The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1905-08-24
QUEER TERMS USED.
CURIOUS LINGO OF SAILORS ON
BOARD BArTLEsHIPs
Names Of Animals Applied TO Various
Articles Of Utility Very
Mystifying 20 Lands
men.


The timeworn growl Of the dis
Hruntlcd h%lueiacket why did ! ever
sell my farm and so TO scar" shows
the trend OF the sailors mind toward
the peaceful occupation OF his rustic
brother. and may account for applying
terms agricultural 10 thinee nautical,
a y the Detroit Tribune.
The casual visitor TO the warship Is
always mystined by seeing what APP
pears 70 be a bale OF hay In the fore
hold. and his curiosity is not abated
when told that Il goes TO feed the
"~jackasses." kept appropriately in the
"manger." His shrunken credulity re-
sumes normal dimensions when 1t Is
explained that 'jackasses'' are canvas
bags filled with oakum. which are
forced into the hawse pipes to prevent
water from entering at sea-
Neither is a Flemish horse" a rare
breed Of equine. nor a bride port" a
place for hitching him: the former Is a
foot rope for men 20 stand upon when
furling sail, and the latter is an air
port IN the bows through which low
ing hawsers used to be led. The sad
de Of the bowsprit completes the
riding outfit OF the ship.
The menagerie OF a man-o'-war con-
tains a "cat" and "hsh.7 both Of which
are used TO weigh" the anchor; cat
heads where the lookout OF sailing
ships stands his watch: wildcats. "
which. with "whelps" hold the chain
on the eapstan, and the best Of tho
b%owsprit." On some days II is posi-
bic to find a "eatspaw"-a sudden pun
Of wind-and a laDdlubber can easily
catch a crab" in pulling a boat; in
deed. & Is hard TO let one 90 without
unshipping the oar.
Dog watches" are OF nightly occur
renee between 4 and s O'Clock, when
the usual four-hour watch is split into
two parts, The dog watches are sup
posed to get their name from the fact
that they are "cur-tailed.' and not
because the dog star, Sirius, keeps
those hours.
When the gunner orders his mates
70 clean the dashpot." he Is Tot using
polite profanity. but directing the
cleaning Of that PCT OF the gun recoil
cylinder. The pillow OF a gatling gun
may assist IN turning TIE sod" for
the enemy. but not In a literal sense
Nor do the teil-tales'' Of the engine
room give Il away; Instead. they
peacefully record the revolutions Of
the screws
The propellers are usually on a
strut" but Il Is not the vulgar par
lance for saying they are angry; the
strut D. the steel arm that holds them
In position. ships masts. like men.
have partners which. though wood
en-. strengthen them aud make them
arm. These are 'payed" with pitch.
Awnings have ~''baekbones. a sharks
mouth dogs cara and earrings
The trimming tanks" are huge com
partments for holding sea water which
may be let In TO change the trim or In.
cllnatioh OF the ship. due 10 the fact
that the coal may have been used from
only n side. giving the ship a "list
A queer commodity in the engineers
st0reroom IL 'loOfa. a kind 81 Japan
csc sea cucumber. used for a hiter IN
The boilers, Ground glass Is also car
ried 20 grind valve seats and bearings
The wardroOm country Is the space
around officers quarters. The ham
mock MEETINGS are no more an affair
u thread mesh than Is the main
sheet" a part Of the sail; the former
being stowage space for the crews
hammocks when not In use. and the
latter a rope made fast to the olew, or
corner Of the sail. Even anchors have
'shanks. rings" crowns" arms"
aud "nukes.