New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-20
TIE NAVY FROM TIE INSIDE.

EXTRACTS FROM MIDsIiIPMAN'S LITTER HOii'
The following Is an extract from private letter.
rom u ynnng officer In the Navy. to n friend NJ NOME
Bucnos Ayrcs.
Strange indeed it Is how the family gets scattered
to the four winds You nav lke beng lar away ioin
the United States Boston in particular, ana - may
wish TO remain in Russia; but shall be Only 100 s''
10 get back the sooner the better
We have been her, Just two weeks today; LETT New
York on the 9th November and Hampton hoad' oi
the Eth On the way down we touch'N III OF
Thomas coaled at ST. Lucia and took on board water
at Barbados. We made this port from Baibalocs
In sixteen DAYS: Christmas and Years Day at
sea We are down here 10 be ready for Chill. AN
amicable settlement will send us back TO the s'ae'
nv June but war will keep us here an indefinite uo
that is it will keep away from the Cnhch states ;
II matters little where we are, away from hohis' We
are not there So slight difference in our gcogaph
cal position makes no difference to u.s.
since we left Hampton Roads the majority OF US
myself included therein unhappily, have had no man
nor hive heard word from those we left behhu
This seven weeks experience of practically soi'r,
living has suggested TO me how intolcrable must oc
the life Of an orphan. Left without relatives III! nrs'
object would be speedy matrimony lhcse P'd'oS W.
M, seen, half as interesting as they would II mans
heart were trife opened BY stray letter o'ea'c''
come in By twos and threes: our ordercS 90 10 'ie
n,stofnce and to the Consul's-and return empty
mess Is attraction for mail Of all KINDS ana 'l' u'
Of seven weeks almost makes me thin
This harbor was well filed with mcn-of-war wheh
we came in. three German ships, LeiPAg' '"PN'io
and Alexandrine; three Englshmen' Sleopa'iT'' paS
l,sk and Maybe; two Spanards, nautilus ana 'o'o"
an ItalIan cunboht: the French Sane ana tiucc OF
four Uruguay all gunboaS about the size OF inc ou
Speedwell. We we're al day se''n's '"i''s" '"'
Wo or too crowded to breathe freely. In the
Storage. OF course midshpmcn can stand anything
In theory and never was theory more '"'''
carried ont in practice. You wouh tmhR tha' " i"''
1oxl8 Is ncne too large for one man % i've III !o'
eleven OF Us now stow all OF cur clotiies' mciuuns
table and bed linen and dress in hls one room" AZ 'c
same time; while the whole mess OF eighteen tihc
their neals here At breakfast time the two processes
NJ eating and dressing 60 concnrcnty; hahin"hs
are pipcd up at = and some OF these E]y' S"'N
people take second doze in the messlVou besihiHS
TO dress at half past :.
Unfortunately my LIT has been cast with men that
associated with but slightly at the Academy indeed
ba,o are ONLY one or two that would ever know ont
side of the service Many details are dissusue 30
will not bore You with them; but had begun on
another ship | might not soon have made up INV
mind IN change although Storage life Is not the cause
Of my decision.
These old chaps, imbeclles on the list Of Captains
punctuate their communications with their young
gentlemen with "whcn ] waa q mdshlphan'' A"o"
feeble minds cannot grasp tie idea That "hile 'ncS
have not changed everything else has IL tniS co'
scrvatisn In the Navy thas makes me wish 10 hhVc.
The Old STYLE was suited TO Obi ships, where they hnd
sharp sail and spar drills and no steam 10 Do'hcr
them; but the attempt TO make old ncthods III he"
saps results In loss of interest, in HNty ana IN
efficiency that cannot be remedch without RADICAL
change. These ships have about hall san power
many Of them Taking this ship as an example. marx
cid nde
stiff breeze the quarter, We can make three AhoE
AGAINST the wind under steam, the resistance Of our
top hamper reduces her speed down from lo 10 10
spare steering wheel has been fitted on the siarLoar
side Of the poop 30 that the hemsman can see tho
weather leech Of the fore topsa when She IS smiling
On the wind" -. for heavens sake what Will
she do on the other tack, when the hclmsman can't
SEQ the weather leechl
! Our deck force Is shorthandch and yet there are
fortv-one marlues on board. 10 do nothing bat maize
dirt Half Of them man three guns, but the others,
as rlfemen, would bc killed before an enemy WINS
time already in the United states Navy The academy
was all right discipline ana p%hu,oe 1cSup'n aod
there bat there Is rot enough 10 DO I" suit me- ana
Yon viii perceive by this strain in which write
not find anything to admire in the uanagcneut Of tic
ship; and being undvcrted most Of the time, have
leisure to be frett"d and annoyed by the unpea iit
nature Of the Surnrcnes hat msht ! poured G {
my woes In much The sane way TO another person by
| letter: pardon for inhictsne them on You.
These little West Indian places We visited are hardly
| worth mentioning. It. Lucia i the port where our
vessels generally coal. st. Thomas would Ike T. be;
that is the principal difference barbados Is much
larger ana more interesting. beiog city Of importance
MontevdeO is q very decent pincc. but prices are
high. One Is sorcy tempted t. buy, but must be
satisfied 10 look In most cases. The cheap purcia'e
Is Iottcry ticket. The tickets hawkcd on tie
streets. Hike newspapers IN %"w-York downtown. The
CITY Is much HE one # OWN. not 30 hustlng
but with many Of the same custom, and sights. But
EucDos Ayrce is far ahead Of M0nt,vidco.
one Of the best Institutions In Montcvidco IS thC
! swimming bath. There two large. cool and Il"
frcshing. with comfortable dressing rooms and bic
towels thrown in mot into the pDOsl all for twenty
cents some Of Us went every day, for the weather f.
warm.
I'll write Of nuenos Ayrcs Heaven knows shall
! probably know the town well enough before gel
away honlewad for CHA
Yours,