The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-11-10
HOW sLuEJAckETs SLEEP.
rules Concerning Swinging Of Ham
Knocks on Men-of-War

Knocks on Men-of-W War.
The only men that sleep in hunks on
board a man-of-war are the commits
stoned officers. Everybody eIse-the
sailors, the engine force. the marines
sleeps in hammock, which is slunR at
night and taken down In the morning.
The hammock is made of a sheet OF
canvas about six feet long and two
and a half feet wide. The bedding con
sists Of a hair mattress and blankets.
which are bought by the sailor, while
the hammocks belong to the ship. The
billet hooks. from which the ham
mOcks are swung. are about fourteen
inches apart. II the ships company is
full and the hooks all occupied this
brings the men pretty close together.
There is a foot flashing or rope at the
foot Of the hammock. If the hooks are
all occupied one man will draw up on
his foot lashing until his hammock is
brought a little above the level of the
two on either side of him. All thus get
more room.
\ hammock is not so comfortable to
sleep in as a bed but men get accus-
toned TO il. When a man who has been
accustomed to sleeping in a hammock
irst goes ashore it may be days before
he gets so that he can sleep well in a
bed.
To every man there are allotted two
hammocks. The second hammock is
slowed below In the ships sailroom.
Every two weeks when a ship is In
port the hamm.cks are changed. The
clean hammock are issued, and those
hat have been uled are scrubbed; each
man scrubs his avn hammock, and II
hung up to dry When dry they are
| piped down and slowed below.
Where the hanmocks are slung de-
ponds somewhat on the ships size and
build. 1t might be that ON one ship
! two-thirds of tie crew would sleep on
the main deck and the rest below; on
another ship of different construction
all would sleep below, some on the gun
deck and some on the berth deck.
When the hammocks are taken down
In the morning each one is rolled up
snugly, with the blankets and mattress
inside, and tightly dashed, making a
trim canvas roll about six feet In
length and foot in diameter. The
hammocks are then slowed away in the
hammock netting. which, it may be ex-
planned, is never a netting. 1t may be
a space inclosed along the inner side OF
he bulwarks on the main deck, like
ong fiat pocket against the side of the
ship, into which the hammocks are
thrust to stand in row along the side,
or 1t may be a platform with n railing
in front, to keep the hammocks In
place when the ship rolls. Many years
ago, when the hammocks were rolled
up for the day, they were actually
slowed in nettings, placed along the
bulwarks of the vessel
1t would, of course, be possible to
provide all the men on warship with
hunks to sleep in, but il would not be
possible TO Go that and to preserve the
vessels effectiveness as warship. The
hunks would take up too much room
for one thing, Then the hammocks,
with their appurtenances, have always
served for purposes of protection.
Slowed In the old-time hammock net
tings, they afforded some protection
from the fire of small arms, and In
those days sometimes the hammock
nettings were triced up as help in re-
pelling boarders.-New York Sun.