Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-08

A receiving ship is to the navy about what a
recruiting Office is to the army. At every navy
yard throughout the country is stationed re-
ceiving ship and there applicants for positions
in Uncle Sans fleet Of boats are examined and
If accepted are kept until sent to some seago-
ing vessel that is shorthanded and needs more
men. Such are the duties Of the Dale. As she lies
now. firmly moored to the shore, she looks to be
nothing but dismantied hulk rising and fall
ing with the tide. 1t is no easy matter to see
the lines Of beauty in her now. She might
almost as we'll be an old overgrown canal boat
as the staunch saucy-looking craft history says
she once was and yet she has been at her pres
ent berth only about five years. Previous to
that she was used as the practice ship of the
middies at Annapolis and many lively cruise
she has probably had with them. In speaking
OF the Dale as one sees her now one is tempted
to regard her as a sailors boarding house, for
that is really what she is. The port holes from
which the faces Of cannon used to frown 80
short time ago are now supplied with window
frames and the most commonplace Of window
glass.
FLOATING HOUSE
The upper deck is rooted over and cut with
windows, really making it a good large room.
The masts are gone, there are ropes around,
and unless person knew beforehand where he
was he would be very excusable if he we're not
quite sure just what sort Of a building he was
in. Even the sailors who make up the ships
company seem to have lost something of the
salt that generally hangs around men Of that
class and almost seem to feel that they are only
playing at being sailors in q boat that they are
only pretending is able to go to sea. STAR
reporter, who is anything but q nautical man,
spent an afternoon recently in wandering over
the ship and talking with the men in the steer
age and with the ward room officers about their
life on a stormy wave where the storms come
not and the waves are OF the most
insignificant character. When he mad
vertently spoke of going up and down
stairs and of the different stories instead of
decks, and worst of all called the hold the
cellar, he was not treated with anything like
the amount of scorn and contempt the circum-
stances called for. No one called him a land
lubber or told him to Delay there or made fun
of the fresh water to which he was accustomed.
for In the company Of a receiving ship q man
may sign the articles, serve his time and get
his honorable discharge without ever getting a
Whit OF salt water. Imagine a sailor, genu-
Inc sailor, with anchors and chain cables tat
tooed all over his body, who did not even know
whether he would be seasick IL he had chance.
and with whom .'sea legs" would only be a
matter for conjecture and wonder.
BERTHs ON RECEIVING SHIP.
1t would not be fair, however, to suppose for
an instant that all the company on receiving
ships are fresh water sailors. In fact very few
VI tncH arc. ~ ID PHEASANT position COM
pared with u sea trip, although likely to be-
come monotonous, and is a berth sought after
by veteran salts who do not object to a year 9
shore duty, for that is about what it amounts
to. Whenever a vacancy occurs the first appli-
cant who answers all the physical requirements
and signs articles is the one who gets the place.
and landsman just entering the navy fire.
quently arrives at the nick Of time. In the
general navy the service is three years. but on
board receiving ships it is only one. A
queer state of things arises Just here.
TO be appointed a policeman in this
city one must be able to show an honorable
discharge from either the army or the navy.
Now the period Of enlistment in the army ia
five years. in the navy three-either one long
time to serve before being eligible to position
along with the other city defenders As re-
suit 1t has frequently happened that applicants
for positions on the force have waited around,
keeping their eyes on the Dale, and whenever
a vacancy occurs step in and sign articles lust
in time to get an easy berth for year. Then
with big discharge in their hands, they are in
position to ask for the baton and badge. The
time that The STAR reporter spent on board the
Dale was pleasantly occupied. Nothing could be
more hospitable than the reception he received
from officers and men, and he was granted full
liberty to wander all around the old hulk at
his pleasure.