The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-01
Petty Officers
In the Navy.

In the Navy
When a boy enlists in the navy. sub
ject to the approval Of his parents or
guardian. he Is classified as an appren-
tice OF the third class. His pay Is 80 q
month. but by strict attention to duty
he may soon be advanced to the second
class at SIS a month and then to the
first class at $21 month
The government is desirous of build
ing up an efficient set of reliable sea-
men. and SO it makes the following .
specific regulations: ANY person who..
after having enlisted In the navy for q
term OF three years and received an
honorable discharge or a recommends
tion for re-enlistment. upon the expira-
tion of his term OF service re-enlists
for three years within three months
from the date OF his discharge, shall re-
eeive an increase of 81 per month to
the pay prescribed for the rating in
which he serves for each consecutivo
re-enlistment." This naturally may be
regarded as a bounty. and IL Is an in
centive to the ambitious sailor.
II he has entered the service as
young man of 20 or more. he Is rated az
a landsman and receives SIG a month.
AS soon as he understands his vocation
he is accepted as an ordinary seaman
and is paid $40 every 30 days. Then both
he and the apprentice of the first class
may graduate as seamen. with
monthly stipend Of $24. From this po-
sition both may become seamen gum
ners at $26 or firemen at $35, though
the latter usually enter the navy as
coal passers. receiving $22 a month.
IL a man has musical talents. he be-
comes a bugler or musician Of the
second or first class, receiving. accord
ing to his merits, from SIS to $32
month. Some drift into the kitchen and
become mess attendants. cooks ana
stewards. with pay varying from SIC
to $45 month.
AS long as man Is a common Oailof
he does not get above $26 month. He
is, however, no longer Jack of the fore
castle. In these days OF steel and iron
ships he is Jack of the turret. or Turs
ret Jack. His phraseology even has va-
ried from the old time vernacular. He
can no longer talk OF 'shivering his
timbers," for his surroundings are meta
plates. But II he Is ambitious he tries
to shelve his blue or white shirt at the
earliest opportunity by becoming what
is called a petty officer. Those OF the
lowest or third class are master at
arms. cockswains. gunners' mates.
quartermasters, carpenters mates,
painters and yeomen. The names gen.
orally Indicate their duties. the quarter~
masters being men in charge Of the
wheel-that is. the pilots-while the
ssI>f -
writer's. Their pay is all the same,l $50
per month.
The petty officers OF the second class
are master at arms, boatswains mates.
gunners' mates, gun captains. quarter.
masters, machinists. oilers. carpenters
mates, printers and yeomen. The dis
tinction between a gunner's mate and
a gun captain is slight. The former IL
assistant to the gunner. while the lat
ter is the leading man Of the guns
crew.
1t Is difficult to define the duties Of the
master at arms. He is supposed to have
entire supervision Of the small arma-
ment, and he is also boss OF all tho
crew.
The petty officers Of the first class are
master at arms, boatswains' mates
ii
| masters, schoolmasters, machinfstss
boiler makers, coppersmiths. black
| smiths, plumbers. sailmakers' mates,
| carpenters mates, water tenders. FIRST
musicians and yeomen. Their designa-
tions indicate their duties The ous
classified as schoolmaster gives primary
instruction to those sailors who are In
| need of the rudiments of an education.
| The pay OF the majority Of them is $40 q
month, though the machinists receive
SIS. the boiler makers $50. the copper
smiths and blacksmiths $50. the plumb-
ers $45 and the musicians $36.
The petty officers OF the third class
wear one chevron on the arm, those Of
the second class two and those of the
first class three. They are plain white
! cloth ones on their blue jackets. Oth-
erwise they wear the dress of the ordi-
nary sailor, but they have risen to q
position OF authority over their mates.
and their pay is considerably increased.
Above all these, however. are the chief
petty officers. comprising the master at
arms, boatswains' mates, gunners'
mates, gun captains. quartermasters.
machinists, carpenters mates. yeomen,
apothecaries and bandmasters. The first
receives s65 n month, the yeomen and
apothecaries $50. the machinists SO and
the others $50 a month, with the excep-
ton of the bandmasters. who are paid
s52 a month.
These men are allowed to wear Z
double breasted coat with brass buttons
This is what Turret Jack calls "bras'
bound" and the majority OF them art
ambitious to earn this promotion. Blu
chief of them all is Jimmy Legs" th'
chief master at arms. His eye is some.
times more feared than that OF tho cap
tain. He is supposed to maintain order
James Barnes, the poet. author ol
many ballads. In his latest volume. en-
| titled Songs OF Ships and the Sea-
thus sings OF the brass bound:
Oh. Jimmy Legs" ne walks the decks
Brass buttons down his coati
! n bussard and stripe he wears % hi1
I He's the biggest man anoas.
The lads who smuggls the "sfu6~ %
Il hoard.