The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-25
GOING INTO COMMISSION.
Preparations and Ceremonies on
Board of Man-Of-War.


From the San Francisco Gail.
There has been much talk of late about
putting vessels of the navy into commits
sion" The fun meaning of The term is
something of which few have any ade-
quate conception. To put modern war
ship into commission involves an enor-
nous amount of work, which can be
fully appreciated only by one who has
observed the process from beginning to
end.
When a vessel of the navy is laid up in
reserves 'in ordinary" as it is called it is
far from an attractive object, and could
hardly be recognized as the same ship
when in thorough trim, with a crew
aboard. The ship is anchored at a con-
verient navy yard; the stores are sent
ashore, her engines and guns covered with
oil and an antitrust 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 navi-
cation, directing the commanding officer
of the yard to get her ready for sea.
The first thing to be done is to bring as
many men as possible from the receiving
snip, which lies hard by and these with
the force of the yard, under the direction
of whatsoever officers are available. begin
at once TO put things to rights and re-
move the accumulated dust and dirt from
the different parts of the equipment; the
engineers force goes at once to the en-
glnes and BOXER rooms the antitrust
paint is removed from the engines; new
| packing is put in the valves and Joints;
the pumps are tested; the rust and dirt
Knocked from interiors of fire boxes and
boiler tubes and CRATE bars renewed
Outwardly everything is now in fair con-
diuon, but this is only the beginning. It
remains to get up steam in some of the
! boilers, turn over the engines to see IL
they are in proper TRIM start the dyna-
mos, test the electric lights and the pilot
| house signals; turn on the searchlights
/ start the fans, work the steering gear and
steering engines, set the hosting machln-
| cry in motion, and put the boat cranes in
! operation. Every engine, boiler, pipe. wire.
! tube, rivet, bolt, nut and plate is care
/ fully inspected, and, if found unserviceable
! from any cause, repaired.
! Next the equipment storehouse is visited
| and full allowance of beef pork, beans.
| potatoes, coffee, sugar, salt, flour, meal
! clothing, SHOES, hammocks blankets.
i paint tobacco-in short the whole miscel-
iaheous assortment of the commissary de-
/ partment, is placed on board The paw
| master of the ship is responsible for ev-
cry article received, and a strict account
is kept of each. Then the galley or cook
| ing stove has to be examined to see
whether it is complete in all its findings.
The outfit of a galley usually consists of
| two copper kettles of thirty gallons each.
htty-gailon Kettle with cast-iron jacket
| and copper-hinged covers, two steamers
for vegetables, each with a capacity of
| thirty-two gallons; two sets of saucepans.
| ine set of tools for lifting and firing and
the ordinary cooking implements.
! Inc line officers look after the condition
of the guns, the rigging, the boats. the
cables the anchors, the flags and signals
the charts. the nautical instruments and
| other parts of the ships equipment What
! TINS means can only be appreciated bv ono
who has actually undertaken the task. A
volume might be written in regard to the
| signals alone.
When all this work has been done the
snip is ready to go into commission, and.
up TO this time everything has been under
control of the commandant of the ward. 81
that when the captain of the shin arrives
and reports himself to the yard comman-
der, little remains for him 10 attend TO. In
the meantime, men have been brought to-
| gether 10 constitute the crew
Sometimes they are enlisted particularl,
for the ship which is about to 90 into SER
vice, AT other times they are withdrawn
from other ships which have Just been mi
out of commission The crew ana 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 10 them his
orecfs from the Secretary of the Navy de-
failing him 10 the command HOSTS the
commission pennant 10 the main truck.
and the stars and Stripes to the gan or
star at the stern, and all is ready.
The ship Is now in commission.
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