The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-08-20
Z. s. SHIPS BUGLE CALLS
NAVAL OFFICERS NO LONGER THUN.
DER OUT THEIR ORDERS.

About Every Command Now Is Conveye
to the Men on Deck by the Bras
Instrument-The One to Quarters /
the Most Welcome One of All
, In the old days in the British nav,
it was possible to tell the rank of al
officer by the notes of his voice. TIL
captain gave his commands like {
broadside. The lieutenant com
mander Numbered little less loudly
the executive officer still less vehe
mently, while an ensign gave orders
in a mild and apologize tone.
| But in the modern navy the voice
has given way to the bugle, and the
clarion tones of this instrument ring
through the ship at all hours of the
day and for part of the night. The
sailor abuses it when it calls him from
his hammock at the break of dawn,
and blesses it when it gives him per-
mission to ''turn in" at night, or
when it sounds the order for mess
formation.
In the hour of battle the bugle in
spires and directs; at sunset and sun
rise it calls all hands to salute the
flag, as the national emblem is hauled
down or hoisted; it may mean break
fast or long, hard row, under hot
sun, or swabbing down the decks, Or
calling away the captains gig, or
church." as the Sunday service on
cupboard is called, or practice with
The big guns, or inspection, or batal-
lion drill-or half hundred other
things.
An old sailor regards the bugle with
scorn. To him it is only an innova-
ton. A whole bloomin' band"
would scarcely strike him as being more
inappropriate, for the bugle on men-of-
war is thing of so recent date in our
navy, that the men who fought and
died atthe beginning of the civil war
had never heard it.
In the old days it was the fife and
drum which gave warning that the
enemy was in sight, and which sent
the men to the guns. The old sailor
still longs for the fife and drum, and
for him no other music can have such
attraction. 1t recalls the age of
wooden ships, the age when muscle
and Drawn had not succumbed to steel |
and science, the age when mon looked |
into the lannon's mouth at short
range, when ship was lashed to ship,
and "All hands repel boarders!" was
familiar cry.
The young recruit of the modern
lronclad, perhaps, also signs for the
days OF the fife and drum, as he listens
to the many calls of the bugle and
struggles to learn the meaning of
such, but necessity teaches the dullest,
md, after few weeks, the meaning
If the bugle notes is as plain to him
rs the English language.
At 5 o'clock in the morning. in sum-
ner, and at 6 o'clock in winter, there
comes that inevitable eta, ia, ta-ta-ta,"
which means that he must bid adieu
o slumber, fold up his hammock and
tow it neatly away.
At $50 o'clock the bugle sounds
gain, and the young sailor knows
nat the quartermaster is preparing
o hoist the colors. Again, at 5
clock, the bugle call is given, and {
re the strains have died away the {
tars and Stripes are waving at the
tern. This ceremony is technically c
nown as "colors." |
If the young man is on a ship the |
aptain of which is fond of "form." 1
lie bugle will presently be heard a
him to fall in with his a
'mrades for mess. Mess formation =
not, however, gone through with on
'ery ship.
When the decks have been cleaned
ID muster or inspection is over, the =
'ptain may order practice at the b
ms, and the bugler gives the Off n
rs call, and ten minutes dater the b
'neral call to quarters. 81
While at quarters the bugle directs le
e men in the various exercises. It p
ders commence firing" or cease m
ing" or "train the starboard or n
rt battery" hi
Gun practice may be followed bv IL
ttalIon drill, for which the bugle OF
unds the assembly call, and then &C
es through the calls for drill which ca
, IN use in the regular army. SC
At the dinner hour the mess forma. to
n call is sounded, and often, after II
1ner, the busler may be heard call th
: away one OF the boats, or perhaps pc
OF them. There is call for each \, m
IS OF boats-launches, cutters. I(
gigs and dingies. The an al
1t call followed by one blast calls st'
ay the first cutter, by two blasts, ST.
second cutter; by three blasts. the an
I'd cutter. ha
1t ten minutes before sunset the pr
gle summons the quartermaster to d.
flagstaff, and at sunset it sounds pr
'lors," when the flag is hauled tI,
Vn and slowed away in the locker. vi, .Il