River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-11-17
SIGHTS IN A. MAYNARD.
Impressions Gained by Visit Among
the Builders of the Nations
Ocean Defenders.


lately in one OF our largest navy
yards, and has found it a wonderfully
interesting place, says that writer in
the Outlook. AS an expression OF
Uncle Sans character and develop
ment, 1t was profoundly encouraging
to mere civilian, while also entire
ly different from what he expected.
OF course, everybody realizes that the
old man-of-war, cruiser and gunboat
have gone out of existence well-nigh
as completely as the triremes of Rome
Or the galleys of the Vikings But
the transformations of our naval
progress are not fully understood I'M
til the modern navy yard opens ones
eyes to them. Where the carrier pi-
geon loft once stood, the wireless tele-
graph now rears its tall pole, and
stretches its mysterious, exquisitely
sensitive antennae to catch the yibra-
tions of the equally mysterious and
sensitive ether. I'VE had a message
ten minutes ago." said the expert at
the instrument, from warship
passing the cape" Further on down
the wide walk between the old can
non, freshly painted black, with the
balls in their mouths, bright scarlet
ESQ that they irresistibly reminded the
Spectator of the dogs of war with
their tongues lolling out). was a
long, large brick building, fast going
up, where all sorts of mechanical and
electrical construction were TO have
their headquarters. The war vessels
lying at the wharves were all Of the
new, massive, specialized type, float
ing machine shops, electric plants and
gun batteries all in the highest scien-
tific efficiency. A tremendous gran
lite drydock yawned on one side; a
pair of submarines" tilted their
painted noses to the sky, waiting for
a thorough overhauling by the skilled
workers of the yard. After seeing the
marine railway, the marvellous loco
motive cranes, the floating derricks, the
systems of light, water, heat. electric
and pneumatic power and telephone,
the Spectator felt that America was
enthusiastically expressed in her
naval plant, for which nothing ap-
pears too new or too good.
A like development, the Spectator
found in addition, Is being made in
1.-The man behind the gun" On a
modern man-of-war, a crew of 600
Of the old ,'sailormen" would be of
no practical use. The bluejacket of
to-day must be of the highest type Of
efficiency-and he Is. He must not
be intemperate-and he is not. The
Spectator heard the captain Of a cele-
brated training ship tell of his expert
ence in the port of Tangier not long ago.
The captain (whO has, as he expresses
1t, brought up 3 200 boys besides two Of
his own") had promised his young crew
to give them two days liberty" when
Tangier was reached. 1.-THE British con-
sul," he said, who also looked after
American interests, was Mortified at the
idea OF such thing. ut can't be done"
he insisted. No English ship ever gives
Its men liberty here, to say nothing of
the Germans or the rest. The town Is
too turbulent and too bad. If you let
your men come ashore, there is bound
TO be trouble. and / can't stand by them
when complications occur, as they must.
It Is madness to allow their landing.
But was not afraid. I have promised
the crew liberty, and l always keep my
promises to them, told him, and, in
spite Of his protests, sent them ashore
promptly. Every one of them reported
when time was up, and every one was
sober. l met the English consul at din
ner the night before we left, and he said:
Il take 1t all back, captain. Those men
of yours are wonder! They have been
all over Tangier, riding everything in
the place from camels to donkeys, seeing
all the sights and behaving themselves
as well as any party of tourists I ever
saw-better than most, for that mat
ter" To get such class Of bluejack
cts no pains are spared. In Boston,
year or so ago, out Of 300 lads DESTROYS
of entering the navy, only 80 passed the
scrutiny of the recruiting officer. Phys
ically, mentally and morally. Uncle
Sam wants the best. The Spectator no
ticed one surprising fact in the big train
ing ships at the navy yard-that 80 per
cent. of the young landsmen undergoing
training are Americans, and he was told
that this proportion obtains through
out