The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-11-19
A SHIPS OFFICERS.
DUTIES OF A SAILING VESSELS CAP.
TAIN AND MATES.
The Third Mates Place an Unpleasant
One-The Second Mates Work.Imp0r.
CAPTAIN Supreme.

The Third Mates Place an Unpleasant
One-The Second Mates Work-Impor.
tance Of the First Mates Omce-Ths
Captain Supreme.
The Office of third mate in large ship
IL generally IN unpleasant one, dispen-
sing the stores being one Of his duties.
and the men always growing ct the
quantity as well as the quality Of the
provisions. In some ships, however,
The third mate commands no watch, but
assists the chief mate in his. Like the
chief and second mates, he takes NO
wheel, and, beside going aloft to top
sail, he will lend hand to q topgallant-
sail or jib. He works about deck the
same as the other seamen. II he Is smart
at his work the mates gives him fancy
job on the rigging or elsewhere; indeed,
1t Is necessary that he should, as he r.
supposed to be the leader of the watch,
and for this reason, as much as his COM
parative youth, some men show jealous
feeling. It is the third mates duty to
walk the poop, or otherwise look after
the ships welfare, while the officer Of
the watch is below getting his meals.
SECOND AND FIRST MATES.
It is commonly said ut sea that q man
still keeps his tarry hands by becoming
second mate; but in reality this saying
applies more to former days, when he
was often picked out from the crew by
the captain, and expected to turn his
hand to anything. Now, although he
lends hand here and there at some lit
tie job, yet he would not dip his hands in
tar pot unless specially ordered to do so
by the captain or chief mate, showing
that although his duty, as well as any
other, the practice has died out. In
furling a sail the second mate goes aloft
with the watch to the courses and top
s9iis, but no higher. He usually has
charge of all the boating in the harbor,
such as taking the captain ashore, or
fetching things off; or ut sea, where
boat is lowered, in boarding another ship.
The chief or first mate is the superin-
tending officer, and is known aboard ship
as the mate, par excellence. His duties
are very important. In taking in cargo,
he must give an acknowledgment, called
the mates receipt, for all goods slowed
in the hold, and for deficiencies in these
he is answerable. When the ship is in
port, the chief mate commands much
more than at sea, the captain being the
greater part of the time away ashore Sec
ing merchants, shippers, etc. At sea or
in port he never goes aloft, neither does
he put his hand to any work, excepting
when he chooses to give q haul on q
rope. 1t is the chief mates duty to keep
the log book, an exceedingly responsible
trust At the end of each watch the
officer enters upon the log slate, usually
placed in the chief mates berth, the
courses, distance run, winds, and any
matter of particular interest. From this
slate every twenty-four hours the chief
mate copies into the official log book,
after submitting it to the captain, who
seldom makes an alteration. The mates
are always addressed by the captain and
the crew with 'Mr." pref1xed to the sur
name, and are answered with "Sir;" an
omission in doing so would. if inten-
tional, be against the rules of the service
and would lead to difficulties.
THE CAPTAINS AUTHORITY.
The captain has supreme authority
aboard, even to regulating the hours Of
work and rest. His word is law To re-
fuJe obedience is mutiny. He can order
a man to be put in irons at any moment
of the day or night; yet, notwithstanding
this power, it is very seldom, fortunately,
that events demand its enforcement.
The sole command in the navigation and
working of the ship rests also with the
captain. When he is on deck, the
weather side of the poop belongs solely to
him; the officer of the watch steps over
on the lee side. In wearing, lacking,
and in other "all hands" work, the cap
tain commands aft, the chief mate for.
ward, and the second mate in the waist.
In the ordinary daily work the captain
does not superintend personally, but in
structs the chief mate, who sees that tho
work is carried on properly. If the cap
tain should find fault with the way any
man may be doing his work, he never adj
dresses him personally, but through the
officer of the watch.
Sometimes it happens, much to Jacks
disgust, that a steamboat officer is
placed in command of his ship, whose
want of experience tells severely upon
the discipline of the ship, in the long run.
Steam officers and men are far less fit to
ship in sailing vessels than men from
TIE latter to ship in steamers, steamboat
captains understanding but indifferently
the management of sailing ships, and
steamboat sailors being generally only
capable of cleaning brass and scrubbing
patchwork, or any other work under the
category of sand and canvas. 1t is COM
mon for a regular sailor to say, half hu-
morously, when seized with a temporary
fit of disgust with his seafaring life: "I'u
knock off the sea and 60 in steamboat"
I'M. G. d. " in Brooklyn Eagle