The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-03
IN SHORE TOGS AGAIN
Naval Reserves Bring the
Portsmouth Safely Back
to Hoboken.
PRAISE FOR THE CREWS WORK
Old Men-of-W Wars Men Say They
Will Make Good Sailors
Incidentssofthe Cruise.

There are no prouder men On the State
OF New Jersey today than the officers ana
member of athe Battalion of the East
Naval Reserve of New Jersey. Without
the assistance of any officer of the
regular navy they have sailed the Iun
rugged man-of-war Portsmouth up and
down the entire length of Long Island
Sound, encountered storm, fire and fog,
and vet anchored the vessel off Hoboken
yesterday with a clean bill OF neailh
and not a spar or rope missing
The old ~sloop-of-war at five o'clock on
Saturday afternoon had dropped anchor
in Hampstead Harbor, about equal dis
lance from Sea Cliff and Glen Cove
Commander Washington Irving issued
shore leave to all except the anchor
watch, n the boats pulled for the shore.
Several of the officers and men at
tended the hop at the Sea Cliff House,
while the others distributed themselves
about the town. They were cordially re-
ceived every where and much was made
of New Jerseys sailors. Their shore
leave expired at midnight and it was
one O'Clock when the last boatload re-
ported on board. It seemed as though
the crew had barely settled into their
hansnocks when the bugler sounded the
reveine and the order to turn out rang
through the ship. It was five O'Clock
and the tug Everats was on hand to
tow the Portsmouth through Hell Gate
to her berth in Hoboken. The crew soon
had the anchor weighed and in a few
moments the last stage of the cruise was
begun. As the Portsmouth passed inc
Point, where the New York Reserves are
in camp, a signalman appeared in front
of the lighthouse and signalled, New
York congratulateS New
One of the Portsmouth's quartermasters,
by order of Captain Irving, ~wigwagged
back, Thanks and compliments of Com
mander Irving"
The run to Hoboke was quickly made.
AL the way from Sea Cliff the Ports
mouth had to answer saiutes.
When the vessel came in sight of her
berth at Hoboken it was found that a
schooner ock the way to her moor
ang. and Commander Irving decided to
anchor in the stream. AS soon as the
mud hook was down the reserves quickly
shifted to their shore toys and prepared
TO go ashore. When they were ready
they were mustered on deck, and Cap
tain Irving mad a short addresses.
He said he wished to thank the men
for the hearty cooperation they had
their endeavor 10 make the New Jersey
Reserves an efficient arm of the States
service. He predicted a bright future
for New Jerseys navy.
As 1t IL contrary to naval etiquette for
the crew to cheer an officer the boys gave
vent. to their enthusiasm with three
rousing cheers for the old Portsmouth.
The boats were quickly lowered, and the
men We're soon on their way home.
The first eruise, Of the Eastern Battalion
the Reserves. 1t was everything but a
picnic. and the men had little time for
out every morni ms at III O'clock, iashed
their hamrnocks, and slowed them away
on the spar deck. Then they went below
m fhA MN dn|tg2 linz an ord civ n
cup of coffee and hard tack. From that
time time IN nntii eight e,slsek they worked put
was swept. scrubbed and Washed down
with q hose, and the brass, or as it is
S Gal no aeSasd ship hFa " the bright york.
sounded. the meal pennant was run up,
ana the boys tumbled below to break
It was the intention to have big gun.
Infantry and cutIass drills, but the time
was devoted entirely to seamanship. The
cupied most of the time. Dinner was
served at twelve o'clock and supper at
six; Hammocks were piped down at eight
position lat mine O'Clock those who
wished could turn in. but at ten O'Clock
after taps were sounded, every light was
put out. Every one not on watch or
on guard was supposed to be in his ham
mock, and 50 fatigued generally We're the
g nisb soon became a reality. The first
HignI on beard some of the more enthus-
b baSsfe olspl h,st IL a tendency to become
day soon took that out of them.
Among the hardest things which the
as they did that many times # becsma
Tafner monotonous. It was no Joke to Tiff
tnat mass OF iron, especially when it was
i took almost the whole crew to raise
the mud hook" as the sailors fondly
eapsfan, and four men pIs unsiree At N aa me
Lnen the bugier would start up a lively
march and away the boys would go while
time with their movements. The same
Lactlcs We're used in h~oisting sails or
boats A number of III crew would man
anaren, away they would go. Nothing
eouid stop them, and boat or sail shot
guglar got winded one day, and Pawn s ~
Golpy astonished the boys by picking M
as tbey had %i9 ~ giVing them as good music
? hrst cruise of the Battalion Of tbe
Fast Is considered remarkable bv saiIorS
from the fact that a crew COMPOSED Of
clerks and business and professidns1 ~ u
could leave their desks, stores and ofices
anu san a fuI rugged ship up and down
without mishap. Men who. during b1,si-
less hours, handle nothing larger thar
pens. manned the capstan bars and pulled
On haWserS, sheets and halliards ,1nti1
tnelr hands were a mass of bljsters. ST.
Nehs institute students. who could te1l
you an ABOUT hydraulics, worked the old
rls-nnnd froG " winch Inc water was
dumped from the sea to flush the decks |
with, while those who on shore wonid
not deign to touch a blacking brush
rubbed the brass work until their
Anuckies We're sore. 1t would have been |
an edlfying sight no doubt for the voiInp
aady acquaintances of the crew who
remember them in correct evening dress
or uitra-fashionable morning clothes If
they could have seen the nrevsjI;na
Iashlon aboard ship. Every morning the |
COMMANDER, through the proper Chan |
neis, announced the uniform of the dav
which generally was white working stfifSs
rms consists of a pair of trousers and =
salicr blouse Most of the crew went
above their knees and their blouses wide
open at the throat, without neckerchief
or other adornment. The consequence
Was one or the finest assortment of burn
ed necks ever seen. Some were so bad