The San Francisco call., 1896-05-04
The Naval Battalion Divisions
Change Their Quar-
terS.
MAKING A GOOD SHIPS CREW.
Plans for Manning the Monitor Co.
manche With an Effective Com.
plement of Men.

The two divisions of the Naval Battalion
. have gone into the same armory at the
water front and from now on they will be
conducted as single ships company.
Orders were issued by Lieutenant-Com-
mander Turner about week ago that the
divisions must move from their old quar-
ters and into the new before May 1. The
order was given as soon as the armory on
the front had been secured, but, despite
the short notice, the divisions moved in
on time and now they are making them
selves comfortable down by the water.
The new armory is at 221S East street,
about midway between Market and Mis-
sion. There are four rooms in the place,
which is on the second story. AT the end
of the hall and in the front of the building
is an officers room, destined to be the
headquarters of the battalion, and as a
locker-room and sitting-room for its occu-
pants. Next to the officers room is a
large, well-lighted assem- bly-room, in
tended as q place for the men of both
divisions to sit and meet in. Behind are
two rooms, which will be locker-rooms,
one for each division. They are poorly
lighted, but not intended to be used for
any but locker purposes.
The arms and equipments OF ooth Oh
visions will be sent out on the Comanche,
there to remain permanently. There Will
be no guns kept in the armory unless
needed there: The uniforms will be Kept
on shore, however, and the furniture OF
the division will be divided to fit up the
quarters ashore and on the monitor.
Show drills heqeafter will be but sec
ondary consideration. Most of the work
will be done oat, and seamanshlp and
gunnery will take up most of the time.
The Hotchk IS one-pounder and the Cat
h NHATr h0nr h0
ship. Tt5y all have cone mounts and Will
p. arranged so as to form an effective Sec
ondary battery for the ''flatiron," as the
monitor has already been nicknamed.
Already drill for the service of the
turret-guns is being arranged, and stations
for general quarters, tre quarters and all
ship maneuvers capable OF being per-
formed on board the Ccmanche are being
. written for the officers and petty officers.
Lieutenant-C Turner will COM
mand the Comanche and Lieutenant
Douglass. as senior lieutenant, will be
executive officer. Lieutenant Gum, COM
mander of the second division, will be
navigating officer, and Lieutenant Guy G.
Calden, the senior lieutenant, Junior
grade, will command the powder division.
The other officers will be gun division and
watch officers. the senior being in COM
mand of the turret.
Coxswains and crews for the Comanche's
boathouse are also being assigned, and
boat work is going to be a feature of the
battalion drills. The Comanche carries
four boats, two whaleboats, gig and
dingey, and in the boathouse on shore
there are the big 16-oared barge and
clinker-built gig pulling twelve oars
double bank or six oars single bank. Be-
sides these there is the steam launch,
which is now in Oakland Creek awaiting
repairs. Crews will be assigned to all of
these and the feet will be called out fire.
quently.
More interest is being taken in rowing
just at present than at any previous time
since the battalion had any boat to pull an
oar IN. There are a number of very good
oarsmen in the battalion, and from either
division crew for any boat in the feet,
and fit for any work, could be secured.
The dingey is at present the shore boat
from the monitor. She comes to the
Folsom-street float just by the boathouse,
every morning, and the coxswain in charge
of the monitor reports to the Lieutenant
commander. There are three men per-
manently stationed on board-a coxswain
in charge, and two seamen, one attached
to the fire division and one to the gun
division. Their duties are to keep the yes
sci, the arms, the engines and the batteries
in good order. They are all enlisted in the
United States navy and are paid by the
United States Government. Ali are old
seamen who have served for years on
board United States men-of-war.
The Comanche lies too far up the bay
to be seen from the boathouse, but she can
be seen from the top of the new armory
building. She may be moved farther
down SO that she can be signaled from the
boathouse, but anyway it is probable that
signal staff will be erected on the armory,
and when boats are wanted or orders to be
delivered the monitor may be commune
Gated with by flags. 1t has also been sug-
gested that the monitor herself be fur
nished with military mast, and If such
should be the case communication with
her would be easy.
Hereafter the two divisions in this CITY
will be looked on as a ships crew, the
men from one division going TO one watch
and the members ofthe other to the second,
or the men may be assigned by numb bers,
the odd to starboard and the even to port,
or vice versa. 1t has been further sug.
gested that a crew for the Comanche one
that will be ready TO work her at any time.
will be selected from the most eligible
members of the divisions, and the remain
der of the crew of the divisions will act as
supernumeraries. This crew will be
changed often enough to give every man
IN the divisions a thorough knowledge of
his position.