Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-06-28
SEA SERVICE AND SHORE DUTY


SEA SERVICE AND SHORE Dur
ns'oerasaons that Guide the Preferences
OF Naval Omcers.
One OF the oldest features of that III.
Tie known annual, the United States
navy register, is the record of each Of.
-ncers time OF sea service, shore dutv
ana ldleness- 1t seems at first Thought
mat 1t must be the business of a naval
oncer to go to sea, but as a matter of
iac1 naval officers pass from one
quarter to two-thirds of their time
ashore.
The admirals are usually credited
with from sixteen to TWENTY-FIVE wears
= OF sea service, from fifteen and a half
20 twenty-four years of shore duty.
and from two to ten years of idleness.
Inc 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.
Inc heutecants of both grades have
mad from six to seventeen years at sea
ana from three to eleven ashore. with
short periods of idleness. The ensigns
who are the lowest commissioned of
ncers OF the line, have seen from two
10 eleven years sea service and from
one to eleven years shore duty. with
periods OF ldleness varying from a few
months to year and a 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
ialns, and there is perhaps something
OF irony in the fact that the naval con-
struetors 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 wears to
sea and then to give him tour of
shore duty. The scheme is not strict
~ carried out, and there is no hard and
fast rule upon the subject. Pay is
from two hundred dollars to one thou
sand dollars a 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
of light punishment Tor minor mis-
deeds 1t means a loss in pay of from
four hundred dollars to two thousand
y
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 chill
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-
80
in commission. unless. indeed. she be
mere receiving hulk. the officers
aboard are constructivaly doing sea
service. and a 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
1andsmen. 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 gay
and fashionable society Others seek
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 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 at
small expense a kindly and agreeable
society. There is a 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 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 mont
tors in the James river near Richmond
is courted 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
punboat that could not in reason be eX-
pected to come down. and to that lone
ly SPOT a few officers We're sent from
time to time. The man about to be
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.
One Day Short.
There is a small island in the south
Pacific, where there only appear to be
in ha This eyfranr-