New-York tribune., 1884-12-28
LIFE IN THE NAVY YARD.
LITTLE WORLD BY ITSELF.

BUSINESS SCENES DURING THE GREATER PART
OP THE DAY-oFFiCERs' RELAXATION.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard, like most military and
naval posts aud reservations is little world of
itself. When one passes through the squalid part
of the city that lies about its walls and enters the
great gates, where the solemn marines with gleain-
ing bayonets keep guard night aud dav,
he is In another atmosphere. The hum OF traffic
from the twin cities sounds far away. Before him
ls broad street stretching down to the river where
,nenuf wat are lyiug There are trees and green
grace ships being repaired ani ships being deiul-
ished. marines walking pust ana sailors ifovihr
ah0ui with ihe peculiar thllinr gait which listih-
sp,sbps tha qpafafine Matt driveway leads ip
ilie hi ~ ihe tan, ~ tte commandments h6usei
hpffe tho hensa stands 90 6fieilf ~ white Gloves
snd aheve his head mas Heats fioa lhe tep
Ut mffY pnin, AhHnl half way f0wa
the ,aaia slgaet ~ building Vt yeiaw
bTok, 10 tho ohiGas Ut the nommandant,
where all tho headquarters business of the " Naval
station Of N0w-Yufk" is transacted Here also Is
the ooo of tho captain of tho yard and one or two
other funotonares. Other buildings, mostly of
yellow brick scattered about tho yard ara ma
chine shops sailiofts, re-housos oto There are
two immense wooden structures, under one OF
which IL the unfinished frgate New York and I'M
der the other tho old Colossus, now being demol-
ishcd.
In this the chief naval station of the United
States there Is always plenty of work to be done,
for ships-of- war are always being fitted out for
sea- or come In to go out of commission or to be re-
paired For each particular work there
Is a department There are the departments OF
steam engineering provisions and clothing, nayi-
eaton ordnance e.c the bammer anu ap the saw bs
gins 10 be heard the machinery starts M, the w0rk-
men and clerks arrive, the officers In charge oil the
.tart tl.atr nfa
4 o'clock In the afternoon the business OF the yard
Is III full blast Imagine the business OF u great
shp-yard combined with tho supply OF provisions,
the manufacturing and supply OF clothing Tor sew
eral Thousand men and officers, the making OF sails
ropes spars engines flags and signals the supplying
of ordnance and the thousand aud ono things that
are used aboard "A man-Of-war from pllOW-case 10
aoarpet or knife and fork. Add to this the work OF
the paymasters department, where The accounts OF
all the receipts and disbursements oohseIuenu oa
such a varied business ana the separate accounts
of officers and men and Glyll employees are KEPT,
and We will got s0nie idea OF tho work at the navy
Yard .,,,... ~, ao,,.u.,
worth of lOyernment property and the sale 0f con-
dsmned property 20 be taken mo oohslitislioI
over at The Cob l,oek the olI illn-ol-ntIa'o snlp
Vermont 10 moOTod. She Ia tho receiving shin where
mon arc enlisted aud kept nnt tlhi ara linhsiniiun
10 sonle hea-gong ship, The oIlinnfs nlatloheh on
nS s, oNss NssE asE fr" @ ssS Long or"ac ara soei
Lsra ~ pnt lilln resi- alh lneipn'h'n Flou p#if
in iha morning nnll poop DO oIrr'H nln hnpl nvay
with Tho Iuuilin Mnih ~ wv hh'lI WV, ",'i''F
tho men, hlppnH Inoiulthl nlp, IIp" "u'"..t
uujll jhn dinner hour, At MN WuinNh WV NWn
yoom IL deserted aud iho curtains ~" 'linwn nNiY"
jIe ,o0,s Jf tbs olnsfa slaie'ip0nla honn h,uly'
mn to, e,nlnnniOn Tor promotion ilh hulnh ~
ll A, proolnlnH that Ona IL rull lyhtlnH hh ihhHuh
ablltienl another may be- Attending lu hia ru''"'
np0nienoe ~ indngng ~ general l''rih'uin' NJ
poftiOn of iha tlme too, N eohAnnru Wy w" ,n"n,n. n,n.
rers IN feading up On matters pertaining 10 thnit
u,ofessIop fof American naval 0iiorfH nfn luHtly
u,oud of their reputation u" iho n.ni.
lni,isd aetof naval officers ~ the world u, 'nhton
uertainins 10 thor pfofcaaisn and Httiyr bon"Hty
to deserve H. II ~ p0ssibln that some oi tn "no'i'
,nay have their afternoon bfokrn ~ upon NY M Or
dor 10 take draft ~ mon 20 Noffoik NowPott W
Uoaton, OF by nh order to attend gchof"' oo"'''
A, 5:iO tho officers NIL moct NJ hcdnnct tatlo IN
The ward room Other officers from soinc Hhip iyinR
M tho ward or u civilian friend or two may De pIos
ant at fhis time aud when tho smoke OK po,tPinI,
dial cigarettes minglcs with tho nrotnn OF pincx
rofcs what ptories are told OF strange ndventurcs
bonnod nv land and seair Then the thundors OF
Mobile bay awake anew. tho Corcan Tiger n,ff
Iii the storm, that blow of Hatteras and the horn
nre oossd again There stories OF Arctic OK ploi
alton too and the fchenrsng OF many nn 31 Ioecna
handed down from the time OF Hull, faui Jones uI
Deratur and heard nowhere except on Z ,hanui ,,ui,
war The stranger Mt that board seeing tne epa,it
which animates his hosts will go awai sa,sttSn H.
pnst and hopes OF the future TO the oncers Vi ""0
The evenings the officers have 10 thcnsclyes I'M
III 10 oylock, when tho iiElts nrt pu. o"' A"N
sisep and siierc. reign over tho great ship
A--T IL