The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-11-05
VOL. XXXIV.--NO. 9.
Life in a Wardroom.
From the New York Post.

From the New York Post
The wardroom on a man-of-war is the
living place of all the older officers of the
ship, with one exception, the commanding
officer. He lives by himself, has his own
cabins, his own mess, his own servants.
Naval etiquette and custom have estab-
lished this habit of isolation for the man
on the ship who has command of all the
rest. The reason is undoubtedly to be
found in the very fact that he represents
extraordinary power. Under these cir
cumstances any attempt to forget the su-
periority of his rank by means of COM
mon cabin or messroom for him and his
subordinates would only result in embar-
rassment on both sides.
This does not mean that he may not be
sociable, for much depends upon the man.
But it is safe to say that any show of eff
fnsiveness among those who live abaft the
mast must come from his side, if he wishes
it to be general The situation is a deli
cate one.
In the freer air of the wardroom we find
from 10 to 20 officers living together, the
number varying with the size of the ship.
Their ages may range from 25 to 80, anc
they are of all ranks above that of nava
cadet, and of all corps Engineer officers,
line officers, medical officers, marine Off
GERS, one pay officer and one chaplain, may
all be included in the wardroom Of large
ship. These men live in staterooms ar.
ranged about common space, which Is
known as the ''wardroom country" Thi:
assumption of a space of prairielike dimen-
sions is comparatively truthful in the
cramped quarters of ship. In this
country exists the social life of the
wardroom. Here these men Of varied
callings, yet all of the sea- S following, live,
move and have their social being.
A day spent in wardroom by a land
lubber would reveal many interesting diff
ferences between naval officers and theil
brethren on shore. To begin with, they
are more cosmopolitan in their speech.
The men in our wardrooms are gathered
from all parts of the Union. Local dis
cussions find but an uninterested audience,
or even a derisive one, so that naval
officer gets accustomed to speak and think
of all the 45 states as belonging equally to
him. Outside of his own country he is so
great traveller that very few civilians can
keep up with the way he skips in c1nver-
sation from China to Peru or to Tasmania.
Other characteristics that are quickly no
ticeable are his simplicity, his cheerfulness
and his heartiness. The wardroom is con-
stantly resounding with laughter The
men in it are healthier than men who live
in houses They get up earlier in the
morning and 90 to bed earlier at night.
Most of our wardrooms are bustling with
officers at 7 O clock in the morning
A glance at the breakfast table shows
the senior line officer presiding, and the
other officers placed near him according
to rank. At the other end Of the
table is the man who has been elected by
his messmates to direct the catering OF the
mess. Between this early meal and the
breakfast proper, which comes at half-pasI
IL or ~ O clock, there is not much life
in the wardroom, for the daily military
routine is full of drills and exercises which
keep most of the officers on deck. There
are drills with great guns and with small
arms, drills in clearing ships for action,
drills in handling ammunition and many
others-all of them rooted in the one idea
that you must preserve your own life by
destroying that of your enemy.
AS soon as all officer returns to the
wardroom from one drill and begins con-
versation or perhaps huns song he Is
interrupted by the bugles on deck and must
buckle on his sword and return to another
drill.
At every call to quarters all officers
must report themselves ready for duty.
The chaplain and paymaster, having much
less to do with drills than the other Off
GERS, are usually the first to be back in the
wardroom, where there is other work for
them. The medical officer has gone for
ward to the sick bay to look after his pa
tients
When the midday breakfast comes,
there is the first breathing space for lit
tie leisure and relaxation. But the drills
for the day are not yet over, and at l
O clock the hustle is resumed throughout
the ship A sudden call may come for
collision drill or fire drill, or battalion drill.
If at sea, floating target may be dropped
overheard, and for an hour the ship be
shaken from stem to stern by the discharge
of guns From to O clock in the af-
ternoon there is generally a respite from
work, and the wardroom begins to show
signs of being home. Some in it are
reading or writing, others are smoking or
playing games or loafng. Still others are
in their rooms taking the seaman's after
noon nap. But at O clock the drills and
exercises come again.
By $50 O clock there is feeling that
one can sit down and dine without fear of
interruption. The mess as whole is now
gathered together, and the meal is gener-
ally thoroughly enjoyable and delightful
affair. After it is over there are cigars,
games, music, or the right to withdraw
within oneself without exciting remark.
By 10 O clock most of these sailors are in
bed, but even now the drills may not be
over At midnight the bugles may sound,
and in two minutes all the ships company
be rapidly making ready for an enemy.
Curing Nervous Headahce.