Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-01
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IN EHN Am, to the navy. At present
| IGi INhM\N they number only about
WI jkANWN 2,000 1t is beginning
W. "a few more battalions Of
these hardy fellows are
required to garrison Uncie Sans floating
fortresses. marine is q sea soldier, highly
disciplined with sen legs and a sea stomach
trained gunner and sharpshooter, able and &C.
customed to do everything a sailor does, except
going aloft. But going aloft is an obsolete
practice on a modern war vessel. which carries
no sails. having only one mast called the mil
1tary mast. with two tops, whence rapid fire
guns are designed to hurl shower of proiec-
tiles against the enemy. The new style man
o-war man is rather a soldier aud mechanic
than a sailor. He forms integral part of a
body OF regular troops, housed in an enormous
swimming mass of machinery, which is lighted
and ventilated by electricity
Only a few sailors are really needed on board
of such ship for handy work of certain kinds
Vessels for coast defense are best manned
wholly by soldiers. The naval reserve. now
being organized and trained as a sort of ocean
militia, Is really a body of marines, though the
men composing 1t dressed in sailors
clothes. The idea which they represent is not
at all an economical one. inasmuch they get
seamens wages. Oddly enough, the nav of
sailors is nearly twice what marines receive. A
marine is allowed only S13 month during his
hrst term of enlistment. whereas a seaman gets
S24 month and even lubberly landsman on
vessel Is worth SIS. The reason for this Diff
ference Is simply that sailors difficult to get
and to keep, SO that their value is hi cher in the
market.
HOW SAVING COULD BE MADE.
Thus it is readily seen that q great saving
would be made by reducing the number Of sea-
men in the navy and increasing the force of
marines. The latter. besides being able to do
everything that sailors can do. are perfectly
trained fighting men. The artillerists among
them are carefully educated in the art OF gun
merry and they have every accomplishment.
which regular troops possess being familiar
with military methods both on shore ard afioat.
They understand how to throw up intrench-
ments and to construct Notifications. In view
of these facts how absurd does it seem that the
percentage of marines now employed on our
vessels OF war should only represent from one
fifth to one-sixth of each ships companv-the
same proportion as when war vessels were con-
trol!ed by sails. Great Britain is increasing
the numerical strength of her ROYAL MAJ ines
The law of the United States provides for many
more of these soldiers than the appropria-
tons made by Congress suffice to hire.
Experts of the opinion that a warships
complement of men should be not less than
three-fourths marines. 1t is rather interesting
to consider the fact that the first beginning OF
navy TOT tnlS country was the raising CT two
battahons OF such sea soldiers by the CONT
mental Congress in IT'S. Since then tnev have
formed part of the company OF every sea-going
vessel belonging to the government. Forces of
them are regularly stationed at Newport. Bos-
ton. Brooklyn, Washington, Norfolk, Sitka in
Alaska and six other places. While guarding
Uncle Sans property at those points they are
being trained to take the place of other marines
who are doing sea duty on board Of ships
| Meanwhile they are ready to be called on as
regular troops in case of riot. fire or other
emergencies. How useful they are on such oc-
cesions will be presently shown. Whenever
| there IS trouble at any port where a United
States vessel may be a force OF marines is
landed to resto-e'orde and maintain it, Just as
was the case only the other day at Honolulu
wsAT THEY ARE TAUGHT.
The headquarters of the marine corps is at
Washington. Officers assigned to this branch
of the service on leaving Annapolis are trained
for one year in a school al the barracks here
before joining any ship. They are taught how
to make cartridges. port fires. signal lights and
rockets. learning also how to manufacture eX-
plosiyes, fuses. torpedoes and other engines of
destruction. They are instructed in the art of
preparing and controlling submarine mines. at
The same time getting an acquaintance with
the uses of red-h0t shot. They are drilled in
all sorts of tactics, such have reference to
the crossing of rivers and threading of detiles
In the presence of the enemy as well as nigh {
attacks. They lind out how 10 build walls with
loopholes and acquire knowledge of the
methods by which the bundles of sticks called
fascines and gab;ons are put together and bull Il
| In with embanEments OF earth TO give the latter
sOiidity. Besides all this they hear lectures
and pass examinations on first aids to the III .
| jurec. comprising the treatment OF gunshot
wounds, frost bites. poisoned wounds, fractures
and the restoration % persons partly drowned.
Perhaps TIE most picturesque feature of the
| Is Marine Ea,,. il.
| sldered Ill "A manner TO belong to the President
| OF the nlted States. 1t Is always at his dir
posal, SO that. the nnest music il at his com
| Inand whenever he cares 10 listen to it. At
| White House receptions II is hand with its
| most meio0Ions strains. Every member of it
| must enlist III the ordinary wav and serve five
years as private at S13 month. after which
| he may De promoted through the grades OF
| first, second and third-class musician A first
| class musician gets $50 4 month, a second-class
S2l a month and third-claSs S17 month.
The Leader draws go month. There are thirty
| musicians and ten privates in the band. Every
| man of them gets S4S year extra for PLAYING
| in summer at the grounds of the Capitol and
| the Executive Mansion.
At the first glance it seems astonishing that
| frst-rate musicians should be willing to serve
| for such small pay. The fact is that as a rule
| the men enlist for the sake Of the prestige
which they obtain from five years service In
the Marine Band. After serving out this term
\ tLty nave become att2c0eO TO the ORGANIZATION
and commonly remain with it. They enjoy
many privileges which go far to make up for
| the small remuneration which they receive
| They permitted to earn money outside by
concerts and otherwise, in this way making q
| great many dollars. One source of income to
| them recently has been footing into huge brass
tunnels for making phonograph record cylin-
ders Thousands of these cylinders have beer
sent all over the country, gratifying millions Of
listeners with the music of the Marine Band al
| second hand.
| Most people who have heard this music By
| phonograph have noticed without surprise the
applause which follows the rendition of eact
| piece. These signs OF approval are actually
| made by the members of the band themselves
| who shout and clap soon they have
| finished delivering a selection into the tunnels
| aforesaid. This is part of the business fol
which they are hired, but it is very funny Il
see them applauding their own performance
Mr.. Sousa, who made his reputation as leader
of this musical organization. himself ,
| child Of the Marine Band His father
member of it, and ne himself was trained in i
as a small boy. Twenty-Five drummers ant
buglers. temporarily attached to the band, arr
always in training at the barracks here. The.
are boys enlisted at the age of fourteen to six
teen. and they serve by enlistment up t.
| twenty-one. when they are assigned to ships
1t is their duty in the service to sound the call