The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-07-20
A TRYING NAVAL JOB.
WHAT IT MEANS 10 PUT A WARSHlp
IN COMMISSION.

The Enormous Amount of Work That Must
lie Performed and the Ceremonies That
Arc Observed BEFORE tho rennant aud
the Stars and stripes Arc Hoistcd.
In times of peace as we'll as whou
wars dark clouds gloom tho nation You
are liable to read in the newspapers an
announcement to the effect that ono uf
tho vessels of the navy is going Into
commission. 1t Is not very impress
i've phrase but the full meaning of tho
term is something of which few have
any adequate conceptions Toput mod
ern warship into commission involves
an enormous amount Of work, which
can be fully appreciated only hy one
who has observed the process from be-
ginning to end
When vessel of the navy is laid up
III reserve, lin ordinary, as il is call
ed, II is far from mi attractive object
and could hardly be recognized as tho
same ship when III thorough trim, with
crew aboard. The ship is anchored ut
convenient navy yard; tho stores arc
sent ashore, her engines and guns coy
cred with oil and an antitrust paint;
her decks nro allowed to become dirty
her sides dull and stained from rusty
chains. Thus she lies perhaps for
months, and then an order comes from
tho secretary of the navy, through the
chief of the bureau of navigation, di-
rocting the commanding officer of tho
yard To get her ready for sea.
The first thing To be done is To bring
as many men as possible from the re-
oeiying ship. which lies hard by, and
these. with the forco of tho yard, under
tho direction of whatever officers arc
available, begin at once toput things to
rights and remove the accumulated dust
and dirt from the different parts of tho
equipment. the engineer = furco COOS ut
once To tho engines and boiler rooms;
the antitrust paint is removed from thu
engines; new packing is put in tho
valves and joints. the pumps are tested.
the rust and dirt knocked from interiors
of fire boxes, and boiler tubes and grato
bars renewed.
Oatwmdly everything is now i'll fair
condition, but this is only tho begin.
ming. 1t remains to get up steam in
some of the boilers, turn over the en-.
gines to see if they are in proper trim.
start tho dynamos test tho electric
lights and the pilothouso, signals, turn
on tho searehlights. start the fans. work
the steering gear and steering engines,
set tho hoistng machinery in motion
and put tho boat cranes in operation
Every engine, boiler pipe wire, tubo,
rivet, bolt, nut and plato is carefully
inspected and If found unscrviCeahlo
from amy eauso repaired.
Next the equipment sturehouse is Wis
tied, and full allowance of beef, pork,
beans potatoes, coffee, sugar, salt, flour,
meal clothing, shoes, hanImOcRs, blan-
kets, paint, tobaeeo-in short, the whole
miscellaneous assortment of the com
missary department., is placed ON board,
| The paynIestcr of the ship * RESPONSE.
Bile for every article received and II
strict account is kept Of each Thon tho
galley, or cooking stove, has To bo OK
anined Ia SEQ whether it is complete in
all its findings, The outfit of u galley
usually consists of two copper kettles of
30 gallons each. II 30 gallon kettle. with
cast iron Jacket and copper hinged coy
crs, two steamers for vegetables, each
with Il capacity of b gallons; two sets
of sauccpans, II tino Set of tools for lift
ing and firing and the ordinary cooking
implements
The 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.
monts and other parts of the ships
equipment What this means can only
bo appreciated by one who has actually
undertaken the task. A volume might
be written in regard 10 the signals alone,
When all this work has been done,
the ship is ready to 20 into commission,
and up to this time everything has been
under control Of the commandment Of the
yard, so that when tho captain of tho
ship arrives and reports himself to tho
yard commander little remains for him
TO attend TO- In the meantime men hayo
been brought together to constitute tho
crew.
Sometimes they are enlisted particu
larly for the ship which Is about to go
into service, at other times they are
Withdrawn from other ships which have
just been put out Of commissions The
crew and marines report aboard with
bags and hnImnocks 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 tu the command, hOiats tho com