The times., 1899-12-24

-picl> and Span order Maintained.
As in town we have here men of all
sorts and professions. we find all manner OF /
human interests cropping up here in times
Of leisure, and yet the whole company have
one feeling, one interest in common, their
ship, and through her their navy.
First of all. Of course comes the captain,
who, in spite OF the dignity and grandeur
of his position must at times feel very
lonely. He lives in awful state, a sentry
(of marines) continually guarding his door.
and although he does unbend at certain
times as far as inviting a few officers 20
dine with him, or accepting the officers in
vtation to dine in the wardrOom. this re-
Taxation must not come too often. The
commander, who is the chief executive Of
hcer, is in far better position as regards
comfort. He comes between the captain
and the actual direction of affairs, he has
spacious cabin to himself, but he takes his
meals at the wardroom table among all the
officers above the rank cf subiieutenanJ.
and shares their merriment; the only sub
tie distinction made between him and eV-
erybody else at such times being in the lit
tie word sir, which is dropped adrOitly in
when he is being addressed. For the rest.
naval nous is so keen that amidst the Wild
est fun when off duty no officer can feel
that his dignity is tampered with and they
pass from sociability to cast iron disci-
pline and back again with an ease amaz-
ing to a landsman
The wardIoOm OF battleship is pleas
ant place. 1t is a spacious apartment, TAX
ing in the whole width of the ship, hand
somely decorated and lit by electricity.
There is usually a piano, a good library
and some handsome plate for the table. II
IS available not only for meals, but as a
drawing room, a common meeting ground
for lieutenants. marine officers, surgeons
chaplain and senior engineers, where they
may unbend and exchange views, as well
as enjoy one another's society free from the
grip of the collar. A little lower down in
the scaler OF authority, as well as actually
in the hull of the ship. comes the gunroom,
the affiX being a survival, and having no
actual significance now. In this respect
both wardToom and gurroom have the ad-
vantage over the captains cabin, in which
there are a couple OF quick-fring gurs,
causing those sacred precincts 70 be invaded
by a small host of men at general quar-
ters, who manipulate those guns as il they
were on deck.
The gunroom is the wardroom over again.
only more sO-that is. more wildly hilari-
Gus. more given to Outbursts of melody and
rough play. Here meel the sublisuteuants,
the assistant engineers, and other junior
officers, and tho midshipmen. With these
latter admirals in embryo We find a state
of things existing that is Of the highest
service to them in after life. Taking their
meals as gentlemen, with a senior al the
head of the table, meeting round that same
table at other times for social enjoyment.
HOY rtsiG Of ba do
they have no more privacy than the hum
blest bluejsckst. They sleep and dress and
bathe-lIye, in fact-Coram publiCo, which
is one of the heathiest thiEgs, when you
come 10 think Of it, for a youngster OF any
class Although they are now officers in
/ II. NJ navy. they are sill sChoolboys and
their education goss steadily on at stated
hours in well-appoiuted schColrCCm, keep
ing pace with that sterner training they are
receiving on deck The most grizzled OLD
seaman on board must sir" them, but
there are plenty OF correctives all around
10 hiuder the groa;h in them OF any false
pride.
On the same deck IS to be found the
common room of the warrant officers, such
as bO'sun. carpenter, gunner; those sages
who have worked their difficult way up
from the bottom of the sailors ladder
through all the grades and are with the
petty officers, the mainstay Of ne service.
Each of them has a cabin Of his own, as IS
only fitting, but here they meet as do
their superior officers overhead and air
thsir opinions freely. But, like the ward
room officers, they mostly talk shop" 70.
they have only one great object in life. the
efficiency of their charge, and il leaves
them little room for any other tCpicz.
Around this, the after part of the snip.
cluster also another little body OF men ard
| lads, tie d0mestics, as they are termed.
who Go their duty of attendance upon Of
icers and waiting at table under all cir
cumstauces with that neatness and csieriry
that is inseparable from all work per-
formed in a ship-o'-war. Body servants Of
officers are usually marines but the doIes-
tics are a class apart, strictly non-COm-
batant yet under naval law and discipline
Going "forrard the chief petty cfiCers
will be found to make some attempt az
shutting themselves apart from the gen
eral by arrangements OF curtains. etc. all
liable and ready to be flung into oblivion at
the irst note Of q bugle. For the rest,
their lives are absolutely public. No one
has a corner that he may cal his own, un
less. perhaps, il is his 'ditty bCX." that
little case of needles, thread, etc., that he
needs so often. and is therefore allowed 10
keep on shelf near the spot where he
eats Each mans clothes are kept in
! bag which has its allotted place III 4 rack,
far away from the spot where his ham
meek and bed are spirited of to eve
morning. at o'clock, 10 lie coaCea'ed until
the piUo down hammCcks at night And
vet by the arrangement of ''messes'' each
man has. in common with a few others,
settled spot where they meet at a COM
mon table even though it be not shut in,
and is liable 70 sudden disappearance dur
ing an evolution. So that a mans mess
| becomes his rallying point; it IS there that
the young bluejacket or marine learns
worldly wisdom and many o'ha- rTirE-.
The practice of keeping all bedding on
the move as it were having no permanent
sleeping places. requires getting used TO.
but it is a most healthy one, and even if it
were not it is difficult to see how, within
| the limited space of a warship. any other
arrangement would be possible. Order
! among belongings is kept by a carefully
| graduated system of fines payable in soap
any article found astTay b. the ever
watchful naval police being Immediately
impounded and held to ransom. And as
| eyery mans kit is subject to q periodical
/ overhaul by officers, any deficiency cannot
| escape notice.
| Every mans time is at the disposal OF
/ the service whenever it is wanted, bat in
practice much leisuFc is allowed for rest,
/ recreation and mental improvement.
/ Physical development is fully looked after
/ bttt oil lra on