The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-02-13
Commodore Luos's Simplicity.

A good story illustrative OF the char
acter OF old Admiral Stephen Il. Luce
whose work on seamanship is now n text
book I'm the navy was told by the officers
who served under him on the South Pa
cihc station. The admiral, then a com
modore had as his flagship the old cor
vette Quinebaug. On the quarterback
was a very comfortable lounging place
formed BY pile OF spars. cushioned by
coils of running gear, and the junior OFF,
GERS formed the habit OF sitting there
during the monotonous night hours. in
stead of pacing up and down the quar-
terdeck, as the regulations require. The
old commodore had his suspicious. but he
was not convinced, and preferred To suf-
fer an infraction OF the rules rather than
run the risk OF accusing his officers un-
justly.
But one day. when the ship was In
Csllao. a Yankee pedder, who had some
how drifted into the tropics, came on
board and sold 10 the commodore a pedo-
meter, guaranteed to record autoInati-
caly the distance Travelled by pedes-
trian up to 200 miles That night when
the ensign of the first division was about
him to the cabin and said:
"Mr. -, wish YOU to carry this little
package with you during your entire
watch and then pass IL on TO your relief.
Instruct him TO do likewise, s,snd then
hand IL TO me az quarters tomorrow morn
ing.
The young man saluted. went on deck.
sat down on the coils OF rope and smoked
for while. Then he took a walk Tor
few minutes and finished out his four
hour watch on the lounge" The junior
of the second division did the same, and
the third division man. who was on deck
from 4 Till In the morning did no more
walking than he had To.
After quarters the orderly summoned
these young men Ia the cabin, where
the commodore sat, holding the pedometer
I'm his hand.
Gentlemen said he. ~ find by this
little instrument that you three have
traversed a little less than two miles In
IL hours on deck. How do YOU account
FOR that"
The three faces fell like a Thermometer
In blizzard, and the boys remained s-
lent while the old gentleman proceeded
IN read the regulations regarding the
duties OF officers of the deck. particularly
empha sizing that part which relates tn
walking. and afterward added an ex-
tempore riot act Of his own composition.
But" he concluded, II am not willing
to convict you on the evidence OF one
trial Of a cstch-penny mechanical contri-
vance. II YOU have loafed. stop IL: but
carry this instrument again tonight"
The trio held a council of war. " was
the second division mans first watch that
night. and a. he took the deck he called
one OF the apprentice boys
civilians" he said. you have some
extra duty against you. Take this little
box and shake n as hard az you can for
two hours and then return II TO me"
Then the junior sat down and rested
-tiH the box was returned 10 him
The next morning the same three off,
GERS were called 20 the cabin. and ~ he
fore found the commodore seated az the
table with the pedometer i'm his hand.
'Geutlemen." he said. 81 have done vow
an Injustice on the testimony of q mere
machine Yesterday this thing registered
a little less than two miles. whilo this
morning IL shows that Won walked ia
II hours l3o miles. which T. manifest
impossibility The thing H. absolutely
worthless" and the commodore threw the
machine out OF. the cabin port into the
sea
He never knew the facts of the case
until the end of that cruise. and thcu
the tir~t division officer told him. But
the commodore had iuSt been confirmed
as rear admiral md laughed heartily ~
the ioke.-Youth's compsihon.