Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-09
ON A MAN-O.WAR
Daily Routine OF Duty for the American Blue.
jacket.


bo'sun's mates pipe and the bray of the
marine 'windiammer bugle. The bug
Ter gets in his work first. Ask any old
heavy weather deep-water blucjacket of
the United states navy what sound of all
earthly sounds he hates worst. and he
Will begin to say things about the marine
buSler-for this musician trumpets all
hands forward awake at ) clock in the
morning. hammock is a comfortable,
cosey affair to sleep in when you get used
to it-especially cosey and comfortable
al o clock on a bleak. chill morning.
But when the ''windjammer notes die
away. and the already up and spry bo-
suns mate lets ont couple of shrili
blasts on his pipe, followed by the roar
''All hands on deck a hammock is no
place for bluejacket who does not pine
for the trouble OF facing the skipper at
the mast few hours later. From the
time ''all hands" is sounded the men are
allowed six minutes TO scramble out OF
their hammocks, dress themselves, and
lash their hammocks and stow them
away in the hammock MEETINGS. The
man who lags and is ten seconds behind
schedule time for this performance is
spotted by the chief master-at-arms-
and he does no, go ashore on liberty with
his shipmateS for a while
The hammocks slowed, the officer of
the deck Gin his bare feet, generally, like
the men forward and therefore not quite
so gallant and misunderstanding as he APP
pears when YOU go aboard on your ViSiD
makes his nod to the watchful bo sun S
mate, and the word Wash down is
passed. Then the pumps below begin to
thump, and for a solid hour green seas
pour over the decKs-more than enough
water to float her. The scrubbing, maui
ing of gear. rubbing of anything and
everything rubable, are prodigious. Every
man has a cleaning station, whether he
belongs to the deck force or the black
gang" Of the engineers department be-
low. and it is his business to get that
station as clean washed wool before
three-fourths of the civilian world has
awakened. If he does not get it clean he
goes to the mast" when his slouchness
is discovered by the inspecting officer.
Every corner and Granny of a man-o- war
is numbered for cleaning purposes. from
the to'gallant fo'c'sle to the after en-
ginerOom, and every man-o'-war's man
has Il number to correspond to his clean
ing station. They don't holyStone man
o'war decks any more. They use sand
instead. While the men on deck are
whitening the decks and securing the
guns and unravelins and rcStowing
loose gear. the black gang down below
are polishing up their intricate machin-
cry stations. cleaning fire and boiler
rooms, washing out biges and generally
laying up peace for themselves against
the after-breakfast inspection of the
lynX-cycd chief engineer.
This early morning washing down and
polishing seance lasts for two hours for
il is to be understood that among the in
convcnienceS the man-o' wars man must
perforce get used to is that of working
like Il mule on an empty stomach. At I
O'Clock the bosun's mate gets another
nod from the officer of the deck; then
trrov.ls ..bnock orr, The mon uuit work
where they stand and wash themselves
for breakfast. Mess gear" which means
the whistled summons to the man-o'
wars meal, goes for breakfast at 7.1
n'Clocl, The srallev cooks get the brea k
fast ready while the rest of the crew
forward are cleaning stations. When
strikers (goncrally apprentice bovsp null
down tn. swinging tables and the nan
nillfu-seryed meals are on the tables in
= iifTv The hlueiackets are hungry of
coiIrss-and tbn hreakfasts are of a good
eort The food is Substantial nourishing
oven r,41atabln-but the recruit has TO be-
come tcfustorned 10 the way If is served
The chief DetIy officers. mess must be
,xrcnted IRON, his generalization for the
,.hi.f ,,.tt,. nfiir,rs, n,ses ON an Anpricar
nan-d.-T..,r is always = d,intiIv servaf
Affair. rninus the sv.inrine tables The
,tttw otijrars Who wear Tho hrass huttons
at otinu,T,- tallau usually on the
berth deck
Tho avcrae,a man-o.-war.s man regards
his br..l},ft, a. nI,Iv a foundation for q
..r,nLa -tLn h,,.t =n,oIke Of the day ON
l,r1ri,..,,, ,,,,,,,,.-,,..,r moro * an onion
,lit ,,il 49,, ,..,,,,.,i!i,,, i,,,n :, han,r
; ~ 81, t'ut. - ~, f,.,,,rfo
rhn n,,,t,,t.,I az thn marine eI1ard li.rhte
, .t,,i.I .li- i,,,5, IN tnlrd
Of
~ " ~ w - 'loi'7 iiV,'t - - :;
~, Nt' " I''n VT '.'7 ,"iilp l., =
"EI"F' cht Hid" q" wa mn" in'H ,h't ~
Hliu#'u I'''M III Wv "a o!'IH ''.' ~! az;
mann ,i''N' H'M'NSr' "'I'' h't ''' ~ iiis
peru o'i"rfl! uttkS' "It'H th' SiHohiHE
lamp II nor aIiEh tlic h1i-o war > iIdi
at-arms .xniaiu4 why hc id then and
there smoke. ls,1n. ON ia ibc commanding
officer Erl the l.l3n-t,'-.varsnan bolt.
his breakfast for In. SAKE. Of his FIRST
norl,ili,e NmoI;o for he has tn crowd his
hrcaLf1sf Inc smoke ami his somewhat
.Iabnraf. ,.,,,Ii, i1},..' If himself aud dress.
in,, nn fn,. .,l,,,,t,,,a within thn ,sn.ir, al
an h,ur ..tfl,2rl,,,s wien is the first
rnu ;c.,ll ,r en-. d1,,. ,,, - u.,r vessel i
.i,,[ld il, ,f t.9itJ et.,a. ,,.,,.y nj .,
,Il, ,I...t,;,,,,Ii,- NJ q n.lnol,i ia ~,
r,i', M, ,,,,,,, f,,.,,.,rd hi,,oi,cl,ct.
i r'i . M H. =; ir. 49,;
,, ,l''' f az ,,' t'"' ,,,t l,,t no,
~ -, ''.',"t i',,' ,, "a ~ ,,r
mus 'V"h l','s'i'iF .,:"' ai? 80! -
Nl''id th'i u'NlHI"" YiiiN' - .t9pe'tlo ~
"'-",tf "Eiih t't't " ~ 'ur ' ;,
l"r 3I"N'i'tihDSS, Nnci, iheanI an Inv"
huialF Si"u'llihS Oh "i SHORE H'c'lH "i''
other privileges
Th, chief petty officers attached to dix
is.una ahovr and below. Gail the roll an
rcuurt 20 the division officers who i'm tuT
rcr,urt 10 thf .,vrrufiNp officer FINALLY