Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-09

and the men put the finishing touches to
their cleaning work of the morning. re-
manning at this until "knock off, is
sounded at a quarter of Il. when they
wash up for dinner. MeSs-gear for dim
ner is pipe1 precisely at noon. About five
minutes before this the men begin to
form the beer line The chief master-at-
arms, at the mainmaSt, serves out beer
(Which the men pay the bumhoatman for,
at noon mess gear. and the beer drinkers
have to get in line TO get their bottles.
They are not permitted to take the beer
at the mess tables Ocst they secrete 1t
and store up enough for Il little spree
aboard and So many of them bring their
dinners; in their hands out to the beef
line, and fiNe the swinging tables the so
by.
At l O'Clock Turn to- goes again. ana
then for three or sometimes four hours
the men forward put in the heavy work
of the day. The chief bo'Sun's mate, like
a provost sergeant in the army, always
knows where to find work for the blue-
Jackets. There is always a paymaster
s:orcroom to be broken out ana re
slowed; always 4 magazine that neeoS
oVerhauling (Which the men forward oe
spisc, for the reason that no smoking II
allowed aboard ship while a magazine Is
| open0 always ashes to be hauled up on
| elevators from the iircroomS anch"rS 10
| be Clipped and repaintei. ammuili'iHh
| boxes to be rcd-lcaded. ships sides 10 ne
| Scraped and scrubbed to a dazzling Whltc-
ness-in brief the DO suns mate OF a moo
| ern man-o'-war could find some work TO
| do on the highly polished surface OF d
small boys taW agate. lie Is never az a
! loss and one of the requirements OF MS
| rate is that he must always be able to
| find labor for four times the NUMBER Oh 1t
| ships company.
| when the men finally knock off at 1 or
) o. clock the only remaining duty staring
| them in the face is the standing of eve
ming quarters about sun Town They nave
to clean up spick-and-span for this, when
is about the same sort OF rollcall. Win
| the addition of ten minutes preliminary
| caIisthcnCS as the rollcal in the morn
ing Then meSS-gear for supper is plped,
| ana when the meal is over all hands shitt
| into the Slouchiest clothes they possess III
| their ditty bagS-those of the crew, that
| is who have not earlier in the day put
down their names for visits. more or less
| tempestuouS. ashore-and settle down lof
| an evening of comfort and enjoyment
| aboard. The StudiouS men lay ait to the
| library but the library is never over
| crowded with men forward seeking books.
There is always too much going on on
deck to make reading, letter writing or
other seientary pursuits possible, except
| for the most serious men. The blueJacketS
and marines who possess musical lnStru-
| ments break them out of their dirty bags
and all hands among the musicians play
| different tunes at one ana the same time
in close proximity to each other the sing
ers-also singing different ballads, as d
rule-at no very great distance away
The boxers haste each other with the
gloves on the main deck the jg-dancers
form their especial parties OF admirers
the "man-o-war chaws, otherwise the
yarn spinners, gather their clienteleS
about them. and from Immediately aftel
supper until ''hammocks' is sounded. at
40 o'clock-when the sleepy men may
turn in if they so elect-there is life and
movement and whirl on deck. The mel
must remain d bit quieter after ham,
mocks. ana after pipe down is sounded
by the buglers-"pipe down being IN.
taps of the army-all lights. except the
| standing ones, are extinguished, and the
man-o' war day officially ends at 9Sl
o clock at night.