The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-02-11
SCENES IN A NAVY YARD.
A LITTLE WORLD BY ITSELF, AND
WHAT GOES Oh THERE.

A LITTLE WORLD By ITSELF, AND
WHAT GOES Oh THERE.
Ships In Course Of Construction and
DemOIishment-Thc Routine OF
q Days Work.
The Brooklyn navy yard, like most
military and naval posts and reserva-
lions, is q little world of itself. When
ono passes through the squalid part of
the city that lies about its walls and en-
tiers the great gates, where the solemn
marines with cleaning bayonets keep
guard night ard day, he is in another at
mospherc. The hum of traffic from the
twin cities sounds far away. Before him
is q broad street stretching down to the
river, where men.of. war ere lying.
There arc trees and green grass, ships
being repaired and ships being demol-
ishcd, marines walking post and sailors
moving about with the peculiar rolling
gait which distinguishes the seafaring
man. A driveway leads up a little hill
to the left, to the commandments house.
Before the house stands an orderly in
white gloves, and above his head q flag
floats from the top of q lofty pole. About
half aydown the main street, in a build
ing of yellow brick, is the offices OF
the commandment. where all the head
quarters business of the Naval
Station of New York" is transacted.
Here also is the Office of the captain of
the yard and one or two other function
aries. Other buildings, mostly of yell
low brick, scattered about the yard are
machine shops, sail-lofts, store Houses,
etc. There arc two immense wooden
structures, under one of which is the
unfinished frigate New York, and under
the other the old Colossus, now being
demolished.
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 60 out of commission or to be re-
paired. For each particular work there
is q department. There are the depart
ments of steam engineering, provisions
and clothing, navigation, ordnance, etc.
At an early hour in the morning the
sound of the hammer and saw begins to
be heard, the machinery starts up, the
workmen and clerks arrive, the officers
in charge of the different departments
enter their Offices, and until four o'clock
in the afternoon the business of the yard
is in full blast. Imagine the business
of q great ship yard combined with the
supply of provisions, and manufacturing
and supply of clothing for several
thousand men and officers, the making
of sails, ropes, spars, engines, flags and
signals, the supplying ordnance and
the thousand and one things that
are used aboard u man-of-war from q
pillow case to u carpet or knife and fork.
Add to this the work of the paymaster's
department, where the accounts of all
the receipts and disbursements consc-
ouent on such q varied business and the
separate accounts of officers and men and
civil employees arc kept, and we will get
some idea of the work at the navy yard.
Then there is the care of millions OF
dollars worth of government property
and the sale of condemned property to
be taken into consideration. Over at
the Cobb dock the old line-of-battle ship
Vermont is moored. She is the receiv-
ing ship, where men are enlisted and
kept until they are transferred to some
sea going ship. The officers stationed on
the Vermont are generally those who
have just come back from sorre long
cruise, and are sent here to get a little
rest and recuperatc. From early III the
morning until noon the officers are. kept
busy with the routine work OF the ship,
with drilling the men, shipping recruits,
etc. From 1 o'clock until the dinner
hour, at 5 :3O o'clock, the ward room door
is deserted, and the curtains are drawn
before the doors of the officers state
rooms. Some studying for examination
for promotion; the sound of a guitar
proclaims that one is cultivating his mu'
steal abilities; another may be attending
to his correspondence or indulging in
general literature. a portion of this
time, too, is consumed by the Off
GERS in reading up on mat.
tiers pertaining to their
profession, for American naval officers
are justly proud of their reputation US
the best Informed set of naval officers in
the world in matters pertaining to their
profession and strive honestly to deserve
it. Is is possible that some of the officers
may have their afternoon broken in upon
by an order to take q draft of men to
Norfolk, Newport or Boston, or by an
order to attend a general court-martial.
At $50 the officers all meet at the din
table in the ward-room. Other off.
GERS from some ship lying at the yard or
a civilian friend or two may be present
at this time, and when the smoke OF post.
prandial cigarettes mingles with the
OF black coffee what stories are
told of "strange adventures Mapped
by land and sea-" Then the thunders of
Mobile bay awake anew, the Corean
tigcr-fag goes down in defeat once more,
and all the storms that blow off Hatteras
and the Horn are loosened again. There
are stories Of Arctic exploration, too, and
the rehearsing Of many an old legend
handed down from the time of Hull,
Paul Jones or Decatur, and heard no.
where except on a man-of-war. The
stranger at that board, seeing the spirit
which animates his hopes, will go away
satisfied that America may safely COM
NIT her pride Of the past and hopes of
the future to the officers Of whom these
are examples.
The evenings the officers have to
themselves until 10 o'clock, when the
lights are put out and sleep and silence
over the great ship.-Aew York.
Tribune.