Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-10-17
A WARSHIP MUSTER.
AN IMPORTANT CEREMONY on BOARD
or a BIG MAN-oF-WAR.


AN IMPORTANT CEREMONY ON BOARD
or a BIG MAN-oF-WAR.
Once Month Every Man on Board shsp
Must Look His very Hest. ami At the
End All Hands Forward FOLLOW m Old
Custom and Go Around the Nsst.
General muster is ceremony Of great
Importance on man-of-war. Unlike
other musters ard 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 Il
reserved for this purpose. but II often
happens that two or three months elapse
between general musters.
At three bells C9:30 A. Nj the call fos
quarters Is sounded by the bugIers 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 arr
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 az 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
| The navigator's division Is composed
mostly Of petty officers. such as 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. TINS relieving the sailors
/ who belong to guns' crews. Their station
at quarters is forward on the spar deck
ALL SATIoSALITIEs REPRESENTED.
Next come the two parts Of the powder
division, composed OF petty officers, cooks
and servants The officer of the division
needs to be Iinguist. for usually all ma,
tionalities are Observation-Disclosures, 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 a
hard time making the men keepin present
able appearance. At target practice and
| other drills it u 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, ~
falls into line and the brilliant colors Of
their uniforms present a most gaudy APP
pearance. Ii a flagship, the admiral's band,
in a uniform Respondent with red trim
f.Il-, F. l.
Of the poop.
ALL OFFICERS IN FULL DRESS
At general muster all officers are in full
dress, with cooked hats and epaulets and
gold lace ON coat and trousers The men
must all be in their best and clean, with
shoes polished and clothes well brushed.
The uniforms worn must be strictly reguli.-
ton This is one of the hardest triaS of a
man-of-war s-man now-to wear a re1Ils-
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-
speetful 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
I hoard side of the deck The axacutiva IF
ficer, that person of great authority, step:
forward and reads the Articles for the
Government of the Navy"
This is long and tedious document set
ting forth the punishments to be giveT
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 il
1 the navy during the preceding month
Sometimes there are twenty or more o
these, and the officer shows signs of fatigu,
, before the task is completed.
MUSTER IN THE srARBoAgD GANGwAY.
The reading of these rules and regula
2 tions is at last concluded and the executiy,
officer, grown hoarse by reason of so mucl
reading heaves sigh of relief
/ Inc OftlcF ID lueu given ID
I the boatswain's mates for all petty officer
to muster in the starboard gangway
Here, in two long ranks, are the men VIII.
{ have charge of much of the work done Of
board ship. At the end nearest the quar-
e ter deck stands the master-at-aruls, an,
E then come yeomen. writers, machinists
E the apothecary, printer, painter, electrician
l. bandmaste., boatswain's mates, gunners
: mates, quartermasters oilers, water tend
l ers and ships corporals. These men ar
= often Americans, and many of them are ex
; apprentices. Their duties are important
r and they are trusted more than the othe
| members of the crew.
+ The paymaster or pay clerk starts I
muster the crew, calling out each man
full name, and the latter answers with hi
rating. When the petty officers are al
r mustered, they are allowed to leave and g
L forward. always being cautioned to kee
quiet.
Then follows a scene which reminds on
of the old days of the navy-a custom hun
dreds of years old, borrowed original
/ from the English, like many of the moder
5 innovations. such as the design of UNI
s form 1t is called going around tn
- mast"
y When each mans name is called he ar
n swers with his rating. as Ordinary sea
l. man. SIR" removes his cap and walk
f around the mast to the starboard side an
u goes forward. This is kept up until all
f seamen, ordinary seamen, landsmen. coz