Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-05-09
DESERET EVENING NEWS.
Friday. May $. rss,
DARK SIDE OF A NAVY LIFE.
IT Is not ALL FUS ANDFRoLIc. But
VERY LARGELY A BORE.

"The lie OF naval officer is very
far from being an easy or amusing
one in my opinion" said a young
lieutenant. "People generally have
a notion that we do nothing but
lsrk and play, but such is as far rs
possible from being the case. To
begin with, We have TO DO at least
eight hours out OF the twenty-four
Of the hardest sort OF toll work, iu-
deed 50 disagreeable in its character
that there are few kinds o: lahor
which are not pleasant in compari-
son. -Four hours by day and four
hours at night, month after month
and year after year, We must
spend in silently walking a plank,
forbidden to utter word 70 anyone,
unless IL j. necessary 10 make a lOr
NAL communication TO the captain.
and even denied the privilege OF
sitting down il we are tired. Such
is watch duty. You can imagine
how slowly the time must pass, 80
occupied, particularly al night
when The incideHllal responsibility
for the ships safety rests heavy on
the mind. Maybe your night atch
bzgius ~ y. IA. and lasts until II,
If lot you must be engaged in this
pleasing duty from midnight till
in the morning. But all the sane
sou must be through breakfast be-
fore . a. m. and ready for morning
drill. The blue Jackets have TO be
,,IL through their evoIutiOns like
soldiers, marching in squads ant
Dractieing at the guns. In the al
ternoOn il il likely there will Ice an
other drill. During the Intervals Of
such duties you may loaf or go 10
sleep. In this way is life on board
ship made up. For my own part !
would rather live on land"
sIurs HAPPY AND OTHERWISE.
"But you have an agreeable COM
lanionship among your fellow
ofiicersev
ait all depends. When the ward
room mess is composed exclusively
Of Jolly and congenial men things
20 pleasantly. But sucl a fortunate
condition Of affairs is rather the ex-
ceptiOn than the rule. There are
many more unhappy ships in the,
service, as We phrase II, than happy
ONES. You see, social existence
underslch circumstances Is reduced
TO very close quarters, and small
things become serious annOyances.
A dissgreeable fellow, not in any
way to be avoided or got nd OF, can
occasion much discomfort. But the
most common source OF uncOmiort-
ableuess is mere want Of sympathy
among the officers. How can it be
expected that the man OF mature
years could find cOmpaniOnable
n fresh young ensign not long
out Of the naval academy,
or vice versas Such differ
enccs of oge, feelings and opinions
are necessarily productive, il not Of
discoTd, at least Of unhSppiness. II
the executive officer, who always
pres DIES over the ward room mess,
Is an unpleasant person, things are
made exceedingly miserable. he
may behave in 4 tyrarnical man
ner, carrying his authority 10 the
table even. and the very meals VIII
be rendered unpalatable through his
had temper. 1t wOuid hardiy 40 lUi
him To 20 so Ear as TO criticise the
table manners Of the other officers
or 10 insult them in any way, be-
cause they have it in their power 10
seek redress for such an injury by
meeting him on shore and thrashing
him; but ne can do pretty nearly
anything short Of that. Over the
conversation at the board he has
control, and, when he considers
that q discussion has gone fer
enough, he says simply: That viii
do, geutlemen.'
Cone would imagine the position
Of n captain to be very enjoyable
one"