The National tribune., 1902-06-26

miraI down to the "Jack-o' Dust" must
supply his own bedclos.es and mess fur
niture. such as crockery and other uten-
sis. To each officer a mattress and pill
low are allowed, and to each sailor 4
hammock. Until recently the Government
has furnished nothing in the way of tn
BILE ware except for the Captain, who is
provided with enough things of the kind
to set up good sized household, inciud-
ing a dozen of everything.
Within the last two years, however. all
silver-plated ware required for the Ward
room has been allowed by the Bureau of
Equipment, Navy Department. To start
Ward-room mess requires an invest
mcnt of from $50 to $40 for each officer.
At the end of a cruise all of the china,
linen, etc. is sold for what it will bring
usually about 10 per cent of the original
cost. The proceeds are divided among
the officers who owned the property.
1t is usual in an officers mess to es-
tablish what is termed a wine mess.
For this it is necessary to obtain the
Captains permission 1t is sort of joint
stock company. the purpose of which is
TO furnish drinkablcs. For example. there
are 20 officers in the Ward-room mess of
the cruiser New York. Fifteen of them
join in 1 Wine mess, each paying $50 for
IL share. From their number they elect
vine caterer, who buys the bottled goods
and sells them to his brother officers at
cost, with Il slight percentage added to
cover breakage and loss.
"A gale of wind on moro than one oc-
casion,' said Il naval officer, has been
known to completely wipe ont a Wine
mess"
Those who do not belong to the Wine
mess are ordinarily permitted to purchase
wine from the wine caterer at prices 10
tha mi,
wines and malt liquors are allowed to be
served. No spirits are permitted on board,
except in the medicine chest. Officers do,
however. commonly have n small! private
stock of whisky or brandy, and the in
fringement of the regulation in this regard
is winked at. But the sailor who snug
giles intoxicants into the ship is liable to
80 days in the brig" or ships prison,
on bread and water.
The kitchen of a ship of war is under
the direction and surveillance of the ships
cook. whose functions are similar to those
of the chef of n big hotel. He is an i'm
portant man. and his responsibilities are
great. The culinary department is on Il
considerable scale. In addition to the or
binary ships kitchen or galley, the New
York has three ranges-one for the Adj
miral. another for the Captain, and third
for the Ward-roOm mess. In the galley
all the cooking is done for the other Off
GERS and for the men, The various mess
cooks serve merely as assistants. They
prepare the breads, meats. soups. etc,
for the fire, and the ships cook does the
rest.
All waste grease, empty barrels and
boxes from the Paymaster's storeroom,
and such refuse, are sold by the Execu-
tive Officer. the proceeds going to make
up what is called the ''slush fund" This
money provides reading matter for the
crew, extra music for the band. etc. The
slush or grease used formerly to be a per-
quste of the ships cook. and the sale
Of it added largely to his pay. but i'm
proved methods of cookery in the Navy
allows comparatively little waste.
The mental functions of the large num-
Der of servants on warship are only a
minor part of their duties. They all have
military duty to perform, forming por-
ton Of the fighting force of the floating
fortress. They take part in drills and
bear arms in the infantry battalion. Ev-
cry man on board such a vessel is a
fighter and has his station for that pur-
pose. The cooks and even the Paymas-
ter's clerk are fighting men. In drills
which initiate naval action the servants
mostly perform such work as the hand
ling of gunpowder and torpedoes. They
to keep watch or to row boats.
The officers laundry work is done on
shore when practicable; otherwise by the
boys" who are glad to make extra mon
ey in that way. Absolute neatness and
cleanliness on shipboard is insisted on.
All the water used on board is distilled
from sea water by apparatus provided for
that purpose.
When ship is about to go into COM
mission a book is made up Mt the Navy
Department containing lists of all the ar
ticles of every kind with which she should
he furnished. even to the food. Such of
those things as have to be manufactured
are ordered from the navy yards, where
they can be made most conveniently, and
are forwarded to the yard where the YES
sci lies. Finally the book is sent to the
Commandant Of that yard with orders to
have ready everything specified in it. 1t
is handed over to the General Store Keep
err Of the yard, who has charge of all
stores Of every description.
1t is estimated that there is ordinarily
SlO.O0O.OC0 worth of stores and supplies
in the hands of the General Storekeeper
at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The StOrekeeper goes over the book.
sets aside such of the goods required as he
has in his possession and makes requisi-
tons upon the various departments in the
yard for whatever else he requires. These
departments furnish everything that is re-
quired. and when the ship goes into COM
mission the Store Keeper has had placed
on board of her everything except the
medicines. These come direct from the
Naval Laboratory at New York.