The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-07
BOOKS FOR THE NAVY.
They Are Purchased in Bulk at, the
 Yard in Brooklyn.

l IHey Are RufcnaSeQ III bulk at the
 Yard in Brooklyn.
 Fifty thousand dollars is expended Annually by the United States in the purchase of books of all kinds for the use of the officers and men of the navy says the Washington correspondent of i the Boston Transcript The maintain ance of these floating libraraies con stitutes an important part of the work | of the Bureau of Equipment, whose duties comprise all that relates to the I equipment of vessels-rigging, sails, anchors, yeoman's stores nautical and navigating instruments, books. sta tionery, flags signal lights search lights, cooking utensils, fuel, ships libraries, logs, leads and lines, wis which the modern man-of-war must 1 be fitted out
 The books for the ships librararies purchased in bulk at the Navy Yard, | New York. From time to time they are returned there for docking and repairs" As a book becomes worn or mutilated it is surveyed like an officer or ship. When surveyed it is ordered repaired or to be sold. Many books come out of the repair shop at the 1 New York yard almost as fresh in ap- pearance as when bought. The life of book depends largely upon its popu- larity. Some books survive several cruises, without being surveyed. Others are so much in demand that after years cruise they are return ed to the repair shop in New York for repairs.
 The Bureau of Equipment has re- gently assembled the library for the new battleship Vermont. The ships and crews libraries for the great man-of-War together cost the govern ment $2,5OO. The plan followed in their lselection is the same as that followed 1 in the purchase of the libraries of all the larger ships. The books are select ed by classes. Under the head of gen eral works come dictionaries, ency- lclpedias, general reference books and, nautical phrase books. For example, l the Vermonts library includes man. ual of scientific inquiry, sailors | pocket book, historic notbook, French English, Spanish English, Italian-Eng- fish and German-English dictionaries, Naval and military intelligence, and information in another group under which are naval annuals and registers. l Books on fertilization, hydrogrraphy, naval architecture, navagation, ordn- ance and gunnery, seamanship tactics and warfare fill the shelves devoted to naval and warfare fill the shelves de- voted to naval and military arts Forty-four books are to be found in the Vermont's library which treat of American, British, French and gen. eral naal and military history. The writings of Captain A. T. Mahon, Raw sons Twenty Famous Naval Battles" l Sigsbees Story of the Maine" Spears "Historyaof the United States Navy" in five volumes; New Ameri- can Navy" by John D, Long; Alger's "Spanish-Aem War" are some of the histories included,
 Under the head of natural sciences are thirty three books on all the im- portant natural sciences from anthro- biology to zoology An interesting group of books are fife volumes on the fine arts. Treatise on Photography" ll How to Study Pictures Completei Hoyle," Japanese Physical Training" "Fencing; Boxing and Wrestling" Airs of all Land" Series of Marine Paintings" Other books in the ship libraries Include works on zoology, law and diplomacy, history and geo. graphy. and history and travel, bio graphy, philosophy, religion, language, poetry and drama American Nnd English fiction and essays, and foreign fiction and essays.
 Books in the crews library treat of the same subjects, but those on pro- fessonal subjects are in a more popu- lar vein. Under the class of fiction are to be found Scott's novels, Dickens novels, works of Conan Doyle, Steven son, Booth Tarkington, Mark Twain, 1 Thackery, Theodore Roosevelt's Hero Tales from American History" Tho mas Nelson Pages in Ole Virginia" !" the novels of Anthony Hope the novels of Jack London, the sea stories of Captain Marryat, Bill Yves Comic History of England and for poetry the one book, Peatties, Poems You Ought to Know" is considered suf- ficient
 In the selection of books for ships and crews libraries those on technical subjects are recommended by the various experts on the subjects amc&g the officers at the department Many of the blue-jackets send in requests for the books which they desire, and in this way 1t is possible to find out the kinds of books which will please them most.
 The navigator of the battleship is also held responsible for the library, and performs the twofold duty of di- recting the reading as well as the movements of the ship. To assist him in this work the captain generally ap- points yeoman to act as librarian. He keeps track of the books loaned from the library and charges them up to the officers and men.