The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-16
OUR MONITOR.

How the New Jersey REESE rye Pass
Their Time.
They are Well Pleased With Treatment
Here But Want to Get Home-Many
People Visit Them Saturday and Sun
day-portlaud Reserve Probably VIII
Soon be Mustered In.
Swinging at her moorings off Fort
Gorges, surrounded by visiting craft OF
all kinds the Montauk presented pretty
picture Saturday afternoon. From her
peak, or where her peak ought to be, had
she srars, the stars and stripes hutEered in
the fresh breeze while the crew gathered
in knots about the stern found plenty to
amuse them in the panorama of harbor
boats and other shipping. Saturday was
an idle day for the Montauk and her crew
of Nava Militia men from New Jersey.
They were content to pass it in idleness,
too, for after their hard trip up here from
the Delaware capes both officers and men
welcomed the half holiday of rest.
The morning was passed in putting the
ship into proper shape for Sunday and
in Strengthening out things on board a
bit. Every man ON board the ship had
plenty to do during the first hours of the
day and up to noon. For them the day
began at reveille which was sounded at
$50 O'Clock. At six O'Clock all hammocks
were on deck excepting the six bellsham-
mocks in which the men who had been
on anchor watch during the night slum-
hered peacefully until seven O'Clock. Then
came breakfast and at half past eight
o'clock the ships crew were turned to and
the work about the ship completed.
After dinner some of the officers who
were off duty came ashore and about two
O'Clock the liberty party were sent ashore
for the afternoon. 1t being time O. WE +
every man was required to return aboard
ship at sunset and the officers Dwers re-
quired to be on board by midnight.
The visitors aboard ship were man but
there were very few ladies among them.
The Montauk is anchored SO far away
from Portland that it is little difficult
to reach her and this fact prevented many
people from going on board of her. Some
of the city government were on hoard
during the afternoon and all who Waited
the monitor were impressed with the neat
appearance Of the ship and the fine ap-
pearing men and officers on board.
Last night Lieutenant James Boyd. Pot
ter and Payinaster ". H. Fulper received
telegrsphic orders from the Adjr4tant
General of New Jersey to report for duty
at once on board the q. S. S. Rese lutte
which will be manned by the New JERSEY
Naval Reserves Owing to the fact THAT
the Montauk is already short handed rs
far as officers are concerned and as it
will be some time yet before any officers
can be placed on board Lieutenant Hot
ter and Paymaster Fulper will be obfiRa1
to remain here until they are relieved.
The New Jerey men came here at short
notice and left home SO quickly that many
of them were really unprepared to make
here in Portland regularly equipped
naval militia ready to take charge of the
Montauk and allow them to return home
at once. Some of the boys are very anx-
GUS to go home and are impatiently walt
ing to be relieved. The officers and men
expect to be assigned, on their return. to
the Monitor Ajax for service in Delaware
bay and they expect to go from the Mon
tauk to her with only a few days leave of
absence. They fear that if they are not
promptly relieved some other naval re-
serve division will gobble the Ajax and
freeze them out. Considering their dis
appointment on reaching here and finding
that they could not be relieved at once the
men are standing their enforced service in
Portland very we'll.
One of the officers of the Montauk said
yesterday: IT never was in place in
my life where the people were more
courteous and polite than they are in
Portland. went to the theatre Saturday
afternoon in uniform with another officer
from the ship. Having no citizen IS clothes
had to go in uniform. went up to the
box office and asked for two seats. The
man in the ticket office looked at me a
minute and called an usher and told. him
to give US the best seats in the house. He
would not let us pay for them. That is
what call being treated very handsome
~. Your city Is the prettiest place have
ever seen and like Maine almost as we'll
as ! do my own home.
The sailors who were ashore Saturday
afternoon also found the people here very
friendly to them and they were treated
very nicely on all sides.
Captain CrowinshielG, chief of the
bureau of navigation at Washington,
wired Adjutant General Richards Satur-
day that regular engineer officer would
be ordeled here for service on the Mon
tauk. Two other officers who have seen
services will undoubtedly be detailed here
and receive acting appointments as exec
utive officer and navigator respectively.
The Portland naval reserves will probably
begin to be mustered into the service
early next week. Adjutant General
Richards will probably come to Portland
early next week and confer with Lieuten-
ant Reamey about the matter.