue TINS necessary routine to tho
does does NOT interfere IN IHe slightest with the
good feeling which pervades all hands, from
|
Everything on board the Congress looks as H. when
tile Russian neet arrives, they Will be able to see
what one OF Uncle SANS ships of. war can LOOK IKE
rails, such efficiency everywhere, froIn manning the
gums 70 manning the yards There are sixteen Of
broadside and two sxty.pound rides, bow aiid
stern chasers. The able Captain Il. X Davenport.
mander w. 4. Sampson, aided BY oil the officers.
have brought the discipline OF the crew into sha pc
that VIII compare with any man-of-war in the
world. The other vessels oil the squadron tne
Severn, a sister ship to the Congress, carrying
niteen guns, under Commander VI. Il. FltzhnRh;
Jroquos, six guns, Commander h. A. Adams;
Kansas. four guns Commander Chester Hatfield,
and The tender rallaPO0sa, Lieutenant McRtchie.
Between ali the vessels there Is lively cOmpeti-
tion In the matter OF drll aud exercise. Morning
n4a Ss a1a when as the oea aa @
signal nags are run down 1t Is pretty sight 70 see
the actvehmbed tars scramble up tho rigging ike
Cats. Isaw the order given IN the morning, .HoIst
topgallantmasts and yards" The crews were AL
piped on deck, number Of them stood on the bu-
ana a. sha. ey
20 the points assigned them. Tne taper
the topmasts, and then the yards running up
TO be swung across as soon as In their place, Then
legs could carry them, amid the peculiar shr toot
ing OF the boatsw aims Whistles The Congress was
tnat was accomplished the band on deck struck up
"HaIl Coumbia.' The men take the iivciiest In
terest 10 these compei!lons Lne feeling On BOARD y
thing is possible; beyond that thereyis the afore-
said determination to show the Muscovite our best
side OUT. 1hus it II tnat the navy IL waiting for
Alexis, occupying iisel1 In spare moments about
any thing in the way OF news that win prove inter-
e5;lng 4Mnfsl -@@a. H#W N4yNlw F@j
The following Is list OF the oflcers Of the CON
gress- A~ 4A'i "Nt@
Vtce AdDlifdi-S. G. Rowan. .s ...E4. f.. s.st
Ctptufn-H X. Davenport.
Leutenu0{ C0,amaadefs--W. ]. sampson, B. T..
Day and Phil. II. Cooper. M t.fhHA
.S,rgeOn-Ed. =. Bogert
Pdynustor-George C0chrane.
ChftJ Eao,ee,.--E. h. La,ch. -U ~4A
tLielitenaais-C, ii. stockton, =. r. Arnold and q.
M. Hunter.
e Mase,s-J. v. b. Bleeckcr, II. q. Hunter, wiliiam
II. Errett, Edward Z. W God, II. G. .. Colby. - rs
Fvrst ASSISTANT EnOinetr-C. II. Greenleaf.
second Assistant Engineer--T. w. Fitch. is vftf
Assistdn S,nOeot-H. l.. Law.
& N Midshipmen-C. II. vreeland, @. +. w. Holman,
T. G. Spcer A. IL. C0bb, w. f. Seae, Il l..
Greene, i. G. O. Salter, Charles Terrell, j. c. Free
man. nrf IL fv8 HrnE ef4 lIM#.H - = -alt aa
First Ltplifenaja or Ndrtnes-Frank ID. Webster.
Iay Cte1.H--w :. Underdown. M'a.HN#ihR
BOQts,rdin--JOhn Hall. 49,. .seg .. Ii .s-...s