The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-05-12
OUR SOLDIERS OF THE SEA.
THE MARINES WHO GARRISON
UNCLE SAM'S FLOATING FORTS.
Tho New Style Men-o-War's Man Is
Not Much of Saiior-rhe Horse
Marines


mericslly by the new Congress.
More of these fighting men are
needed for the battleships which are be-
ing added to the Navy. Atpresent they
nunber only about 1000. It i, begin
ning to be realized that a few more bat
! salions OF these hardy fellows are
required to garrison Uncle Sans fioltiuy
fortresse,. A marine i, sea soldier,
highly discipline l, with s,a legs aad
sea sto mach; a trained gunner and sharp.
shooter, able aud acoustic ne to do every
thing sailor does, except going aloft.
But going aloft is an obsolete practic,
on a modern war vessel, which carries
no sails, having only one mast, called the
"military mast" with two tops, whenca
rapid-firing guns are designed to hurl a
shower Of projectiles against tho enemy.
The now style man-o'-war's man is
rather soldier and a mechanic than
| sailor. He forms an inte ,ral part Of o
| body Of regular troops, housed in an
enormous mass Of floating machinery,
which is lighted and ventilated by elec.
tricity. Only few sailors are really
needed on board such ship, for handy
work Of certain kinds. Vessels for coast
/
soldiers. The Naval Reserve now bs.
ing organized and traine1 as q. sort OF
ocean militia, is really body Of m,riues
though the men composing it are dressed
in sailors clothes.
| Tue idea which they represent is not
at all an econonical ono, mas much az
they get seansn's wages. Oddly enough,
the pay Of sailors is nearly twice vhat
marines receive. A marine is allowed
only $l3 month during his first term os
| enlistment, whereas a sesn,n gets SSl \
month, aud evea a lubbsrly lau1sm, on
, vessel is worth Sl5. The reason for
this difference is simply thlt sailors are
difficult to got a11 to keep, SO tuas their
value is higher in the mtrket.
| Thu', 1t is readily seen that great
saving would be nude by reducing tho
number Of seameu in the Navy aul ln.
creasiug the force Of IN ,rine,.
Experts are Of the opinion that war
ships complement Of men siould be not
less than three -fourths marines. 1t is
Gather interesting to consider tho fact
that the first be ginning Of navy for this
:ountry was tho raisiu Of two b,ttalions
,f such sea soldiers by the Coltiu,nt,l
Congress in 1775. Siucc thea they hsyo
formed part Of the CO n.)lry Of every
,es- going vessel belolyiny to the G >vern-
nont. Forces of them are regularly
tationed at Newport, Boston, Bro,tlyn,
| Washington, Norfolk, Sitka in Alaska
nd six other places.
While guarding Uacle SIMS property
It those points they are being trained to
| axe the place of other marin = who are
lring sea duty on board of ships. MelI-
rhile they are really to be cllle Oh az
esular troops in case Of riot, iro or
thcr emergencies. Hoy " useful they are
n SUCH occasions will be presently
hown. Whenever there is trouble at
NY port where Uhited States vessel
aay be, force Of marines is laudsl to
estore order aud IN sintsin it, just as was
he case only the other day at Honolulu.
The headquarters OF the Marine Corps
sat Washin ston. OH GERS assigned to
his branch Of the service on leaving
Annapolis are trained for one year in a
chool at the barracks here bsfore join.
ng any ship. They are taught how to
n'ke cartridges, port-ires, signal lishts
md rockets, learning also how to mlau.
acture explosives, fuses, torpelocs au
'ther engines Of destruction. Tney are
instructed in the art Of preparing aai
controlling submarine miues, at the sane
ime getting an acquaintance with the
ises Of red dhot shot. Tnoy are drillc
n all sorts Of tactics, such as have refer
J ,nce to the crossing Of rivers an1 threld.
ng Of defiles in the presence of the
,nemy, as we'll as night attacks.
| Co. hru II.
oop-holes, and acquire knowledge Of
he methods by which the bun lies o;
ticks called fascines aud gabions are pat
o,ether and built in with ein bauknents
# earth to give the latter solidity. Be.
ides all this they hear lectures and pass
examinations on first aids to the injured,
comprising the treatment Of the guashot
wounds, frost bites, poisoned woun Is,
fractures, and tho restoration Of persons
| PARTLY drowned.
Perhaps the most picturesque feature
,f the corps is the Marine Band. This
,and is considered in manner to belong
% the President Of the United States. 1t
salways at his disposal. so tina. the finest
music is at his command whenever he
ares to listen to it. At White House
receptions it is on hand with its most
ne!odious strains. Every member Of it
must enlist in the ordinary way and serve
i've years as a private at Sl3 month,
after which he my be prom ,te | through
the grades Of first, second and third. class
| musician.
Mr.. Sousa, who has made his reputa.
lion as leader of this muNcu or5,lizl.
lion, was himself child of the NJ ,rine
| Band. His father was member of it,
aud he himself was trained in it as
small boy. Twenty five dru nners an
ouglers temporarily attached to the bind
are always in trainins at the barracks
mere. They are boys enlisted at the age
,t fourteen to sixteen, and they serve by
enlistment up to twenty.one, when 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