The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-16
A WARsHIP MUSTER.
AN IMPORTANT CEREMONY ON BOARD
OF A BIG MAN-OF-WAR.

Custom and Go Around the Mast.
General muster Is a ceremony Of great
Importance on a man-of-war. Unlike
other musters and routine drills which
take place day after day with the utmost
regularity, this grand function takes place
not oftener than once a month. On most
warships the first Sunday of each month Is
reserved for this purpose, but it often
happens that two or three months elapse
between general musters.
At three bells (9:30 A. M the call for
Quarters is sounded by the buglers and
the men take their places in the different
divisions. The sailors or deck hands who
compose the guns crews are stationed on
the starboard side of the deck and are
usually divided into four classes, known
respectively as the first, second, third and
fourth divisions In charge of each is
deck officer usually lieutenant, and an
ensign is assigned as junior officer.
On the port side of the deck are mus
tered the navigator's division, the forward
powder division, the after powder division,
the engineers division, the marine guard,
and, if On a flagship, the band.
mostly of petty officers, such rs ships
writers, quartermasterS, carpenters, dy
namo machinists, the ships cook, signal
boys, etc. When the ship goes into action
their duty is to take charge of the naviga-
ton of the ship, thus relieving the sailors
who belong to guns crews. Their station
at quarters is forward on the spar deck.
ALL EATIoNALITIES REPRESENTED.
= be IF z ba
division, composed of petty officers cooks
and servants. The officer Of the division
needs to be linguist. for usually all ma
tionalities are represented Japanese, Chi
nese, Africans, Germans, Swedes, Russians,
Greeks, Italians and occasionally an Amer
lean. This is usually counted the scrub"
division of ship, and the officers have
hard time making the men keep in present
able appearance. At target practice and
other drills it is supposed to make the poor.
est record.
The engineers division is com posed OF
machinists, boiler makers, oilers, firemen
and coal beavers, and is in charge of the
chief engineer, with the junior officers of
his corps as assistants. On the quarter
deck the marine guard, "the bulwark be-
tween the wardroom and the forecastle,"
their uniforms present a most gaudy ap-
pearance. If flag Zip, the admiral's band,
in uniform respl ndent with red trim
mings, falls in farther aft under the break
of the poop.
ALL OFFICERS IN PULL DRESS
At gen al muster all officers are IN full
dress, wi cooked hats and epaulets and
gold lace coat and trousers. The men
IpIISt all in their hest and c1aan with
shoes polished and clothes well brushed |
The uniforms worn must be strictly regula-
tion. This is one of the hardest trials of
man-of-war s-man now-to wear regula- !
ton fiat cap. The new uniform adopted is
said by them to be ridiculous, and no good |
sailor will wear one OF these hats ashore.
After the divisions have been mustered !
they are marched aft and formed into a
hollow square upon the quarter deck, and (
the chaplain reads the prayers, while the
men stand with uncovered heads in re-
spectful attitude. The divisions are then |
marched back TO their stations and dis
missed.
Hardly have the men broken ranks when |
the boatswain's mates whistles are heard, |
followed by the gruff voices of the old sea- |
men as they repeat the order "All hands !
to muster" The men then throng back !
and form just forward of the quarter deck. /
The petty officers form by themselves just |
forward of the mainmast. The ships OF !
fcers, according to rank, form on the star /
board side of the deck. The executive Of |
fcer, that person of great authority, steps
forward and reads the Articles for the /
Government of the Navy"
This is long and tedious document set
ting forth the punishments to be given
both officers and enlisted seamen for vari- |
GUS offenses, ranging from wrecking wal
vessel down to coming aboard intoxicated |
The punishments are necessarily severe |
Then follows the reading of the proceed. !
ings of all general courts martial held in .
the navy during the preceding month.
Sometimes there are twenty or more OF |
these, and the officer shows signs of fatigue
before the task is completed.
MUSTER IN THE sTAEBOARD GANGwAY.
The reading of these rules and regula- |
tons is at last concluded and the executive
officer grown hoarse by reason of SO much !
reading, heaves a sigh of relief.
The order is then given and repeated by
the boatswain's mates for ali petty officers /
to muster in the starboard gangway. |
Here, in two long ranks, are the men who /
have charge of much of the work done on
board ship. At the end nearest the quar-.
ter deck stands the maSter-at-arms and |
then come yeomen. writers, machiniStS,
the apothecary, printer, painter, electrician,
bandmaster, boatswain's mates gunnersi
mates, quartermasters, oilers, water tend
ers and ships corporals. These men are
often Americans, and many of them are ex.
apprentices. Their duties are important,
and they are trusted more than the other
members of the crew.
The paymaster or pay clerk starts t1
muster the crew, calling out each mans
full name, and the latter answers with his
rating. When the petty officers are ali
mustered, they are allowed to leave and GO
forward, always being cautioned TO keep
quiet.
Then follows a scene which reminds one
of the old days of the navy-a custom hun
dreds of years old, borrowed originally
from the English, like many of the modern
innovations, such as the design of uni
form 1t is called going around the
mast"
When each mans name is called he an
swers with his rating, as Ordinary sea
man, sir" removes his cap and walks
around the mast to the starboard side and
goes forward. This is kept up until all
seamen, ordinary seamen. landsmen. coal
beavers, firemen and baudsmen-have
passed under the inspection OF the captain,
who stands near the mainmast intently
watching and forming an opinion of each
man as he passes before him When al
have gone forward the order is given by