Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-18
LIFE IN 4 WARDROlM
THE OFFICERS QUARTERS ON scSso
a MAN-OF-WAR.

Live and Have Their Social Being-SavaI
Etiquette Isoiates the Man Whom All
Others Beard Must Obey.
The wardroom on Il nIan-of war is the
living place of all the older officers of
the ship, with one exception. the COM
manding officer. He lives by himself,
has his own cabins, his own mess, his
own servants. Naval etiquette and Gus
tom have established this habit of isola-
tion for the man on the ship who has
command of all the rest. The reason is
undoubtedly to be found in the very
fact that he represents extraordinary
power. Under these circumstances any
attempt to forget the superiority Of his
rank by means of a common cabin or
messroOm for him and his subcrlinates
would only result IL embarrassment ON
both sides.
This does not mean that he may not
be sociable, for. much depends upon the
man. But it is safe to say that any show
OF effusiveness among those who live
abaft the mast must come from his side,
if he wishes it to be general. The situa-
ton is IL delicate one.
In the freer air of the wardrOom we
ind from 10 to 20 officers living togeth-
r, the number varying with the size of
4 ? ship. Their ages may range from %
tl/f0, and they are of all ranks above
tb~r Of naval cadet, and of all corps.
EnSsleer officers, line officers, medical
officNs, marine officers, one pay officer
and one chaplain, may all be included
III the wardrCom of large snip. These
men live i'll statercoms arranged about a
common space, which is known as the
''wardroOm country" This assumption
of a space of prairielike dimensions Is
comparatively truthful in the cramped
quarters of a ship In this country
exists the social life Of the wardroom.
Here these men of varied caIlings, vet
all of the seas following, live, move
and have their social being.
y day spent in Il wardroom by a land
lubber would reveal many interesting
differences between naval officers aud
their brethren On shore. To begin with
they are more cosmopolitan in their
speech. The men III our wardroOms are
gathered together from all parts of the
Union. Local discussions find but an
uninterested audience, or even derisive
one, so that a naval officer gets accus-
toned to speak aud think Of all the As
states as belonging equally to him. Out
side of his own country he Is so great
traveller that very few civilians can keep
up with the way he skips III converse
ton from China 70 Peru or to Tasma-
mia. Other characteristics that are
quickly noticeable are his simplicity,
his cheerfulness and his heartincss. The
wardroom is constantly rcsouuding with
laughter. The men IL it are healthier
than men who live in houses. They get
up earlier III the morning and 90 to bed
earlier at night. Most of or wardrooms
are bustling with officers at 2 O'Clock in
the morning.
4 glance at the breakfast table shows
the senior line officer presiding, and the
other officers placed near him according
to rank At the other end of the table
is the man who has been elected by his
messmates to direct the catering of the
mess. Between this early meal and the
breakfast proper, which comes at half
past IL or IL o'clock, there i not much
life in the wgrClTolm, for the daily mil
itary routine Is fsLl of drills and excr-
cises which keep most Of the officers on
deck. There are drills with great guns |
and with small arms, drills III clearing |
ship for action, drills i'll handling am
and many others-all of them |
rooted III the one idea that yOu must |
preserve your own life by destroying |
that Of your enemy.
As soon as an officer returns to the |
wardroom from one drill and begins a |
or perhaps huns "a song he |
is interrupted by the bugles ON deck and |
must buckle on his sword and return to |
another drill.
At every call to quarters all officers
must report themselves ready for duty.
The chaplain and paymaster, having |
much less to do withs drills than the /
other officers are usually the first to lie
back III the wardruom, where there is
other work for them. Tho medical Off
Ger has gone forward 10 the sick bay to
look after his patients.
When the midday breakfast comes,
there is the first breathing space for
little leisure and relaxation. But the
drills for the day are net yet over, and
at 1 O'Clock the hustle is resumed
throughout the ship. y sudden call may
come for collision drill, or fire drill, or
battalion drill. If at sea, floating tar
get may be dropped overheard, and for
an hour the ship be shaken from stem
TO stern by the discharge of gums. From
70 O'Clock in the afternoon there Is
generally Il respite from work, and the
wardrCon begins to show signs Of be-
ing n home. Some i'll it are reading or
writing, others are smoking or playing
games or loafirC Still others are in
their rooms taking the scaman's after
noon nap But at 5 o'clock the drills
and exercises come again.
BY 80 O'Clock there is feeling that
one can sit down and dine without fear
of interruption. The mess as whole is
now gathered together, and the meal is
q thoroughly enjoyable and
affair. After it is over there
are cigars, games music, or the right to
withdraw within oneself without ex-
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