Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-11-04
LIFE IN A WARDROOM
THE OFFICERS QUARTERS ON BOARD
l.lluri A MAN-oF-WAR. lpuI

Where All Except the Commander Eat.
Live and Have Their Social Being-NAvAI
Etiquette Isoistes the Man Whom All
Othsrs on Heard Must Obey.
The wardroom on man of war 10 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-
ton for tho man on tho ship who has
command Of all tho rest The reason IL
undoubtedly to BIO found in the very
fact that no represents extraordinary
power. Under these circumstances any
attempt TO forget the superiority Of his
rank by means Of q common cabin or
messroom for him and his subordinates
would only result in embarrassment ON
both sides. s.
This does not mean that he may not
be sociable, for much depends upon the
man. But 1t il safe to say that any show
OF etfusivoneas among those who live
abaft the mast must come from his side,
IL he wishes IL to be general. The situa-
ton IL delicate one.
In the freer air of the wardroOm we
find from 10 TO 30 officers living togeth-
er, the number varying with the size Of
the ship Their ages may range from 30
to 80, and they are Of all ranks above
that Of naval cadet, and Of all corps.
Engineer officers, line officers, medical
officers, marine officers, one pay officer
and ono chaplain, may all DO included
in tho wardroom of u large ship These
men live in staterooms arranged about u
common space, which IL known rs the
"wardrpom country" This assumption
of space of prairielike dimensions Is
comparatively truthful in the crnmped
quarters OF II ship In this country"
exists tho social life Of the wardroom.
Here these men of varied callings, yet
all Of the seas following, live, move
and have their social being.
A day spent in wardroom by u land
lubber would reveal many interesting
differences between naval officers aud
their brethren on shore. To begin with,
Nll'J hib ObHHIblbllAhu III NHtlI
speech. The men in our wardrooms are
gathered together from all parts Of tho
Union. Local discussions find but an
uninterested audience, or even derisivo
ono, no that IA naval officer gets accus-
toned to speak and think of all tho 40
states ~ belonging equally TO him. Out
side Of his own country he Is 80 great
traveller that very few civilians can keep
up with tho way he skips in converse
tion from China to Peru or TO 1asma-
mia. Other characteristics that .nre
quickly noticeable are his simplicity,
his cheerfulnoss and his heartiness. The
wardroom IL constantly resoundinR with
laughter. The mon In II AFRO healthier
than men who live In houses. They get
up earlier in tho morning and go to bed
earlier at night. Most Of our wardrooms
are bustling with officers at o'clock In
the morning
A glance ut the breakfast table shows
the senior line officer presiding, and tho
other officers placed near him according
TO rank. At the other end Of the table
IN the man who has been elected by his
mesnnates to direct tho catering Of the
mess Between this early meal and tho
breakfast proper, which comes at half
past OF ~ O'Clock, there liz not much
life in the wardroom, for the daily mil
itary routine is full Of drills and exer-
cises which keep most Of the officers on
deck. There arc drills with great guns
and with small arms, drills In clearing
ship for action. drills In handling am
munition and many others-all Of them
rooted In the ono idea that you must
preserve your own life by destroying
that OF your enemy
As soon ns an officer returns 10 the
wardroom from one drill and begins
conversation or perhaps huns song he
IL 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.
Tho chaplain and paymaster. having
much less to do with drills than tho
other officers, are usually the first to be
back IN the wardroom, where there 10
other work for them. The medical off,
cor has gone forward 10 the sick bay to
look after ms patients.
When the midday breakfast comes,
there IL the first breathing space for .
little leisure and relaxation. But the
drills for the day arc not yet over, and
at / O'Clock the hustle Is resumed
throughout the ship. A sudden call may
come for collision drill, or fire. drill, or
battalion drill. II ut soa, Il floating tar.
get may be- dropped overheard, and for
nm hour the ship be shaken from stem
10 stern by the discharge Of guns. From
3 10 : O'Clock In the afternoon there IL
generally respite from work, and the
wardrOom begins 10 show signs Of be-
ing home. Some in IL are reading or
writing, others arc smoking or playing
games or loaGng. Still others are in
their rooms taking tho soaman's after
noon nap But at O'Clock the drills
aud exercises cosno again.
BY q 80 O'Clock tbor,es feeling that
one can sit down and tIe without fear
Of interruption The mss M whole IL
now gathered together and the meal IL
generally n thoroughly enjoyable and
delightful affair After IL is over there
aro cigars. games, music, or the right 10
withdraw within oneself without OK.
citing remark by 10 O'Clock most Of
Theses sailors are Ia bed, but even now
the drills may not be- over At midnight
the bugies may sound and ia two min
utes all the ships company be- rapidly
making ready for an enemy. New
York Posi-