The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-28
JACK WELCOMES THE Change
NEW CAPTAIN TO TAKE CHAA.@E
OF THE OREGON.
Capt. Barker. Who Assumes S""E~
Of the Naval station, VIII BE sue
ceeded by Capt. McCormfek-Ihe
Fourth-Class Men Greatly Pleased.

Special Dispatch 70 the Post-Intellisencei.
PORT ORCHARD, Dec 25---The four'n-
class men aboard the Oregon are ,uoiiaN.
over the prospect Of new captain 'ahins
charge OF the ship. The present captain.
A s Barker, will il is said. assume
charge of the naval station here. ana
will be superseded II command OF the
Oregon BY Capt. Mccormick, OK bosto''
navy yard.
IL is q custom for an ofncer when TAX
ing command of ship in the new navy
to make all hands first-class; tnae Is "
start out by giving everybody fair snow,
There are four classes-first, second, thru
and fourth. A man is classed Tor an o.
Tense committed, and II mace seco.lo
class Is restricted TO the snip Tor olc
month third class. three months, Win
one shore leave at the end OF two months,
and a fourth-class man has 10 stay aooafo
six months, with one leave at me emu
Of three months. When trst class d
man can go ashore" as IL is called, as
often as he desires. besides drawing ai
the pay his rate calls for each pay uas.
a fourth-class man is allowed 10 draw
only IS a month the balance being heia
hack until he il first class once more.
For these reasons change or captains
is most desirable to a certain element on
board a man-of-war.
The most common offense for winch
men receive restriction is drunkenness.
When given liberty 20 go ashore, tney
must be aboard by a certain time. drunk
or sober, and, il drunk, so much tEe
worse for Jack. The worst ofIense OF
this kind is called drunkenness aboard
not the result OF liberty" caused usuaiiy
by whisky being brought off by frienu'
and which usually results in a court
martial for the persons interested. But
once In a great while the thirst for liquor
overcomes all sense OF prudence or duty.
and, as was recently the case on the
Oregon, some OF the men raided the aico-
hol chest. BY regulation of the EaVy'
this chest is kept above decks ana easy
of access and IL was only necessary 10
force the lock to get at tho alcohol. This
was done and some twenty-three gallons
of the fiery liquid taken out in pals.
For this offense five men were court
martialed, and four nf them were dis-
charged from the service. A sentry now
watches this chest day and night. Verify,
the thirst for liquor will move men to do
wonderful things.
When the big battieship was I'm the
dock last time Ii was favorite pastime
for a chosen few 70 make what was called
tho ''100-yard dash" from the ship through
the woods to q saloon, getting liquor and
sneaking past the sentry back to the
ship. Large and high board fences now
will rende. this task very hazardous. But
men have been known to drink red ink
on ships for the alcohol IN II, and will
stick at nothing when the mad thirst is
on them.
The marine on guard where the offense
ia committed usually puts the offender
under arrest, and IL one man be an old
offender or the break q serious one, the
officer OF the deck orders him to be put
In the brig" as the cells are called. 10
await action. At the pleasure OF the
captain. all offenders are brought to the
mast" as the saying is, to be punished.
In the old wooden ships they were taken
to the foot Of the mainmast. where the
captain held his court. himself being
Judge, jury and prosecuting attorney.
The expression stil lives. although the
modern warship has no masts worthy of
the name. These steel towers convey
no ideas Of lofty rigging and snowy can
vas, but the seances sometimes held at
their foot still possess as much interest
as OK yore. II has often been said that
1t is almost impossible to prove anything
on board warship and attendance at
mast will prove this. For instance,
coal passer Is absent from roll-caiI.
He IS sent for and asked to explain his
absence. He swears he was there at
roll-cal and says he can prove It by
John Jones and Bill Smith. Smith and
Jones are sent for. and solemniy assert
that their friend was In the ranks and
answered his name. In the face OF such
as tiliS, tUe OIiiCeT sffiiieS a KNOWING sort
OF smile and lets the matter drop. as he
cannot well do anything else. The pro-
verbal antipathy bluejackets have for
marines has even vanished I'm cases Of this
kind. and they have stood by each other
aboard and ashore.
Take 1t all In all. the bluejackets are a
most contented lot. well paid. well fed
and we'll clothed. and any punishment
melted out to them IL nearly certain to be
well deserved.