Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-06-21

FIRING IRON hOSIToE flGHTiNG TUT.
inch caliber down 10 the FOUNDER
they take their name from the weight
Of the shot they throw. Everything be-
low the pounder IL in tho machine
gun class
Male applicants may enter the navy
between the ages Of IL and 35 years.
Boys between IA and II years old can
enlist only as apprentices.
While in the army the private soldier
may rise to major generalship, in the
navy the limit Of the bluejacket's posi-
BILE promotion is the position Of variant
officer. as gunner, boatswain, carpenter
The highest pay Of warrant officer Is
81, 500 year.
Bluejackets are better paid than SOL
diers in the United States service, and
when in active service have what the
soldier IL seldom sure Of, the assurance
Of good food and comfortable quarters.
A landsman in the navy receives in the
beginning tl6 month. aud his pay in
creases at each step Of his promotion to
the rank Of ordinary and Of able seaman.
From Key West to Havana is dis
lance Of 30 miles measured in direc-
tion almost due south.
To cruise ON a wsrship In the Carib-
bean sea is u far more healthful and
pleasant business than To campaign ON
land II Is cooler upon the water, there
are no venomous reptiles or insects to
make life burden and hut little liza
bility Of malarial OF epidemic disease.
For fighting in warm climates the
United States seaman wears q uniform
OF white-canvas jumper, canvas trou
sers, knitted watch cap or white canvas
hat, black necktie and lanyard with
knife.
For boarding or repelling boarders in
o naval engagement the United States
sailor is provided with sevolver and
cutlass When landed as infantry, he
carries Lee magazine rifle.
There is nothing cleaner than the
decks md equipment Of warship. All
woodwork is scrubbed and brass work
polished daily. and there is no end to
painting and scraping and to the chip
ping Of rust from anchors and cables.
Every man -of-war's man knows how
to sew and does his own mending.
Many Of the old hands would rather
buy the materials and make their own
clothes than draw ready made uni
form suit from the government.
On warships to which chaplain Is
assigned . small white pennant with
blue cross flying from the gaff gives no.
tice that divine service IL being held on
board.
No punishment involving bodily suf
fering, such az the old time fioeging,
branding, tattooing Of offenders, can be
adjudged by any court martial or in.
fiicted upon any person ip the navy.
In modern naval fights the battleships
are ranged in the first line and bear the
brunt of attack. With them are the
monitors and armored cruisers which
protect the fianks aud rear Of the line
of battle. Protected cruisers, torpedo
boats. dispatch boats, hospital ships and
torpedo boat destroyers form the second
line.
Torpedo boat destroyers are large tor
pedo boats which are equipped SO that
they may launch torpedoes at the en-.
emy or with guns and rams sink his
torpedo boats.
The cost per day Of maintaining in
commission an ordinary warship is
81, 500.
The present outlay for the United
States navy is $50. 900 per day.
A single charge Of ammunition for
large caliber gun costs $500.
It costs from $1,000 to $40, 900 to fill
the bunkers of man ofwar with coal.
Until the recent naval fight of Ma
nilla only one sea fight had occurred
to put modern war vessels and arma-
ments to the test-the battle Of Yalu,
In 1895, between the Chinese and Jap
anese fleets.
Our modern steel built, armorclad
navy had no existence, even on paper,
l6 years ago. At that time the United
States had but 81 war vessels available
for cruising, Of which only one, the
Tennessee, was . first rate ship. The
smoothbore muxzle loader was the pre-
vailing gun in the service then. Many
Of the war craft Of that period have
been since laid up as superannuated.
The first class battleship Iowa is the
most powerful open sea fighter, and the
protected cruiser Minneapolis, which
has reached q speed Of 1871 knots, Is
the swiftest ship In the navy.