The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-07-12
4 Boy's life on % 1IaH-of- Var.

A man-of-war is world of wonder and
romance to a boy. Everything about it
has a charm for him. The imposing
hull, hundreds of feet long; the may
network of rigging the frowning bat
terry; the officers, in trim, flashing uni
forms, pacing the decks and giving or
ders to the active men-these bring his
curiosity and admiration to the highest
pitch. In looking upon it all he feels
that he would like to go with it to the
ends of the earth.
It was rare event in the life of the
boy about whom [ am to write, when he
came to live on board such ship I'm
like most boys in naval vessels, he was
under no restraint, having no drudgery
and but little work to do. His father,
Captain in the navy, when ordered to
command the ship, brought his little son
with him to teach him the ways of sailor
life. The boy was named after Admiral
Porter, and he loved the sea.
The ship to which he came lay, at the
time OF this writing, in one of New En-
glands most beautiful harbors. From
the shore she presented fine appear
ance. Her freshly-painted hull shone
like enamel in the bright sunlight, and
her yards and spars glistened almost like
marble shafts. Sixty massive guns pro-
jected from her ports, and hundreds of
officers and men filled her decks and rig
ging with life and movement The
American navy could boast of no more
staUnch and handsome frigate. Besides,
she had history. She was one of the
ships present at the capture of Fort
Fisher during the late war, when her
bows were badly shattered. That she
had been in battle covered her with
glory in the eyes of our young friend
and he stepped on board proudly and
reverently.
Before many days Porter had gained
good knowledge of the ship and of the
routine of life on board, and had made
many warm friends among the men.
They explained the use of everything he
saw, and told him such sea s'yarns - as
only old man-of-war's men can "spin. ,
He followed the sailors aloft, and with
the machinists and fremen visited
strange depths, where he spent much
time wondering at the huge machines
and furnaces.
Dressed in wooden from head to foot
with not even a penknife in his pocket
he went into the magazine In enter.
ing such store-room of gunpowder
not even cotton clothes may be worn
and no metal in any shape is allowed
about the person. The magazine was
lighted from without by lantern shin
ing through thick glass. The powder
was slowed in little closets on either
side, so made that in case of fire they
could be flooded in moment Air
tight tanks contained in other tanks,
with the spaces between lined with
packing, held the powder. Had one OF
the tanks fallen into moderate fire, ii
could have been easily gotten out be-
fore the flames should have reached the
powder. The need of all this precau-
ton was explained to Porter, and after
this visit to the magazine he had but
little wish to play with gunpowder.
1t was not long before Porter could
describe the different parts of ship as
easily as he could the rooms of his faith
er's house, and then he turned his atten.
ton to the men. On a man. of-war, the
crew is arranged into divisions, watches
and messes, each man knowing to which
he belongs, as well as a boy knows his
classes in school. 1t took Porter SONY
time to learn these; but at length he be
came familiar with them all, and even
knew the duties OF the petty officers
from "Jack- f-the-dust to the Captain
of the main-top.
So well were the men drilled that il
the least time possible each one could bt
at his post. They had been trained 81
as to be ready for all sorts of events
Sometimes, at night, the cry of fire
would ring through the ship, and in {
few moments every pump would be hard
at work, and every pipe spouting water
furiously. This was done to prepare
the men for prompt action should fire
really break out. At other times the
men would be aroused. at dead of night,
to fight sham battles, and then volley
after volley would shake the sea, and to
vessels sailing near terrible sea-tight
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