Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-08-11

the engineer department. He has to
see that all air ports and matches are
water tight and ready for instant clos
ing In case of collision or other emer-
gency which would require that they
be closed. lie Is required to have
ready ut hand material for the tCsn.
porary repair OF damages received in
action during battle. He assists the
executive officer in inspecting double
bottoms. water tight doors and all me-
chanical appliances for the care and
safety of the ship and a multitude of
other duties which can't be catalogued.
In general, his duty is to repair dam.
AS a modern ship is mostly steel. It
will be readily seen that carpenter
in the navy must be familiar with
steel working as well as the working
Of wood.
In various ways the navy of today
(and by today" is meant the present
year, is made n greatly improved place
for the enlisted men. Not only are new
and higher places created for the men
who enlist and thus greater incentive
given to good conduct and faithful
work in the service but conditions for
men of the old time lower rates are
improved in many ways, for the navy
is changing not only in types Of ships,
but In personnel and surroundings as
well. Besides the new grades already
mentioned, there is warrant rank
created within the past Is months In
the medical corps which allows hos
pital steward (Which is the old grade
of apothecary, now abolished) to rise
to pharmacist. There are already 20
of these new warrant officers, all at
tached to shore stations, with the ex-
ception Of one, who is returning home
from the Philippines in the Olympia
with Admiral Dewey.
In the marine corps place as gun
merry sergeant has been created, and
deserving noncommissioned officers OF
the corps are being promoted to that
rate. Just what their duties are to be
on board ship Is matter of present
Dul hoh thN III" buA
merry scrgeants are acting. many OF
them. as first sergeants of guards.
gunnery sergeant ranks after drum
major and just ahead of first SER
geant, and his pay is $50 month for
the first two years service and $40
month after five years service. AS
the title indicates, he will have to do
with the ships battery.
A new rate has been created in the
navy proper Of gun captains, with
three classes. These are men who are
taken from the different ships and sent
to special ships for instruction In gun
merry almost exclusively for number
of months and then returned to cruis-
ing ships in general service. These
men, when they return from their
course of instruction, may be assigned
to duty In place of masters Mt arms,
boatswain's mates or quartermasters,
or may be assigned to duty as gun
captains, according to the needs Of the
ships to which they may be assigned.
The idea of the system Is to develop
naval gunnery, so as to enable the
navy Of the United States to maintain
its present place as the shooting navy
of the world.
This instruction for gun captains
does not take the place of the more
elaborate and longer course Of instruc-
tion at the Washington navy yard and
the torpedo station at Newport of sea-
man gunners, which has been in prog
ress for n number Of years, with good
results to the service. The gun captain
instruction Is for "men who have at
tained special proficiency as marksmen
with great guns or small arms or
whose superior intelligence fits them
to acquire such proficiency and who,
by force of character and ability to
command, are suitable to fill the rat
ings of gun captains. No person shall
be detailed who is not citizen of the
United States" to quote from a gen.
eral order recently issued by the secre-
tary Of the navy on the subject. In
order to secure certificate as gun cap
tain, after finishing the course of in
struction, man must have n percent
age of proficiency Of not less than 60.
A first class certificate calls for pro-
fciency of 90 per cent
Another thing comparatively new In
the United States navy is special In
struction in electricity. This includes
officers and men alike. 1t Is a well
known fact that in the appliance of
electricity to warships the United
States is far in advance of any other
nation in the world. And, Yankeelike,
1t Is the intention to keep ahead. At
the New York navy yard there Is
special school for the practical study
of electricity and its many applications
to naval surroundings, afioat and
ashore. This school has special in
structors detailed for the purpose, and
the department orders officers Of all
ranks there to receive instruction. Men
are selected from the ships who have
shown special aptitude for that branch
of work and sent to school there just as
other men are sent to gunnery instruc-
tion. as already told. After course
there they are either sent to Newport
to the torpedo station to further add to
their knowledge of electrical matters,
and then returned to cruiser ships or
else sent direct to sea from the New
York school. A rate Of electricians has
been created in the navy within the
past few months-chief, first and Sec
ond class petty of1icers-and the men
who creditably pass through the school
Of instruction have acting appoint
ments In the second class rate, with its
corresponding increase Of pay. and are
eligible. Of course. to rise grade by
grade to chief electrician. which places
them with the highest class Of petty
officers.
Practically all the changes mention
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