The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-03
ON A MAN OF WAR.
DAILY ROUTINE OF DUTY ON
AMERICAN WARSHIPS.
A Visit to One Of Our Naval Vessels
The Pennant Always Flies,
and an Officer is
Ever on Deck.

sci is temporarily or permanently re-
tired from active service. So long as
the pennant flies the quarter must
be .patroled by an officer in uniform.
This vigilance is never relaxed night or
day, whether the ship is sailing hostile
waters in war time or tied to a navy
yard wharf in period of absolute peace.
For twenty-four years the United States
have been at peace with themselves and
all the world, yet in all that time there has
not been an instant, night or day, when
the officer of the deck has not kept watch
on every ship in commission. Discipline,
order, precedence, cleanliness are the
gospel of the United States manor
war.
Here lies ship in commission, moored
at navy-yard wharf. Step on board,
and see how all is done. An orderly
halts you, learns your business and per-
mits you to pass the gang-plank. It is
the cooks galley have been lighted since
2:30, and it is nearly four hours since
the drum and fife sounded the reveille
that brought all hands on deck. At
this sound the seamen awake, dress,
lash up their hammocks and make ready
for bread and coffee.
Then, after a short season Of smoking,
the men "turn to" and wash down the
decks. All is done at the boatswain's
whistle. Two hundred stout seamen
with hose and what not can make
ships deck very clean, but for time ex-
tremely uncomfortable. While this oper-
alton goes on the imperturbable officer
of the deck, in rubber boots, or, shock
ing to say, sometimes in bare feet, keeps
up his ceaseless tramp. At 1880 the
squegees. long handed boards with rub
Der strips on the lower edge, arc applied
to the decks, and the water disappears.
At s o'clock the seamen have their
breakfast of oatmeal, sausage and cof-
fee, or perhaps of hominy, canned meat
and chocolate. Jack is very we'll fed,
and the wittic1sm that lone mans
canned meat is another mans poison"
inspired by the horrors of the British
commissariat IN the Crimea, has not
been applied to the food of the United
States man. of.war's man. At this hour
the colors are hoisted; that is, if it be
week day the United States flag is sent
up to the gaff, or if it be Sunday or
holiday the Union Jack is displayed at
the bow. At $3.50 the men have finished
breakfast, and at OILS they are ready for
work. At this hour the 'sick call''
sounds, and those who are unwell visit
the surgeon in the "sick bay" or ships
hospital, tiny space we'll up in the eye
Of the ship.
By this time the uniform of the day.
has been announced to the officers. 1t
may be any one of half dozen outfits,
and there is disposition to accuse the
powers that be of ordering white duck
on cold days in the north and blue cloth
in the tropics. The Captain decides upon
the uniform of the day unless his ship be
in the presence of an Admiral, in which
case the uniform is signaled from the
flagship to all the other vessels lying in
the same port.
Odd stories are told to illustrate the
rigidity of discipline in the matter of
dress. Should an officer present himself
above the gangp,ank clad with the
slightest deviation from the uniform of
the day he would be instantly ordered
below by the officer of the deck. The
wrong hat, the wrong tie or a single
button out of place would procure this
reprimand.
AT 9:15 the decks are cleared for
"quarters, and at $3.50 the call is
sounded for that interesting perform
ance. "Quarters' is simply the assem-
bling of all on board at their proper
posts. When the sound to quarters is
heard there is scurrying into uniforms
and buckling on of swords in the ward
room. The line officers rush on deck, the
paymaster stands by his safe and the
surgeon looks to his knives. In five min
utes the line officers return to the ward
room with the announcement that the
country is saved one more. Drill fol-
lows quarters. It may be with small
arms, with musket or what not. One
thing is assured, and that is that no sea-
man shall long remain in the possession
of leisure. If nothing needs to be done,
employment is invented. There is paint
ing, mending, washing, splicing. and
a dozen other more or less useful things
of which landsman would not dream.
At 1850 the officers, who have had
coffee and eggs some hours before, are
served with a regular breakfast. AS it
is paid for by themselves it may be as
good or bad as they choose. At the
same hour the ships cook solemnly ap.
proaches the officer of the deck and pre-
sents for his examination samples of the
seamen's dinner. The officer with equal
solemnity tastes each dish, and mayhap
makes hearty meal. The dinner con.
sists of excellent soup, some sort OF
fresh or salt meat, two or three vcgeta-
bles, perhaps coffee and bread. The
meal is served at noon and followed by
pipes and tobacco. At P. NJ. the sea-
men are again ready for work. More
drill follows and the afternoon is filed
up with whatever needs to be done or
can be invented. At four o'clock the
men take light supper, and from five
to six they ''stand by'' to do whatever
work is provided. At six the boatswain
pipes down hammocks, and the men
take the hammocks from the place on
deck where they have been airing all
day long. Pipes, music and yarn
spinning follow until nine o'clock, when
all lights in the forcastle are extin-
puished and the men are supposed to
have turned in. After that all must be
quiet.
At 10 o'clock the ships Corporal en-
tiers the wardroom, or officers quarters,
and, turning out the lights, says: "Ten
o'clock, gentlemen. He then asks each
officer whether he wishes permission to
keep light for some time longer in his
room. An extension of two hours may
be granted. The Corporal reports the
wishes of the officers to the officer of the
deck, the officer of the deck reports them
to the Orderly, the Orderly reports them