Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-14
MARINES ON SHIP.
AN IMPORTANT YAoroR IN A
NAVY.
The Duties, Training, and discipline OF
the MarineS-rhsy are Disliksd BY
the eeamen.
Nav York TImos.l

rnent who have come IN LOT greater
share of contumely and received less
nraise for actual service rendered than
have the marines Of the United States
navy From time immemorial 1t has
been Jack's saying in response to all
donbtfnl stories, "Tell that to the ma
rines." for the tars as a set are most In
credulous fellows, and the hearty con-
ternpt in which they hold the marines is
sufficient TO incite the firing OF volley
Of epithets at the latter on the slightest
proyocation.
II is amusing, too, TO see with what
avidity the young apprentices seize hold
of the preiudices OF the able feamen, and
n person only need go aboard one OF tho
cruising training-ships to hear the young
sters bayl out with all the zest OF an old
shell back, "Oh you Hottentot ma
rlne
Rut the marines, who are they? To
begin with. finer set OF men never mus
tered under American officers than those
composing the file of tho marine corps.
The very remoteness of their duty and
tbe dininutiveness of their guards
have tended to shroud in oblivion tie
deeds of the " commands OF tins liltle
corps. and only now and then, when
the details of some great naval action or
affair abroad are made public, Is there
noticed. as a rule, conspicuous men
ton OF the CALAMITY OF the ma
rines." Aside from this the knowledge
one has OF the marines is CLEANED from
the distorted pages OF Peter simple
or Midshipman Easy" Again, when
some cable dispatch from far-away
station announces that during q turbu-
lent scene on shore a body Of marines
was landed and defended not only HE
out property, the public for the time be-
inc query concerning the men who per-
formed this duty, and then, alter lew
days, forget the whole occurrence
The duty OF a marine aboard ship IS
essentially that of a policeman, and by
reason of this very duty no fraternizing
can he safely permitted between tae
"guard and the men forward. As 10
the tsr, any one acquainted with bis
devil-me-care spirit and wild, iun LOVING
nature must know how lac looks upon
anv one put over Him as a check. The
tar looks no to pnd respects his officers,
for he fears them. but the marine Ee
hates. for it is the marine who gets hlm
in trouble. But if marines were not Il
feature of a man-oi-war it IS doubtful
whether the discipline required OF
crew OF 800 men would be OF
that efficient nature now IN force
Our navy is peculiarly distinctive
in its method of mobilization
when compared with similar institutions
abroad. In the first place our service
offers better pa7, better duty, ana great
er emoluments than does any other ser
vice in the world.
The pay of an able seaman in the
American navy, fer instance, IS equal 10
that obtained by the majority OF captains
sailing in command Of vessels from Nor
weeian and north OF Europe ports in
general and as to the pay of seaman
in these latter vessels it would hardly
suffice to keep an American man of-war )
man IN tobacco, let alone having any
money for 4" liberty ashore" With such
inducements staring the world-roylng
sailor in the face, is it to be Won
dered ut that be seizes an opportunity
to enlist in the United states navy? 40
down to the receivlngships at the Gov
eminent Davy-yards any day and witness
the number Of men constantly applying
for "chance." IN observer viii be
struck with the variety Of naiionalities
represented IN the motley assemblages,
for "ours is the only service that takes
men regardless Of their birth. The re-
suit is that on all American vessels OF
war the proportion Of foreign TO native
element Is i'll the ratio Of about two thirds
the former to one third Of the latter.
When the Shenandoah LETT Boston lew
years ago for a cruise in European wa
tiers it was found that among the men
forward there were twenty-One different
nationalities. 10 be sure the trolling
Shenandoah, as the vessel was lamilarly
known in the navy from her rolling pro-
pensities in n seaway, generally had the
reputation of carrying the hardest crew
on the station, but notwithstanding the
reports of braWls on shore, coupled with
q Wholesale use of double irons, some
wonderful Punnery scores and state
ments of proficiency used to come III
monthly from that same Shenandoah.
Now, when the motley and decidedly
Heterogeneous assembiaGe called ships
complement Of "seamen is marched
aboard there will be found in it men OF
reckless and dangerous character, actu-
ated 10y different sentiments and al pos
sessinR highly-cultiyated propensiiIes ior
mischief, 80 much 30 that 1t becomes i'm
peralive to have check over their spirits
and inclinations. There must be some
impossible line, barrier between thie
element and the little knot of officers
gathered aft. This barrier is found in
the line OF steel, the wall of bayonets
presented by an imperturbable and
never-tinching marine guard.
All United States war vessels carry q
marine guard, ranging in size, however,
from a captains command OF fifty to
sixty men on flagship to a corporal
squad on a monitor. When q ship is
about to 20 in commission her marine
guard, which has been previously de-
tailed, is marched aboard and stands in
readiness to salute the ensign as II
floats ont from the peak. From this mo-
ment until the expiration OF the three
years cruise the guard watches that
"element forward" with constancy
that allows of no relaxation. When thG
three years cruise is at an end, when the
seamenwho have been shipmates through
every trial and hardship are about C
march ashore and sever their associa-
tons, that stern and implecaule marine
guard may be seen In line on deck and
under arms-the last to leave the YES
sel-and as the lag is hauled down they
give the last salute to the colors they
have defended.
The marines have warm admirers il
those persons who are acquainted with
their sterling worth and necessity. Say:
Admiral Wilkes: "The marines con
stitute the great had almost said the
only-diflerence between q man Of wal
and a privateer." "They are" adds
another writer, "the bulwark between