New-York tribune., 1897-08-29
FIGHTS on UEN-OFWAR.
SAILORS OF THE NAVY ARE EVER READY
WITH THEIR FISTS.
From The Washington Star.


From The Washington Star.
The regulation against fighting is perhaps the
deadest of all naval regulations. 1t is impos-
sible # enforcement. If it were enforced to the
letter pretty nearly all hands among the men
forward would be in the brig from one year
end 70 the other Fighting is practica ly neces-
sary evil among men who wear their country
uniform for a livelihood officers OF experience
blink at IT, They know the bad. communicating
results Of bitterness between pair Of bluejack-
cts under the fOrecastle They have learned
that il is better the thing should be fought out
and done with than that dozens of men should
be drawn into a quarrel that testers and grows
unless the head Of it is broken by decisive bat
tie between the two men who have been snarl-
ing at each other. People who have made ocean
voyages often dwell upon the WEAKNESS when
has overcome them at the sight Of their Fellow
VeNagers' c'untenances T. ward the cnd or
passage This is feeling which is aggravated
a thousand fold amid the uncomfortable sur
roundines Of vessels forecaste. the hum
dreds of occupants Of which are obliged to be
constantly together for from one to three years
Each man becomes thoroughly aware Of all MS
mates LITTLE characteristics, and after a while.
whether these characteristics are good or bad.
they jar upon him. if only on account Of their
monotony Thus friction is generated. al d ii is
for this reason that the crew of a man of war
just returned t. the United States after three
years cruise in foreign waters Is generally such
a sour-looking 'ot. even as concerns the officers
aft. who become quite as sick of each other as
do the men forward
INTERESTING PRELIMINARIES
Hardly day passes that there is not at least
one scrap on board most men-of-war with the
promise of heavier battle to follow. y blue
Jacket seats himself on anOthcr'S ditty-b box, and,
ON being roughly ordered 10y the bOX's owner TO
vacate. h, refuses and consisns the owner to a
mucr l.,- moist place than Davy Jones's locker.
The men come together. two or three blows are
eXchans,d and then. by commoI consent,
each man draws away, both feeling that the
Jimmy Legs Il. e.. the mastei-at-arms) is not
Ear distant, and neither caring for "A trick in
: he 'br become 20
minor hstic argument f the decf the two blue
Jackets are looked to by the entire ships com
pany 10 bring their affair to a satisfactory con-
clusion. The mere exchange OF grows between
the two rlcn doesn't GO Pipe down there ye
men-of-war chaws and settle the thing right
is the general remark hurled at them by all
hands when they meet in mere contests Of cuss
words. and the sailor who IS considered to be the
aggricved man is watched carefully to see if he
makes any preliminary moves toward arranging
a regular fight. He almost always does
Nearly all the regular fights between blue
jackets aboard ship are pulled off down below
in of the fire rooms or in an empty bunker
The empty bunker is preferred on account of its
grea 'er isolation When fight is to come off be-
tween two buciackets below all hands know all
about it, often including the master at arms
himself. but very few Of the men, unless they are
intimates Of the combatants. expect invitations
t. he fray There is not room in bunker for
more than half dozen friends Of each man, and
tracted
with second eacn, and "A referee agreed upon
go At il. The fights are not of the rough and
tumble order. The men hght according to regu-
lar priZe-ring ru es. and their shipmates
present to see that tn rules are complied with.
As many fifty rounds are sometimes fought
Ordinarily one of the men goes under by the
time the tenth round is called If the men are
unequally matched and one of them is getting
palpably the worst # il. all hands i'm the bunker
agree that the thing should stop. and 1t does
stop If the contestants are about Of a sort, the
fight is carried on to the end until a knockout
blow is planted by one ~ them. or both are too
weak 10 90 on. At the conclusion of the fight
the onlookers quietly depart from the bunker.
and ascend TO the deck by different engne-room
ladders. as not to attract the attention OF the
officer Of the deck
FELL DOWN \ LADDER"
Both men generally get pretty thoroughly
mauled and bruised up in these bunker fights,
and when the battle is over they Jump into
their uniforms and repair to the sick bay to get
patched up with arnca- court plas-
ter etc The surgeon knows at glance what
ails them, but for the sake Of FORM he asks
them what the trouble is They have both
fallen down "A ladder. Both at the same time,
40. sir. they fell down different ladders. That's
curious. mu"Wurs the surgeon with a smile
and faraway look in his eyes. scribbling an
account Of their injuries in his record. and then
lE fI..f mot Ff..ga tt,f- l..