Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-17
JACK|ES BOARD SHIP
Members of Naval Battalion
Begin Annual Cruise.
SAILING ON U. S. S. YANKEE
Start Down the Potomac at Sunrise
This Morning.
TO BE PART OF A BIG FLEET
Program Includes Everything From
Regular Sailor Routine and Drill
to Theoretical Battle.
70 BE PART OF A BIG FLEET

Guard OF the District OF Columbia Is on
the way down the Potomac aboard the
cruiser Yankee on a training cruise OF
twelve days, during which the local
tackles are expected to learn much re-
garding the duty of sailor ABOARD one
of Uncle Sans ships. Incidentally they
will have q good time on salt water. The
start of the Yankee on her cruise was
made carly this morning from moorings
abreast of Alexandria, and before this
evening the ship will be in Hampton
roads.
The orders to the sailor boys directed
them to assemble aboard the monitor
Puritan and march to the 18th street sta
ton Of the electric railway to Alexandria
in time to leave this city at o clock
last evening. The men began to assemble
on the ship about o'clock, and at Z
O clock the entire command was on hand.
Hammocks were rolled and other para
phernalia made ready, uniforms donned.
and about 1880 O'Clock the battalion. In
four divisions, under command OF Lieut..
Joseph A. Dempf, moved to the station.
1t was nearly O'Clock when four cars
started for Alexandria, with 1853 officers
and men aboard. The delay rather pleased
the sailor boys than otherwise, because 1t
gave them that much longer time with
their wives and sweethearts. who had as
sembled to say goodbye. 1t was shortly
after $50 o'clock when the trains stopped
at the corner of King and Fairfax streets,
Alexandria, and line was formed to
march to the wharf little more chan two
squares away.
Aboard the Yankee.
For an hour before the men arrived in
Alexandria the searchlight of the Yankee
had been busy throwing its beams up
and down the river, searching for the
Naval Battalion. it was suggested in
Alexandria when the special trains failed
to arrive on time. The ships launch.
with two big cutters. were at the wharf
waiting the arrival of tire men. In a few
minutes after the arrival of the battalion
at the wharf the boats were loaded and
started on the first trip to the ship, lying
in the stream about 200 yards from the
shore. Three trips of the launch and the
cutters we're necessary. By 1890 O'Clock
the last man was aboard the Yankee.
The wharf from which the men boarded
the boats to be transferred to the ship Is
the one that was used by a tug that
made trips from Alexandria to the GAM
bling ark that lay in the river below
Alexandria last summer. 1t was sug-
gested that this fact should result in
good luck for the Naval Battalion on the
cruise.
they were assigned to quarters. ham,
mocks were unrolled and 'slung and long
before midnight all except the watch were
asleep. Before the lights-out signal was
given a number Of the men who were not
properly, uniformed had their equipment
J. L. Johns. paymaster Of the Naval
Battalion.
Just as the sun was showing above the
Maryland hills at 4:3O o'clock this morn
IT, ID
call for ''all hands on deck" and the an
Choir was weighed, and In the early morn
ing light the big ship started down the
river on a cruise that will bring many
new experiences to the Washington SAIL
ors. On the trip down stream they were
divided into watches and the routine of
life on shipboard was taken up. The
cruise will not be all pleasure. as there
will be plenty of hard work to do. The
men will be given practical instruction in
the handling of the ship and its guns,
and when they return home they will be
wiser sailors than they were when they
left here last night.
Lieut.. Dempf in Command.
The Naval Battalion on the cruise is
under command Of Lieut.. Joseph A.
Dempf, and the other officers are Lieut..
Walter Z. Burt. signal officer; Lieut..
John II. Mittendorff, chief engineer;
Lieut.. John L. Johns. paymaster: Lieut..
Fred II. Morhart, surgeon; Lieut.. J. D.
Carmody, commanding first division; En-
sign Frank s. Durston. navigator, and
Ensign L. E. Buttson, Walter G. Guss
and Joseph D. Dalton, watch officers. The
Naval Battalion will return home about
July 20.
The Yankee is part of a fleet theoreti-
cally defending Hampton roads, said to
be the most important naval base on the
A nj IL nd nd <,f
mander Marsh Of the navy, fleet Of eight
vessels will defend not only Hampton
roads, but the navy yard at Norfolk
against attacking torpedo craft. A ma
jority of the vessels of the defending
forces will be manned by the reserves OF
Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey,
North and South Carolina and the Dis
trict of Columbia.
The Yankee is the flagship. other YES
sells participating are the gunboat Isla
de Cuba, the Sylvia. the Vixen and the
Prairie. There will be half q dozen tor
pedo boats. two submarines and possibly
several destroyers. The program will in
clude everything from regular ship rou-
tine and drill to theoretical attic.