The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-10

it is far from an attractive object and
could hardly be recognized as the same
ship when in thorough trim with crew
aboard. The ship is anchored at conVe-
nient navy yard; the stores are sent
ashore. her engines and guns covered with
oil and an anti-ruSting paint, her decks
are allowed to become dirty, her sides
dull and stained from rusty chains. Thus
she lies perhaps for months. and then an
order comes from the secretary of the
navy. through the chief of the bureau of
navigation, directing the commanding Off
Ger of the yard to get her ready for sea-,
OVERLAPPING THE SHIP.
When there is a crisis on. as there has
been of late this calls for an activity and
a display of executive ability which puts
the most experienced officer to the test.
AS soon as the order comes, the com
mandant transmits it to the officers in
charge of different departments. and the
complicated machinery of the yard is set
in motion. The first thing To be done is
to bring as many men as possible from
the receiving ship which lies hard by. and
these. with the force of the yard. under
the direction of whatever officers are
available. begin at once to put things TO
rights and remove the accumulated dust
and dirt from the different parts of the
equipment. The engineers force goes al
once to the engine and boiler rooms; the
anti-rusting paint is removed from the
engines: new packing is put in the valves
and joints: the pumps are tested; the rusc
and dirt is knocked from the interiors of
fire boxes and boiler tubes and CRATE bars
renewed.
Outwardly everything is now in fair con-
dition. but this is only the beginning. 1t
remains to get up steam in some of the
boilers. turn over the engines to see II
they are in proper trim. start the dyna-
mos. test the electric lights and the pilot
house signals turn on the search lights.
start the fans. work the steering gear and
steering engines. set the hosting machine
ry in motion, and put the boat cranes in
operation. Every engine. boiler. pine
wire, tube. rivet. bolt nut. and plate is
carefully inspected. and if found unser-
viceabe from any cause. repaired The
tool outfit is examined. and if anything is
lost or broken. requisition is made on the
naval stOrekeeper for a duplicate: the fire
room shOvels. slice bars. rakes and hoes
are hunted up and put in their proper
places; in the paymaster's department.
the stores which are taken from the YES
sci when she was placed in ordinary are
carefully examined and whatever is found
to be dana ged is condemned and requisi-
ton is made for new.
Next the equipment storehouse is Wis
tied and fun allowance of beef. pork
beans, potatoes. coffee, sugar. salt -four.
meal. clothing. shoes. hammocks. blank
cts paint. tobacco-in short. the whole
miscellaneous assortment of the COM
missary department is placed on board.
The paymaster of the ship is respon-
sibe for every article received. and a
strict account is Kept of each. Then the
galley or cooking store has to be exam
ined to see whether il is complete in all
its findings. The outfit of a galley usual
" consists of two copper kettles. of 30
gallons each. I. 50-gallon kettle with cast
iron Jacket and copper-hinged covers.
two steamers for Vegetables. each with
a capacity of 80 gallons. two sets of
a fine sat of tools for lifting
and firing and the ordinary cooking i'm
PIGMENTS.
PERFECTING THE EQUIPMENT.
Thu line officers look after the condi-
ton of the guns. the rigging. the boats.
the cables. the anchors. the flags and
signals. the charts. the nautical instru-
ments and other parts of the ships
equipment. What this means can only
be appreciated by one who has actually
und artaken the task. \ volume might
be written in regard to the signals alone.
When all this work has been done the
ship is ready to go into commission. and
up to this time everything has been
under control of the commandment of
the yard. so that when the captain of
the ship arrives, and reports himself
TO the yard commander. little remains
men have been brought together to con-
stitute the crew. Sometimes they are
enlisted particularly for the ship which
is about to go into, service. at other
ships which have just been put out of
commission. The crew and the marines
report aboard with bags and hammocks:
the captain orders the crew to be drawn
up on the spar deck promptly at noon
upon the day on which the ship is to be
put formally in commission. reads to
them his orders from the secretary OF
the navy detailing him TO the comnNnd
hoists the commission pennant to the
main truck and the stars and stripes to
the -gaff or staff at the stern, and all is
ready.
WHAT IN COMMISSION" MEANS.
The ship is now in commission. From !
his time regular watches are kept day 1
and night ut sea and in port. an officer /
IF the line is constantly on duty on the /
lack. and an officer of the engineer /
,orps is on duty in the engine room. |
rhe officer of marines in command of |
he guard sees to II that there is an Or /
ierly stationed at the door of the cap l
aims cabin. at the scuttlebut to pre- /
'ent waste of water. and usually on /
he forecastle and at the gangway. while /
n port.
A man-of-war's crew. or as it is
ermed I'm the service. the ships COM
AMY" is divided into two watches the
and port. and sometimes
gain divided into the first and second
larts of each These full. or half watch
$. are on duty four hours at sime
rom eight bells to eight bells. tic bell
icing sounded on the half hours; COM