Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-24
THE NAVAL RESERVES
Battalion to Leave Tomorrow for
Deep Sea Cruise.
TRIP ABOARD TIE HISTORIC FERN
Transfer at Piney Point to the U. S.
S. Prairie.
THE LIST OF FFICER S

Before the rays of Gid Sol shall begin to
beat down upon the inhabitants OF the ma
tons capital tomorrow the naval reserves
of the District of Columbia will be gliding
down the Potomac, aboard the Fern, on
their first annual cruise. Anchor will be
weighed shortly after o'clock Sunday
morning, and the start made for P1ney
Point ninety miles distant, where the Fern
will be met by the United States ship Prai-
RE, and all aboard will be transferred to
the big man-of-war. According to orders
issued, every member of the battalion must
be aboard the Fern tonight by o'clock.
The total number of seamen who will go on
the cruise will be about 1875, in addition to
the officers.
The list of the officers is follows:
Lieutenant commander, S. G.. Hopkins; lieu
tenant, S. w. Griffith, executive officer;
lieutenant 0unior grade), H. A. Shepey;
lieutenant, K. b. =Brunmett, ordnance and
signal officer; ensigns? l.. c. Covell, Z. Q.
Cresap, a. p. Lang; chief engineer, T. w.
Power; paymaster, Sidney Bieber; surgeon,
S. c. Cox; pay clerk. Howard Fisk Petty
officers: Chief master at arms, John Ho-
gan; chief boatsWains mate, George Turn
burke; chief quaEte rnlaster, George Speik
man: chief yeoman, al. d. Hasselback;
chief gunner's mate, William shepley.
The preparations tor the cruise nave been
actively in progress for the past three
weeks, ard the last of this work was com
pleted late Thursday night The work of
equipping the mep for the cruise was I'M
der the supervision of PaFmaster Sidney
Bieber and his assistant, who have labored
most diligently every day.
Each Mans Equipment.
The equipment Of each man consisted of
a suit of blue c1oth.l with blue cap to
| match; a white working suit, knife lanyard,
jackknife, cap ribbon bearing ~. S. S.
Fern in gold letters, neckerchief, ham,
mock, mattress mattress cover pair of
blankets, clothes bag and set of mess gear.
Each of these articles, with one or two ex-
ceptions, were numbered with stencils sep
arately, in number sufficient to equip $50
men, provided that number should go on
the cruise. To do this required several
hours of tedious work aboard the boat
every night for the past three weeks, fit
ting the uniforms, caps, etc, for each man.
When the ship sails tomorrow every man
will be well equipped from head to foot for
the occasion.
Out of the total number of seamen on the
cruise about seventy-fve have spent years
in the regular service, and these will assist
the new recruits well the regulars
on the Prairie in instructing the "raws"
many of whom have never seen the ocean.
The Fern has for some time past been
moored at the wharf at the foot of Sth
street southwest. She looks like new
boat since receiving repairs at the navy
yard short time ago. 1t was thought the
on her, but when the District reserves were
| included in the schedule made out for the
naval militia of the several states the idea
was abandoned for the more important pro-
gram aboard the Prairie.
The Program
The orders to be observed by the battaI-
| ion aboard the Prairie for the week are as
! follows:
| First day, $50 0:15-Muster and stations
| Instructions OH
waiting and sighting. 1O:45-u 45-Aiming
| drill. 1 :30-2 :30-Taking apart breech mech
| anism. instruction concerning parts;
| cleaning and returning same. 2:30-After
| finishing above-continue aiming drill till
| each man has made target.
| Second day, 9:30-10:15-Having sent men
| who were at six-inch to the siX-pounier
| guns, and vice versa, carry out exactly the
| same routine first day.
| Third day, 9:30-Muster at stations Sub
| caliber practice. Crews drilled as If firing
! regularly, but each gun acts Independently
Each man fires ten shots, then shift sta
| tions." 1:30-Same as forenoon.
Fourth day 9:30-1015-Muster at sta
| tons. Subcaliber practice. First and sec
end gun captains fire. Commence firing and
| cease firing by bugle, as in regular divis-
ional drill. 10:45-Aiming drill 3d. 30
| Same as forenoon. After completing gun
| drill finish aiming drill, each man making
| q target.
| Fifth day-Muster at stations. Each gun
| fire rounds at target. Guns fire in success
| sion. 1:30-Continue morning work.
! Sixth day, 9:30-Muster at stations. Com
| plete work of fifth day, and when complet-
| ed the naval militia will be examined In all
drills signals etc. 1:30-Contnue forenoon
| work till fnished.s.
| Commander sharbume G. Hopkins, who
will be in charge,oof the local reserve, was
| promoted to the position he now holds
shortly after thei resignation of Charles p.
| Hams, then commander of the naval bat
TALON. He has been uptiring in his efforts
| to make the District organization rank fore
| most among the naval reserves of the
| country. He was4oneg of the originators of
| the battalion and received his appointment
as lieutenant of the first division August
g. 1905 A.
| How the Fern Was Secured.
| The transfer of the United States steamer
Fern was made the '32d of October last
| from the regular service to the District of
| Columbia for use1 ass practice ship and
| armory The vessel was to have been sold
| the 7th of October BY the Navy Depart
| ment at Norfolk, Va, where she lay at that
| time. AS soon as the officers of the Dis
| trict of Columbia naval battalion learned
of the order issued by Secretary Long to
| convene a board of appraisement at Nor
| folk, Va, they Immediately secured from
| the District Commissioners letter signed
| by prominent citizens and Endorsed by them
/ requesting that the Fern be assigned for
/ the use of the naval reserves.
| In the absence of Gen. Geo. H Harries
| the letter was presented to Capt Dapray,
| then acting adjutant general of the Dis
trict of Columbia militia. that 1t might be
| properly forwarded to the Navy Depart
| ment. Capt. Dapray, on behalf of Gen,
Harries, acted promptly, indorsing the let
| ter and urging that the vessel be assigned
| as requested. Lieut. Sherburne c. Hop
Il kins of the naval battalion. by authority of
Capt. Dapray personally presented the
papers to Secretary Long. who gave the
necessary order, directing that the boat he
l t1irn nua tn rr,fIi