The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-25

The Captain Gets tho Room, HIS Sabor-
dinates the SQUEEZING

The news that q friend OF the United States
navy had given a library OF 400 volumes TO tn .
ward room Of the cruiser New York indicates
in some measure one difference between the
old navy and the new. Just where library Of
100 volumes would be slowed with any sem
blancs Of convenience IN the ward rooms 81
most American men-of.war It would puzzls
the cleverest salt water librarian to say. Tho
library Of an American nan-ot.war usually
consists Of a few comprehensive volumes Of
encyclopaedia stze and character. Some officers
carry o score or two OF books to sea. slowed In
odd corners Of the tiny closets that open upon
the ward room. and contain bunk. washstand.
and whatever else may be crowded into a
space Of 125 cubic feet The mess sometimes
takes three or four magazines. which follow
the ship round the world. catching up in from
one to six months. When within reach OF.
daily papers the ward room Is an omnivsrous
The fact that the ward room OF the New York
has space tor library Of 400 volumes proves
not only, upon the old navy. but as well upon
her predecessors in the new navy. Eoucty
ashore. EXCEPT PERHAPS tho Car 81 Russia. IS
quite the autocrat that an American nava!
captain IS when upon the quarter deck. This
fact has always been reflected IN American
and Instructive TO compare the cubic coGteat-
OF the average captatn with the cuLl; ,Etent-
OF the ayerass ward room m ass. and th-n BY
proper proportion OF space that the war. room
should occupy, taking the Captains captn as
representing the normal needs Of human
body equal 10 his in cubic contents. There /,
scarcaa ship in the navy that would have
room for the ward room proper 0 the nallest
OF the old ships II th-se Proportions Were oh.
served lc not unIrequently AIIpenS that y
dozen subasterns occupy less than double the
space given up to the Captain. : cabin.
Naval constructors are an euvlrd order ot
beings. They are rked from the very clever.
est cadets at the Naval Academy and sent
abroad TO study their profession at the great
naval schools Of Great Britain ard France
When they come back they are mad naval
constructors and after thar they never 20 70
sea. To this latter fact the 1''irerS who do go 10
sea Ascrite some of the pee ,.Lritlr> 4 Ameri.
to build a new navy few YEA. a-p the naval
architects to.IOWed the OF theory as I" th.
comparative space to o. 1H,yr,lAd to the
Captains cubic contents ant TO thlt OF his
subort!na'ei. one hip. ant = small one too
was bu!lt 80 that forty persrC- aouli st down
70 dinner IN an annex to the i4ptaln'S cabin.
In another The ward room was small thae
had been folded up That styI- # architecture
Raye Sn 0H "ns s'G nj hs m mar4
recent vr- '.!- have larger wal room, aud
few are provided ev,n with tsihrooma In
changin: the re! ltiva proportion .'nertn er-
listing between cabin and ward room without
reducing the former. naval architects have
met with q tHcu!t probl an: for many OF the
new ips are SO crowded with machinery and
hced TO finding space for sill this agh,ing gear.
cubic foot Of space 10 battls ship Is more
precious than drop o. blood 70 man with
severed arte:y.