The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
EXERCISE FOR BLUEJACKErs.
Daily Drill Made Necessary by Condition
on Modern Men-of-War.

The sunlight fading out OF the clear. cold sky
and flashing. crimson and gold. in the win
dows OF the tall buildings across the river en-
gagged the attention of Lieutenant-Commander
Rodgers,s executive officer of tho big white
battleship Indiana one afternoon last week.
He was commenting on the beauty Of the pic
ture when the officer OF the deck. whose red
nose and ears testified to the sharpness OF the
breeze. approached him.
shall we have the setting up exercises
ashore or on board. sir 2" he asked.
Mr.. Rodgers looked over the stretch OF black
soil which extended from the waters edge to
the Lyceum building in the navy yard. The
ground was frozen hard and the sharp eye Of
the executive officer could detect no mud holes.
Have it ashore" he said. The deck officer
saluted and went away. Eight bells sounded.
and the ships buglers began to blow the call
for evening quarters. One by one the officers
struggled up the companionways. buckling on
their swords and pulling on their gloves. Mr..
Rodgers stood In the lee OF the after turret and
Engineers division all accounted for. SIR"
one messenger would say; and then scurry
STay 70 on nj lie q deef abaft the the s msIias sSnTa
Lieut., Hatch. their long-limbed. dark faced.
K IS anfcE e4 tones oqdere ,ddf them to f meTolh an sti h4s as
The broad gSnFRiand to the dock fro Il
fEC @s sho a HsdflnH at b BIZ aG SCOUT strea amen
over the ships side until nearly Ave
marching and countermarching in the space
Retween the . ShlP apG IN th SIv nSUy yarf F, building tbsGx
were put through the setting up exercises,
z%ontaIly' Arms down." The extended arms
The perfect drill of a m~sn-o';war showed In
the regularity and precision OF the movements
We're reI passed along from Division oficer to .diyi..
motions each division was a few. seconds be-
hind that immediateiy In front OF II. me re-
sHs1 wsG in q T the 6endins sn %move Tas When L
seemed as II a strong breeze blowing bent the
heads a%tte Of gSGh p 'g SSosfed M LINZ fS "a I Ra's sad til.
sST fa SS9S q the fnSt aeid, Suddenly the bIars Of dc
B D9ts,es y feHn Pa Gots the wessei" rolled j D bHriisitIiyy
out, Every d yislon started to run. It was the
lines Of .bluejackets. wheeling this way and
Win The others and in time with the, music.
and the red ieG-stripes OF the marines flashing
AMID the sss soR For t tI,fes s5ri PPihSsss SttiSn s eIsTS.s g,
was continued. and then the men returned to
As they did so a bluejaeket walked to the
Flagstaff and began handling the halliards:
The buglers began 70 Play IS9lots:Ii ob EysrS
stin in the strong wind, and stood at attention,
THE blueIacket pulled nj the h~alliards and the
Stars aud Stripes came luttering down ~
their hands In salute. The day was officially
at an end on the battleship Indiana,
This exercise is gone through at evening
and mornInR quarters on all the ships In the
navy" said one Of the officers when al the men
exercise enough in working the vessel. There
was rigging to DO looked after and many other
S|ncs IN he fhs e life Ro q fi't th y modern SS Hn map q .saF Re
man. A battleship, nowadays ls a hive into
which men are crowded. We must have them i9r
work To- be done which gives them open;air
exercise. So we put thep through the calls
thenic exercise and the double time to timber
them up. Usually these exercises are per
formed on the ship, but when the ground 10
dry we send the men out there on the dock
where there is plenty OF room. TheyRe = bet
ter chance for the double time, ana enjoy u
much more than they do on shipboAro-"