The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-02-13
LIFE IN THE NAVY YARD.

Business Scenes During the Greater Part
OF the Day-Onicers' Relaxation.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard, like most
military and naval posts and reserva-
tioas, is a 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 sol
emn marines with cleaning bayonets
keep guard night and day, he is in an
other atmosphere. The hum of traffic
from the twin cities sounds far away.
Before him is broad street stretching
down to the river, where men-of-war
are living. There are trees and green
grass. ships being repaired and ships
being demolished, marines walking
post and sailors moving about with the
peculiar rolling gait which distin-
pushes the seafaring man. A drive
way leads up little hill to the left, to
the eommandant' house. Before the
house stands an orderly in white gloves
and above his head q flag floats from
the top of lofty pole. About half
way down the main street, in build
ing of yellow br elk, is the offices of the
commandment, where all the headquar-
tiers 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 functionaries. Other
buildings, mostly of yellow brick, scat
tered about the yard are machine-shops,
sail-lofts. store-houseS. etc. There are
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 90 ont of commission or to be re-
paired. For each particular work
there is department. There are the
departments of steam engineering. pro-
visions and clothing, navigation, ord
nance, etc. At an early hour in the
morning the sound of TIE hammer and
the saw begins 10 be heard. the ma
chinery 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 af-
ternoon the business Of the yard is in
full blast Imagine the business of a
great ship-yard combined with the
supply of provisions, the manufacture
ing and supply of clothing for several
thousand men and officers, the making
of sails, ropes. spars. engines. flags
and signals, the supplying OF ordnance
and the thousand and one things that
are used aboard a man-of-war from 8
p,llow-case to a carpet or knife and
fork. Add to this the work of the pay
masters department. where the ac-
counts of all the receipts and disburse-
ments consequent on such a varied bus
mess and the separate accounts of Of
fcers and men and civil employees are
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 Cob Dock the old line-of-battle shin
Vermont Is moored. She is the receiv-
ing ship where men are enlisted and
kept until they are transferred 10 some
sea-gcilg sia p. The officers stationed
o., the Vermont ale gene ally those
w..o have jast c1n- .acA from some