The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15
THE Err,
what His Duties or Life ON q Ship
In Port.

what HIS Duties ~Are-COurno OF Life on q Shin
In Port.
The shipkeeper is the caretaker of the ship
whites she is in port. He is likely to be a man
who has followed the sea; it may he in the en-
ploy of the house whose vessels he now looks
after. He may have sailed before the mast or
he may have been a mate or perhaps the master
of q ship. Every firm OF large shipowners or
shipping merchants has a shipkeeper of It's own,
who may have been thus employed by the same
house for years.
The shipkeeper goes aboard sometimes when
the ship arrives in the harbor. but usually when
she is first tied up to the wharf. The crew is
discharged the minute the ships lines are made
fast, and the Captain goes very soon, it is likely
on the same day. The ship may have come
from a China voyage, or n voyage to some other
distant seas and have been gone for months,
and he starts for home as soon as he can-down
until the ship is nearly. ready for sea again.
the ship. He is Sometimes the sole occu.
pant. but most owners keep, one other per-
tionai person is a man it is likely to be
the ships carpenter or one Of the crew en-
plGoysda for Or that ihu PSIirpoSG., tn The shipkeeper lives
He may cook and eat all his meals aboard or II
there is a restaurant close at hand ashore, he
does not sleep in the Captains room, but he
takes his choice of the rooms of the mate and
the second mate. this being the custom on the
bench.
The shipkeeper is the Waterman of the ship.
and he looks inter her In many ways and sees
that no harm comes TO her. He sees that tho
stevedore's men don't drop blocks on deck and
that no injury Of any kind is done to her in
board, and he sees that no harm befalls her from
tugs or lighters or other craft. And he keeps
the shin in order. He is more than likely to be a
take a sailors pride in her, and a personal
pride in tho ships of the house that employs
nice, shipkcepers are just like other people in
this respect: but. as II rule. they keep their
Suppose You see in South street a fine ship
that takes your fancy and you walk down the
wharf TO 20 aboard of her. II you find the gang
even any dust on ii. the manrope II fresh, bright
bit Of rope. brass manropc stanchlon planted in
laid upon the brass-covered treads OF the steps
leading from The gangway platform up to the
Itself and upon the steps down to tho
deck within. why, It really wouldn't be neces-
s sSTyk to lSSk S Sny I nbdnTG to bsI knOT RN wh if xxi king 1oo q
down from the quarterback into the waist OF
tho ship you will SEQ there a broad expanse Of
deck as clean AS any floor, II you go forward
and look, say. into The hoisting engine house,
you find the engine and tho tank and the room
thing IN perfect trim. Look Into tho galley and
you, will lind that just the same; as clean a
It is Just the same everywhere about the ship;
the white paint 10 white and the brass work is
t 9p.s Heier a%a of IN the G sea who Il X ke psp,e the s shie ii a a6i.
shape IL proud of her. AS he has n perfect right
10 be. She may have been tied up atthree or four
wharves. at as many different points around tho
harbOr, owing here and there and discharginR
or taking on cargo, but she's kept as trim and
handsome as though she were on exhibition.
The ship is deep in the water when the ship
keeper first steps over the rail; no sees her rise
MS they take the cargo out OF her, until she IL
light, and stands. on high tides, with her side
high above tho wharf. The shipkceper stays
aboard for weeks. There may be DAYS or longer
periods when there is nothing doing aboard OF
her except what he does himself, when the ship
ID silent; but sooner or later they begin to III
her up again. and from that on there ID more or
less life aboard of her and alongside.
A week or ten days before the ships sailing day
the Captain comes 10 town. He visits the owners
office, ana goes down ann soes tho ship. He
looks after her stores and whatever other busi-
ness he may have to attend to. All this time as
the ship fills up she is going down In the water
again. Two or three days before she sails the
rlggers come aboard and bend her sails.
The crew was discharged the minute she tied
last minute before she sails. II may be that the
mate, tho executive officer OF the ship, comes
aboard late. He must know where, everything
Is, and tho shipkeeper can tell him. thus IL
happens that sometimes the shipkeeper goes
down the bay with the ship and comes OFF with
the pilot but Oftoner his duty is ended and he
steps ashore as the ship leaves the wharf.
An Alleged Blcy Gle Thief Arrested 1T Hoboksn.
Henry Hubert, alias Westphal, Of 81 River
street, Hoboken, was arrested yesterday on the
charge Of stealing Il bicycle in Washington.
y. Z. 1t was ascertained hat a warrant had
Deen issued for his arrest on May 81 last ON u