The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-11
AMERICAN NAVY
 IN TIME OF PEACE Vessels Are Messengers of Mer- cy as Well as Guardians SERVE GREAT PURPOSE
The Ironclad Sea Dogs Have "oho"e" Nearly Every III Wind That Has Blown Within Last
 Fifty Years
Erom the Mashington star.

From the Washington Star. f.t
 When Americans speak of the navy in time of peace it is usually with the impression that all the sea dogs have to do is to perambulate around the world and make show. and when not thus engaged in the United States 1t is their business to exhibit in other coun- tries. But this is far from the truth. If all the duties of 'r, navy were told they would fill jook from cover to cover with unique, unusua1 and extraor- dnary events in whcber Is warships have taken an active paIny
 In addition to be, anu eace guar dians,v our steel-clad 'lo" ris are mes sengers of mercy as well. Work for the navy has followed nearly every i'll wind, that has blown for the past 90 years from relieving the sufferers of earthquake to bringing home the remains of our ambassadors who die in foreign countries from the handling of lepers fin Guam to the digging of canal in Porto Rico: from the organization Of a. dynamite brigade at the time of the San Francisco fire to the rescue of American missionaries many miles in the interior of China. Corea and Japan. Many little "spats' with foreign powers have occurred in these piping times of peace, but they attracted only the slight est of attention-except to the men who took part in them.
 One of the most recent earthquakes was that of Kingston, Jamaica. It will be remembered that almost the whole of. Kingston was destroyed and hundreds killed and made homeless Admiral Davis, In charge of the North Atlantic fleet, at once went to the scene of dis aster, and. at the request of the gov. ernor armed guards were sent ashore to protect life and property. while the. rest of the men of the fleet were placed at work digging people from under the ruins. At this time there were several hundred women and children huddled on the wharf in starving condition, and four boatloads of provisions were promptly sent ashore to relieve the dis- tress.
 San Francisco Earthquake
 At the time of the great San Fran cisco earthauake there were many thou sands of starving and homeless people fin the city The warship fleet in the harbor promptly rendered all the relief in its power A dynamite brigade was organized by the war vessels and this brigade of bluecoats accomplished won- derful results in stopping the flames.
 Tn arctic exploration and in the search for men who had become lost trying to find the north pole, vessels of the navy have time and again been called upon to aid in the search. There was inc incident of the naval open boat which travelled more than 1500 miles look inr for aid for the other survivors of inc shpwreck The occupants of this boat had no sextant, but they made one from a steam guage. The sextant is now on exhibition as a marvel of in- eenuty at the naval academy.
 The handling and care of the lepers- on the Island of Guam is exclusively in fhe care of the navy. The handling and inisl,andling of the pirates in the China sea is another problem which requires considerable time and trouble. The es- fablishment of good order at Tutuila, gamoa, and many other minor affairs