New-York tribune., 1896-07-28
NAVAL RESERVES UNDER WA Y
JERSEYS AMATEUR TARS ENJOYING
THEIR CRUISE.
VOLUNTEER SAILORS-AMUsING FEATURES
OF LEE on TIE PORTsMOrTu-COM-

PRACTICAL TEST OF sEAMANsHIP FOR THE
VOLUNTEER sAILORs-AMUsING FEATURES
OF LIFE on TIE PoRTsMouTH-CoM-
MANDER JACQUES PLEASED.
Sea C.ifr Long Island July 27.-The old United
States sloop OF war Portsmouth. which now does
duty as the school ship of the Battalion OF the
East, New-Jersey Naval Reserves, set sail this
morning for Fishers Island. and the amateur tars
OF Newark. Hoboken and Jersey City are tonight
in full swing along the Sound.
The ship reached this point yesterday at noon
and anchored. Her appearance created much in
terest here for IL is many long day since any
ship that carried guns presented as shpshape an
appearance did the old Portsmouth Every
sheet and ballard. every spar and crosspiece
presented a spck-and-span appearance, and as she
rode at anchor she looked like what people herer
abouts picture the man-of-war OF yesterday.
The men presented a rather burned appearance.
for Of them had dropped Office work for that
Of tho Navy. and the first rays Of the burning sun
started the skin. They went about their duties,
however. with a willingness that spoke volumes Tor
their enthusiasm. For most OF them trip on the
water in craft like the Portsmouth was nov
city. They have been drilled In theory for year.
but the present cruise Is the first chance they have
ever had to put the theories into practice
The men say that the early rising entailed by the
division OF the into regular watches Is the
hardest part OF their duty far as they have gone
They say that the watch below has hardly time TO
turn in before It Is piped on deck again The most
enjoyable hour they had yesterday they said, was
when at $50 o'clock in the morning the smoking
lamp was lighted. and for just thirty minutes they
could revcl in the luxury OF smoke
Each day the pipes sound the COOK TO the mast
in conformity with naval regulations. The COOK
leaves the galley at II 30 o'clock, bearing tray
covered with dishes. one may contain butter an
other meat another potatoes and so on. The cook
mn Choae ole NIL he ma
officer Of the deck. Then. with much formality and
show the officer OF the deck takes a small mouth
ful OF the eatables on the plates II ne declares
them all right the men have them for dinner
The men seem TO approve the ceremony OF salut-
.ng the coors at in the morning and again at
sundown. One OF the sailors, who Is an under
graduate at Stevens institute said that n ne never
realized what the words 'Od Glory meant. as ap,
piled TO the nas until he stood WITH oaTGd ,asa nea9
down al night. sColors" he thought, is the most
Osbag 0ss ssaSs s S %a. Rs man on
board when the ship sailed this morning There
disc,pne n "a and every duty the men had beer called
70 perform had been done propery. %ithoN IN.
he doubted if there was another battalion OF Naval
Reserves which could have performed me duties
One offcer said that IT was grea; deal different
new cruisers and be obliged 20 mix With the regu-
,ars, who laugh at their nlstakes II took , mucn
the advantage Of having modern guns 70 handle.
nn Sn o. on board modern ships but he believed that
the cruise in the Portsmouth would be Of more
as If IF thns were aHe one ah hey had
the satisfaction Of knowing hat II was Done win
mistake was made. the man who made 1t was re-
sponsbe He thought that in another year or TWO
the biz ships but this cruise would teach them
self-rellance and show them more seamansaip IN a
ngle day than could be got out OF months prac-
tlce on a modern fighting snip