The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-12-14
SEA SERVICE AND SHORE DUTY.
Considerations that Guide the Preference
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SEA SERviCE AND SHORE DUTY.
Considerations that Guide the Preferences
of Naval Officers.
One of the oldest features of that lit
tie known annual, the United States
navy register, is the record of each of
fcer's time of sea service, shore duty,
and idleness. 1t seems at first thought
thai it must be the business of naval
officer to go to sea, but as a matter of
fact naval officers pass from one
quarter to two-thirds of their time
ashore.
The admirals are usually credited
with from sixteen to twenty-five years
of sea service. from fifteen and half
to twenty-four years of shore duty,
and from two to ten years of idleness.
The proportions in the case of COM
modores are much the same, and the
time of captains at sea and ashore is
pretty evenly divided on the average,
with wide variations in cases, and from
one to eleven years of idleness.
The lieutenants Of both grades have
had from six to seventeen years at sea
and from three to eleven ashore, with
short periods of idleness. The ensigns,
who are the lowest commissioned of
ficers of the line, have seen from two
to eleven years sea service and from
one to eleven years shore duty, with
periods Of idleness varying from few
months to year and half. The
highest staff officers in the medical
pay and engineer corps have nearly all
passed many years more ashore than at
sea. Much the same is true of the chap
lains, and there is perhaps something
of irony in the fact that the naval con.
structors are usually credited with No
sea service, except in the case of the
younger men.
1t is the scheme of the navy depart
ment to send each officer three years to
sea and then to give him tour of
shore duty. The scheme is not strict
ly carried out, and there is no hard and
fast rule upon the subject. Pay is
from two hundred dollars to one thou
sand dollars year more at sea than
ashore, and this advantage de-
termines many officers to seek
sea service, and especially to shun
waiting orders. To put man on wait
ing orders for long period is one form
of light punishment for minor mis-
deeds. 1t means loss i'll pay of from
four hundred dollars to two thousand
dollars year. 1t is the theory of the
navy that an officer with a family
needs more money at sea than ashore,
because in the former case he must
make special provision for his family.
whereas in the latter his wife and chiI-
dren can share quarters with him.
There is good deal that is deceptive
about the record of sea service, for the
reason that much of it is only construc-
tive sea service. So long as ship is
in commission, unless, indeed, she be
mere receiving hulk, the officers
aboard are constructivaly doing sea
service, and ship may undergo weeks
of repairs with her pennant still flying
and half her wardroom ashore every
day. That is an agreeable form of sea
service, especially if the work of repairs
be done at New York or some agreeable
foreign port.
All sorts of motives, mysterious to
landsmen, decide an officer in his pref
erence for this or that shore duty.
Some men eschew the New York navy
yard until they have attained sufficient
rank to make them feel at ease and free
from the fear of imposition. Some seek
places at Newport, because such APP
pointments may bring them into a gay
and fashionable society. Others seeB
to escape from such duty for the very
same reason. Some of the billets at
Newport carry with them plenty of
house room and charming grounds,
matters to be considered if a man wishes
to take his place in the society of the
city.
The Norfolk navy yard is popular be-
cause an officer may there enjoy al
small expense a kindly and agreeable
society. There is pleasant little naval
station at New London, and there are
charming quarters for an officer of
rank at the several naval hospitals.
Duty at League Island, Pa, is pretty
dull, but it is good place to wear out
old clothes. The great navy yards
are a source of sorrow to those
officers who lack the tact and humor to
deal with the politicians that dominate
such places. Washington is popular
with naval officers, as is shown by the
number of retired officers who make it
their home. Perhaps New York would
be equally so if rents were lower.
There are few places that all naval
officers regard with something like hor.
ror. The task of caring for the moni. |
tors in the James river near Richmond
is courtcd by nobody, and Pensacola in
summer time is not an object of envy.
There was stranded up the Rio Grande |
some twelve or fifteen years ago an old
gunboat that could not in reason be ex-
pected to come down, and to that lone
ly spot a few officers were sent from
time to time. The man about to he |
transferred received his relief with |
smiles of joy and assurances of commits
Grafton. The amusements of the ward |
room were expeditions to Mexico and |
visits to neighboring Texans towns,
Luckily for the youngsters of to-day
Rio Bravo no longer makes even the |
pretense to fioat.-N. Y. Sun.
Italian Poker.
Mora is to Italians what draw poker |
is to Americans-the national game |
There was an astonishing amount of |