Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-11
FEEDING THE NAVY.
United States Sailors Fare Better
Than Those of Other Nations.

menu of the forecastle in the Ameri
can Navy, and Uncle Sam thus
saves more than $4,000 year. With
what is left, however, the American
sailorman remains by far the best fed
| Of all seamen afioat. 'Salt horse and
hardtack'' have long been meaningless
terms in the navy of the United
States. Those long gone cruises in
the old sailing ships across the Pa
cific, through the Mediterranean and
around Africa, across the Atlantic
and round the Horn, sometimes meant
three months between ports. In mod
ern swift steam driven craft naval
cruise seldom means so much as three
weeks between ports. Even the eggs
OF the wardromp and the captains
cabin were a fearsome thing at eight
in the morning, after ship had been
| six or eight weeks out, and the old
Bowery tale of the solicitous colored
waiter, who said to the guest de
manding poached eggs, Boss, You
bettah hab dem aigs scrambled; dem
aigs look heap betah scrambled;
fac is, Boss. dem aigs amt Ve'y
| fresh' had its humorous appeal to
the officer of forty years ago or fifty
years ago, and even in more recent
/ times. ans
| A good deal of the food that had
to be accepted in the wardroom Of the
| old navy would be promptly rejected
in the forecastle or the new. Accord
ing to the theory and practice of the
navy today the sailor is quite as
much the ward of the nation as the
Indian ever was. Strict regulations
prescribe his diet, and, the executive
| officer and his subaterns live up to
| such regulations with conscientious
| care. All holidays and Sundays are
| occasions for feasts in the forecastle,
| and any complaint as to the quality
or quantity of the food receives
prompt and considerable attention.
| Scientific specialists in conjunction
with practically experienced officers
of the navy have studied the question
of the sailors diet with minutest
| care. 1T is known just what foods
may safely be taken aboard in her.
metically sealed containers, and how
long they may be expected to remain
| in wholesome condition. The proper
proportions of meat to vegetables and
Of various kinds of each has been
carefully studied, and the navy is stfii
Iwatching the effect of new combina-
| lions upon the health and efficiency
of the sailor. Inspection of the sail
ors food is a thing of daily routine.
When the waiter from the cook s
galley comes on deck at early morn
| ing with a platter containing a sam
Pile of the breakfast about to be
served to the men, the officer of the
| deck tastes something of each arti-
Gle, and if he feels a bit peckish after
| his lonely tour of duty, he some
| times makes full meal Of the sam
Pile and sends his compliments to the
! cook with the certificate that the
| food is what it should be. If he finds
| anything to criticise he does it with
out hesitation, and should the defect
| be serious he would order a substi-
| tute breakfast for the men AS a
matter of fact the breakfast thus pro-
vided is good enough for anybody
and far better than most folk ashore
are accustomed to eat.
| Admiral Edward Vernon. popularity
known as Old Grog, because of his
grogram breeches, or possibly his foul
| weather cloak of grogram, was the
| patron saint not only of the British
tar but of the American, for he it
Twas who introduced into the British
navy about 1745 the grog ration OF
spirits and water Lawrence Wash
lington, who served under Admiral
| Vernon in the unsuccessful attack
| upon the Spanish-American city OF
Cartacena in 1741. returned home to
call his patrimony on the Potomac Mt
Vernon in honor of the man who in
vented grog. The United States navy,
| in forswearing Great Britain and all
her works, made an exception in ia
yor of grog, and it was regularly
served TO the American sailor from q
| tub in front of the mast within the
memory of men still living. There
were .two-water grog,' and three-wa-
ter grog, so named for the proportion
of the diluting fluid, which was some
| times more dangerous liquid thar
! that it was intended to moll1fy. lr
due course the grog ration in the
| American navy was committed Tor
| increased pay and now no hard IL
| quor is served to the foreeastlc eN
cept upon the surgeons prescription
and the man caught smuggling spirits
aboard ship is sent to the dungeon
and placed upon exceedingly low diet
| All the same, Uncle Sans paterna
| interest in his wards ,aiioat extends
10 providing them at low cost VIII