Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-03-25
WORK OF SEA SOLDIERS.
NEVER ENDING ROUND OF THE DUTIES
oFAS SHIPS MARINES.

They Are Busy Anoat or Ashore Little
Mpnotony In Their Life what They DO
and How They DO It-"Marincs" on
ship and In Barracks.
Uncle Sam has two kinds Of sea
warriors, the web.footed ones, who,
wearing blue shirt with broad, roll.
ing collar, are called bluejackets, and
the amphibious, who, dressed in
soldier clothes, with stripes on their
trousers and shevrons on their sleeves,
are called marines. Ashore, says the
New York Sun, the habitat of the
marine is in barracks at every navy
yard, aud you'll find sentry at the
gate and one at every turn in the
yard. Ahoat you find sentrios at
but come along with the corporal of
the guard ~ he makes his rounds Of
the ship. At the door of the captains
cabin stands the orderly, a natty, in
telliCent looking soldier. He must
needs be intelligent, for he has to carry
many important verbal messages. In
spite of yourself he makes you little
nervous Sometimes when he salutes
and says, "The captain wishes to see
Mr.. Smith" No one enters the cap
tains presence until the orderly has
first taken in the name. Click comes
the heels together, and the hand rises
III salute to You AZ You enter the
cabin door, no matter If you are going
in to get a commentator or the
toughest old reprimand there is, with
few days suspension from duty at
tached.
Down below there is little narrow
space between two bulkheads, where
it's dark and hot and stutiy. There
is sentry down there, and his duty
is to guard the storerooms. From
the nature Of his surroundings he
can't walk, he can't whistle, he can't
sing, and il he goes to sleep ON post
he has II court-martial before him.
Along the berth deck one comes
across some long bright objects, look
ing much like porpoises, and evidently
intended for swimming under water.
Going closer to investigate, you arc
tapped on the shoulder and the "sen-
try over the torpedoes' courteously
informs you that unauthorized per-
sons are not allowed to handle those
delicate!y adjusted but deadly instru-
| ments of warfare.
A little further along on this deck
is the "sentry over the brig, y for the
brig is the ships prison, where, i'll
complete solitude, and on bread and
water diet, an offender can mediate
and see the error of his ways.
In the forecastle the sentry keeps
order among the crew, and an occasion
al eye on that fishing boat drifting
down with the tide. Jack sometimes
goes fishing and makes queer hauls.
With coin as bait, he drops over
his line, gets nibble, hauls in little
brown bottle--and doesn't show his
catch to the sentry.
And 80 the marine does the sentry
duty Of the ship--and this explains
the ill-feeling that has existed from
time immemorial between bluejacket
and marine.
However, there are other things to
be done besides the sentry-gu. The
marines are company of infantry and
form the advanced guard in operations
ashore; they fight battery OF gums as
artilerists aboard ship, they clean
ship, they coal ship, they paint ship
and their work is never through
Then there are troublous times IN
one of our South American neighbors.
The country is in state of revolution,
in the cities law and order are sus-
One does not venture ont on the street
unless heavily armed and with guard.
The American women and children are
gathered under the flag Of the United
States consulate or legation. There
il q soldier in blue uniform on guard
at the entrance; there are many Of
them within, sometimes bivouacking
on the patio, shaded from II brOiing
sun, ut other times shivering beside u
fire in'the compound. These soldiers
are the same marines and their ship Is
in the harbor not far away.
Preventing looting, suppressing
fires, burying the dead, such was their
duty after the bombardment Of Alex
andria For the manner in which they
did their duty look for the letter of
Lord Charles Beresford in the files of
the British Admiralty offices.
1t is quite an interesting and pretty
sight to watch the ceremonies which
take place on board ship on the ar.
rival of n high official, such as an
ambassador, an admiral, a general, or
a consul. As the cutter dashes up to
the side, with spray flying from the
oars, the ships bngle sounds "Atten-
ton" The side boys offer the man
ropes as the official steps on the gang.
way, and the captain receives him as
he steps on the quarter deck. As the