The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-22
pedo boats.

err. IL will be a sure cure for loss of
appetite and inability to digest whole
some food.
l have been envying ever since |
came ashore the men who can develop
such glorious appetites as the crew Of
a torpedo boat. Who would not be
willing To be pitched around a narrow
little boa during stormy weather in
order TO feel as ravenous as "a wolf at
all kinds of hours. and as light hearted
and clear headed as a gymnast.
When | first stepped aboard the busy
little boat the crew were getting ready
to make a speedy departure on n of
the numerous expeditions i'm connec-
ton with their scout duty here. h
officers and men were too busy at the
moment to give any attention to me.
and so ! was left alone To take i'm the
surroundings. Climbing gingerly down
a hatchway / found myself in a very
cosy square room. about four yards
long by six wide. just enough room TO
stand up in. This was the ward room.
Facing the door was "A stove and a
small sideboard. with a bookcase
above, filled with books on service
matters; a paper rack n a wine lock-
er. a pipe rack. block, chronometer box
and one or two little ~nicknacks filled
up that side.
on either side of me were the hunks.
of which altogether there were three.
These hunks. though narrow. seemed
very comfortable. they were fitted
with drawers underneath and a small
wardrobe was fixed at the head of ach
bunk. on one side, also, was a chart
box and a looking glass. whilst behind
me were lying a pile OF sea boots and
on the bulkheads were hung coats,
mackintoshes. oilskins and sou'-west-
ers. CHANGING up overhead. l saw
campstools. swords. golf clubs. sticks.
tennis rackets. fiddles for the tables
in rough weather, etc. My friends on
board knew how to pack, evidently, for
not an inch of space was lost.
Having thus completed my inspec-
tion of the ward room, | looked OUT
side: on my left was a very ~diminutive
pantry. on my right a bath room in
like proportions. | went ON deck again,
and To my surprise, found that all the
men were forward and that We were
quietly steaming out Of the harbor. |
was standing on the quarterback. with
a ~six-pounder gun on a platform in
front of me, which gun was rejecting
the suns rays in my eyes and dazzling
me, so beautifully clean and brightly
polished was il. Behind me- was a
screen. sheltering the Understanding
position" fitted up, | found out later,
exactly as the one Onward was. There
was also "A hatch which led down TO
the captains cabin, outside Of which
were storerooms and racks for rifles
and cutlasses. The cabin was a COM
Portable little place. and had a bunk,
wardrobe. writing table and bookcase.
and also a little bathroom outside, but
no stove. The captain in these ships
messes in the wardroOm, and only
uses his cabin for sleeping in and for
correspondence work
Walking over the platform. ! found
a torpedo tube. and alongside ii a
hatch. which. on inquiry, ] was told
led TO the chief petty Officers mess. IL
was quite a little place. abou half the
size of the ward room. The engine
room artificers have a similar mess on
the other side If the deck. Everything
was beautifully clean. and the table
was white from hard ~sCrubbing.
Going further forward | found that
here was the galley. and beside IL
stood the ships cook hard at work
getting the dinners ready. There was
also here a dynamo for supplying cleo
tricity to the s~earchlight. which latter
was placed between the engine room
matches on deck.
Passing the big after funnel. | came
on an open space, and a couple OF blue
jackets. who were splicing a wire rope.
volunteered the information that this
was where the foremost torpedo tube
would be placed when the ship was
used solely az a torpedo boat. Here
j was Joined by n of the Junior off,
GERS. who offered TO show me round
the rest Of the ship. as the captain
could not yet leave the bridge for any
time.
T rather liked the rig he was ina
thick pilot coat. ditto trousers. a foot
ball sweater. with . white SIX scarf
IN lieu Of a collar. a fairly old cap.
heavy sea boots. thick gloves and a
pair Of binoculars slung round his