Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-09
THE SMOKING LAMP.
Time Honored Institution Of the American and
British Navies.


One of the time -honored institutions
of the American and British navies is
the smoking lamp Without the smok
ing lamp the modern sailorman Would
be like a fish out of water. He would
mutiny. A failure by the galley cook
to light the smoking lamp without the
loss OF a seconds time after the word
has been given arouses Jacks temper,
and whatever limited stock of invec-
tives he is possessed of is made public
with promptitude and adequate en-
phasis.
To landsmen the mention Of smoking
lamp has no more significance than a
| mention of the Jack oft he-d But
both are necessary part of the equip
ment Of any warship, be she first rate
or fourth rate. Upon the smoking
lamp the crew, including that mysteri
Gus adjunct of the paymaSter's depart
ment, Jack Of the Dust. depends for a
light for his pipe. Jackof-the- Dust
dives down into the depths of the hold
and brings up the navy plug, which.
being cut into bits and crumbled be-
tween the hands, is put into a pipe and
| fired at the smoking lamp.
The need for the smoking lamp arises
from the necessity of guarding to the
utmost the ship from danger of fire.
Precautions which seem ridiculous and
| unnecessary to a landsman have been
found by sad experience to be abso-
| lutely necessary on board ship of
| war. The naval regulations provide
severe punishment for any seaman
| /,
| Could it have been proven by the Span
ish board of inquiry that the sailors of
the Maine had been guilty of carrying
matches about with them they would
have been justified by naval experts
| the world over in declaring that the
destruction of the Maine was due to
the carelessness and lack Of discipline
| on board that ship.
Such was not the case. however. No
| sailor on the Maine carried matches.
He lit his pipe at the smoking lamp.
and he only smoked during those times
that the smoking lamp was lit. He
| never dared to go below decks with a
lighted pipe. If he had Jimmy Legs
would have had him aft 1T the stick
and the executive officer would have
deprived him of shore leave for a
| month at least.
The smoking lamp is constructed
| upon the same lines as n lantern, but
the globe is made of sheet iron instead
of glass. In the side there is a small
round hole. through which Jack may
stick his pipe in order TO catch the
flame. 1t is the duty of the ships cook
or one of his assistants to light the
lamp when the word is given by the
proper officer, who is generally the
chief boatsWain's mate. He. in turn,
gets his orders from the officer of the
deck
When Jack is aroused in the early
| morn by the notes of the reveiile, the
shrill pipe of the boatsWains whistle
and the eruff voice of the master At
arms calling. "Show a leg there now.
my heartes" his first thoughts are of
coffee and tobacco. y half hour is
given him to make Il hasty toilet, drink
a tin of steaming hot coffee and smoke
a pipe. These preliminaries attended
to. at three bells the everlasting whistle
is heard again and the hoatsWains pass
the word Turn to-" That means pipes
out and go to work. The cook puts out
the light in the smoking lamp, and I'M
til breakfast is piped nothing else IS
heard but the swish of water and the
grind OF the holystone as the decks are
| ground into a Wilderness that Wouli
make Il New England housewife wild
with envy.
AS all hands are piped to breakfast
the cook getting a light at the galley
fire. puts the smoking lamp in readi-
ness for operations. The first relief Of
the orderlies, coxsWains. quartermasteiS
and firemen, who get their breakfast at
seven bells. in order that they may be
ready for duty at eight are allowed to
smoke during the remainder of the
half-hour which is allowed them for
breakfast.
, When Jack has finished his ration of
soup n bully" coffee and hardtack.
he feels in kood keller for a smoke. and
} then the smoking lamp is put to good
use until the coxswain. that enemy CT
leisure, sounds one bell. Then there Is
a general shaking out of pipes and
tucking up of trousers preparatory to 4
good long stretch of work. for ia k
will not get another chance to smoke
until six bells any way he can figure it.
Altogether the smoking lamp works
| about six hours Il day. Smoking is
, permitted at intervals up to o'clock at
night. when the sound of two bells and
9 taps by the bugler makes sailorman
put out his pipe. feel lonesome and hunt
his billet There is no half-hour on
board ship around which clusters more
of romance and tender memory than
a the half-hour after taps, when the ten
der notes of the bugle. dying away in
| the darkness recall to needless Jack
o the image of sweetheart or Wife, and
r the home on some far distant shore
= That is Jacks homesick hour if he
n ever has any. but, as Shakespeare on
some other boomn' lime-juicer has
: said, That's material for another
s story
/