Evening star., 1898-03-05

what the discipline of a modern steamship
| Is like he realizes that every probable con-
tingepcy Is provided for: that no matter
what may happen It will be some ones
business to look after him.
or the ocean gTeyhounds that fly the
| American flag the steamship New York is
| notable example. She is a sister ship of
the Paris and very like the st. Louis,
whose crew won admiration rot very long
ago by their daring rescue of the crew and
Passengers of the Inflated veendam. 1t
| takes 375 persons all told to make up the
complement Of this big craft, but even
when all hands are on duty IT seems as
II hardly a quarter of that number was
aboard. for no one is ever In any one else's
way. Each does well his part, and surely
the honor lies in that
When the steamship is I'm port her off,
GERS are practically relieved of response
blllty concerning her. She is In the hands
OF the marine superintendent, the engineer
ing superintendent and the dock superin-
tendent of the company to which she he
longs. When the last hne is cast of and she
moves out into the stream the captain be-
comes king, and the real discipline of the
ship Is i'm full sway. From captain down
10 boots who shines your shoes every
one is busy. The officer who stands near
the companionway in apparent idleness is
watching all that goes on about him with
an eye as Keen to business as that of the
executive who tramps the quarter deck OF
Uncle Sans proudest cruiser.
Each at His station.
At the same moment that this officer is
scanning all about him the quartermasters
and the lookout men are all at their sta
tions, forward, amidships and aft. ready
to warn the captain when there Is any sign
that all is rot as 1t should be. Just now it
Is the watch heinuy of Of h.
of the "A. BIS they are known I'm the
ships roll. for the majority of them need
all their energy to perform the duty of put
ting the ship to rights that comes as soon
as the passengers have gone below for the
night
The workers aboard ship. and this in
ciudeS every one n the company's employ
are divided into different departments
First comes the deck department. This
includes the captain and his officers the
chief officer. the senior second officer the
junior second officer and the extra second
officer. Then come the eight quartermas-
ters, whose duty IL is to heaye the lead
end such matters. four masters-at-arms
(the ships pGlice), four lookout men, and
five cadets. the latter corresponding 10
the apprentices on sailing vessels or pure
ly freight steamers.
Besides these are two carpenters, che
boatsWain, one boatswains mate, and
tW enty odd able seamen. These latter are
really the saiiofmen of the ship barring
the officers, the others being so far as
seamanship goes. little more than lands
men. The other departments are the stew
ards. the engineering the pursers. These
practically include the remainder of the
vessels complement.
While everything moves like clockwork
aboard ship, the passenger does not realize
the splendid discipline that prevails nor
the care that is taken for his safety, un-
less 1t is his fortune to witness either the
fire or boat drills. The former comes first
in the category. for the officers of the
Cl lnor ,ctaf hNl1 fh,t
put out the fire. That falling the boats
are the next to be thought of.
Drilling i'm Port.
Just at present neither of these drills
takes place at sea, both occurring on Mon
day and Saturday in port in this way:
On Monday the crew of the boat that
happens to be In the port OF New York
holds these drills. On Saturday the crew
of the boat lying in Southampton takes
similar action. Formerly there used to be
one drill week at sea. but it is said that
these drills were realistic that many of
the lady passengers were always greatly
alarmed. For this reason the sea drill
was discontinued.
Hanging in various parts Of the vessel are
great placerds on which can be seen the
station assigned to every employe of the
company aboard ship I'm case of fire. not
one being omitted from captain to .'booss."
Each person Is known by number and not
by name. The roll Is made up anew for
every voyage and every one of the ships
company receives q card denoting the num-
Der he or she has been designated for that
trip. All the numbers being allotted, the
station list ts made up, and then 1t is the
duty of all to study 1t and see what is the
task allotted in case OF fire. BY the time
the vessel has reached port every one is
familiar with just what is expected Of
him. OF course, all hands know the day
the drill Is to occur. but the hour is a
mystery. 1t is one of the rules that every
person connected with the drill must be or
dress parade so far as appearances are con-
ceined. and therefore each sees to 1t that
from the time they turn out in the MORN