Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-29

lowered and two targets anchored in Gardi-
ner's bay about 400 yards from the ship.
These targets consist of a small red flag
that protrudes but a very short distance
above the surface of the water. With the
bay anything but calm, they afford a de-
cdedly uncertain mark. The officers and
men of the Naval Battalion, with such tar
gets, We're given their first opportunity for
subcaliber firing, the siX-inch and SIX
FOUNDER guns being assigned for the pur-
pose. Dummy cartridges of the regular
size We're used, with f5-caliber cartridges
inserted. For nearly two hours there was
a fuSfifadeT from the entire port side of the
ship. Each man fired at least ten Shots
ana, in view OF the fact that the little red
targets were constantly boibing up and
down, the craftsmanship was very salts
factory especially the work of the men at
the six-pounders. The iackies were organ
lied into regular gun crews and hand ed
the pieces quite skilfuly. Great enthusi-
assn was displayed in the work.
In the midst of the morning firing a
heavy rain storm broke and the practice
was discontinued sufficiently long for the
men follower. and stow away their white
clothes, which were aloft on lines, drying.
When this had been attended to the firing
was resumed.
Additional targets were placed in position
at 1:30 O'Clock yesterday afternoon and the
subcaliber practice continued, the men who
had been at the sX-pounders during the
morning shifting to the sfx-inch guns, while
those who had operated the siX-inch guns
moved up 10 the SlN-pouHUeTS- AT the con-
c!usion of the afternoon work, anchor was
weighed and the Prairie headed for New
London, where she arrived early last even
ing, and took station at point favorable
for viewing the Harvard-Yale boat race
today.
A school for officers was tnaugurated
Wednesday afternoon, navigation being the
subject discussed. After an instructive lee
ture by Naval Cadet Binney, ch officer of
the Battalion was given a problem in navi-
cation to solve, the answer TO be submit
ted the following day.
,s..a-- The Routine Work.
Other than drills the duties of the MEM
bers of the Naval Battalion aboard the
Prairie are specifically mapped out. Lieut.
Commander Hopkins is in general charge
The executive officer Lieut.. Griffith, sees
that the orders of the lieutenant command
carried out, receives the reports of
the watch officers at quarters and re-
ports thereon to his commander and also
to the executive officer of the Prairie. The
watch officers stand regular watch under
the naval officers except during drill, when
they go to quarters. They must see that
the Naval Battalion watch is on deck and
that the routine is carried out. They also
muster and report to the regular officer
of the deck. The engineer officer does duty
as assigned by the chief engineer of the
ship.
AS regards the petty officers, the boat
swains mate has charge of the Naval Bat
tdllOn III the carrying out OIL inc necessary
work OF cleaning and other like duties. The
quartermaster stands watch with the regu-
lar quartermaster, assisting him in all
work. The master-at-arms performs the
same duties with the Naval Battalion as
the regular masterat-arms performs in
connection with the crew of the Prairie.
He has charge of the cleaning of the lower
decks under the regular master-at-arms
The men stand watch and watch, day and
night except the mid-watch, which is
omitted They remain on deck during
watch and help the regular crew, except
during drill periods. Immediately after re-
treat from drill all on watch go deck
except those specially detailed to clean
guns, etc. Two lookouts, one on each bow,
are stationed from sunset to sunrise eN-
cept during mid-watch. When not at drill
or during meal hours and when the regu-
lar crew is not in the chains two men heaVe
the lead from sunrise to sunset taking
turns of twenty minutes each and work
ing through the watch on deck. The en8i-
neer force is watched and stationed by its
own officers under the general direction of
the chief engineer of the ship.
Regulations Enforced.
The regulations that the men of the
Naval Battalion are required to observe
aboard the Prairie provide that smoking
hours are during meal hours and from after
evening quarters until pm. when at
sea and until pm. when in port. The
men who are on watch or other duty during
meal hours are permitted to smoke for
short time after the regular smoking hours.
Smoking anywhere below the gun deck IS
positively prohibited.
The men are required at all times to keep
the decks clean and neat, particularly
about the mess tables.
The lives of the paymaster, the pay clerk
and also of the paymasters yeoman these
days are by no means void of variety. Their
troubles began in earnest about O'Clock
Sunday morning while on the Fern AT
that time the pay clerk was aroused by
several individuals who desired to be in
formed where the provisions for breakfast
were to be found. After an interchange of
words, which We're short and snappy, the
parties were referred to the yeoman; but
it was necessary for the pay clerk to see
that the orders were carried out and that
everybody was satisfied and had sufficient
for breakfast. Every few minutes through
out the day the paymaster and his corps
would be made targets for such remarks
as the following: Il haven't any blue uni
form "''1 did not get my white working
suit Please give me complete outfit,
Some one stole my cap ribbon, My
blanket is not numbered, Il can't find my
hammock
On the Prairie the troubles of the pay
! master have continued, but to lesser de-
gree. Everything is working smoothly,
however, and no one can be found who has
! any but words of praise for the pay depart
ment of the Naval Battalion.
Ii Was the Moon.
! An illusion of the most deceptive charac-
| ter was noted by Lieut.. Commander Hop
| kins and a number of other officers Of the
| battalion as they stood on the bridge OF
| the Prairie about o'clock Tuesday even
| ing. The officers, through their glasses,
| were gazing at schooner several miles
| distant, when suddenly bright flames seem
ed to burst through her deck. 1t was an
| awe-inspiring sight. The officer of the
deck, as was his duty, fastened to the cap
| tain of the Prairie.
| There's a ship off the port bow appa-'
| rently afire, SIR he reported
| Are you aware of the hour the moon is
| supposed to rise tonight? quietly asked
! Commander Mackenzie.
| 1t was then seen that the schooner was
| in direct line with the Prairie and the
| ascending moon. The supposed flames Were,
in fact, merely the light from the orb.
| ~...- c. +. c.
| CARPENTERS FURNISHED CHORUS.
| IncOmpletiOn of Hall Makes Cincin-
| natl SaenEerfest n Failure.
| Fifteen thousand people assembled in