The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-05-12
DUB SOLDIERS or TIE SEA.
THE HAHrNxs WHO oARHIson
UNCLE SANS FLOATING FORTS.
rhe Now stvIe IEsn-0-wars Man II
Noe DGuch of . Ssiior-The "Horse
MsrinoS.S
.HE United States Marine Corrs
~ 10 likely to be increased nu.

aanber only about 1000. Il Is begin.
n,ng to bo realised that few moro bat
taiions OF these hardy fellows are
required to garrison Uncle Sans aostiny
tortresses. A marine Is q sea soldier,
highly disciplined, with s,a leg, aad
sea stomach; trained gunncr aud sharp.
shooter, able aud accustomed to do every
thing sailor does, except going aloft.
But going sloft Is an obsolete practic,
on modern war vessel, which carries
no sails, having only one mast, called the
"military mast" with two tops, whence
rapid firing guns are designed to hurl
shower Of projectiles against the enemy.
The new style man-o'-war's man is
rather q soldier and a mechanic than o
sailor. He forms an inte .rsl part OF o
body OF regular troops, housed In au
enormous mass OF floating machinery,
which Is lighted and ventilatel by cleo
tricity. Only few sailors are really
needed on board such q ship, for handy
work OF certain kinds. Vessels for coast
defense are best m,aned wholly by ssi
l soldiers. The Naval Reserve now be.
Ing organized and trained as a. sort OF
ocean militia, IL really body OF m ,riues
though the men composing 1t are dressed
In sailors clothes.
Tne idea which they represent Is not
at all an economical ono, inas much ~
they got seansns wages. Oddly enough,
the pay OF sailor. Is nearly twice what
marines rec,ive. A marine is allowed
only $l3 q month during his first term OF
| enlistment, wheresS sesntr gets S5l
| month, aud even lubbsrly lan1,min on
, vessel is worth $l5. The reason for
this difference Is simply th,t sailors are
difficult to got ani to kosp, so that their
value Is higher In ths market.
Thu, 1t Is readily seen that great
saving would be msde by reducing tho
number OF seameu in tho Navy aul In.
creasing the forco Of IN rine,.
Experts are ot tho opinlon that war.
ships complement OF man siould b, not
less than three. .fourths marines. II Is
rather interesting to consider tho fact
that the first bo ginning Of navy for thus
;ountry va, tho raising Of two battalion,
Of such sea soldiers by tho Coltin,ntL
Congress In 1775. Siuco thou thoY havo
formed part OF tho co n.,nry Of every
,ea. going yes s,el belonging to tho G ,vern-
n,nt. Forces OF them are regularly
Itationed at Newport, Boston, Broptlyn,
Washington, Norfolk, Sitka in Alaska
nd six other places.
While guarding Uaclc S,n's property
It those points they are being trained to
axe the place OF other m,rins who are
lping sea duty on board of ships. Meln.
rhile they are really to be cllle Oh aI
eSular troops in case Of riot, hro or
thcr emergencies. How useful they arc
N such occssious will bo presently
hown. Wnenevor thero Is trouble at
ny port where United States vessel
Gay be, a force Of marine, is laudsl to
e,tore order aud m .intsiu it, just as was
he case only the other day at Honolulu.
The headquarters OF the Msriuo Corps
at Washin ston. On ;ers assigned to
his branch Of tho service on leaving
Annapolis are trained for one year in u
chool at tho barracks here bsfore join.
ng any ship. They are taught how to
n'kc cartridges, port-ires, signal light,
md rockets, learning also how to m,nu.
acture explosives, fuses, torpoloc, au
'ther engines Of destruction. Tnoy are
instructed in tho art OF preparing AL
controlling submarine miues, at the san,
ime getting au acqu ,intauce with tho
Hes Of red hot shot. Thoy are drillc
all sorts Of tactics, such rs havo refer
,nce to the crossing Of rivers AMI threld.
ng Of detiles in tho presence of the
ncmy, as we'll as night attacks.
They Rnd out how to build walls with
oop-holes, and acquire n knowledge Of
he methods by which tho bun ilos Of
ticks called fascines aud gabions are pat
o yether AMI built ia with etn,ankments
II earth to give the latter solidity. Be-.
ides all this they hear lectures and pass
examinations on first aids to tho injured,
comprising the treatment Of the gunshot
wounds. frost bites, poisoned wounl Is,
fractures, aud tho restoration Of persons
partly drowned.
Perhaps tho most picturesque feature
II the corps is the Marine Band. This
)aud is considered in manner to belong
% the President Of the United States. 1t
,aiways nj mis- disposal, so that the linc5t
music is at his command whenever he
sares to listen to it. At White House
receptions it is on hand with its .mos.
nelodious strains. Every member Of it
must enlist in the ordinary way and serve
i've years as private at Si3 month,
after which he NY be prom ,te through
the grades Of first, second aud third class
musician.
Mr.. Sousa, who has made his reputa.
ton as leader Of this music Il org,lizI.
lion, was himself "a child Of the NJ, urine
Band. His father was member Of 1t,
aud hc himself was trained in it as u
small boy. Twenty-Five dru nmers an
buglers temporarily attached to the bad
are always in training at the barracks
here. They are boys enlisted at the age
IT fourteen to sixteen, and they serve by
enlistment up to twenty.one. whea they
are assigned to ships. 1t is their duty
in the service to sound the calls to
quarters in the morning, for hosting or
pulling down the flags, etc., whether on
shore or on board.
During the cholera scare of last sum.
mer the marines encamped at Sandy
Hook kept guard over the people who
were landed from the infected vessels
and prevented them from getting away
to spread the plague. Fifty of them
we're sent from Washington. Within
forty minutes from the receipt of tele.