El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-11


passengers inspect the fo'castle where
the sailors live; or visit the steerage,
| the hold and the engine room II they
have by this time got well enough ac-
quainted with the captain, the first
mate or the chief engineer. They may
also learn the mysteries Of the wire
| less and get some fantastical ideas OF q
sailors life as It is not. If they can
get the first mate TO open up on the
story Of the time he was shipwrecked
on a Cannibal island or brought IN
the, ship when his captain had died
and all his mates had taken the berri
berri
The captain must be dignified and
only answer questions Of the passen-
gers-unless tho questioner is a pretty
girl-and the first mate must be an
old bachelor with only his mother for a
sweetheart and the chief engineer
must be grizzled. gray mustached
man who has never seen any real rough
weather and has q family at home-it
seems that this must be the case on
all ships. for it is the usual thing
but these sailors with so many lives
in their hands are not bad Jones 10
travel with and sometimes they will
give their passengers accurate infor-
nation, but not if the questioner wants
TO know when the boat will reach port.
1t seems to be sailors superstition
not TO set a date to reach home-the
first mate did 1t once when he was
captain of a sailing vessel and the
wind calmed forthwith for two weeks.
The Sailors Time o'Day
There is one thing a sailor will al
ways tell a landsman-the time as he
knows 1t on the sea, which does
landsman as much good as boat
would do a Demingite They have
eight bells" four times day and one.
two three. four. five six and seven bells
between times. A ships watch is for
four hours, beginning at r. 4. 8 and
IL o'clock. Eight bells records either
OF these hours; one bell between stands
Tor each half hour. For instance:
Eight bells denote u o'clock noon One
bell denotes 1890. two denotes 1 o'clock.
three is 1880. four is 2 o'clock. etc.
until eight denotes o'clock, when Z
all begins over, one bell denoting 4:3O
two bells and so on.
The second and third officres take
turn about OF four hours each on the
bridge in front Of the steering wheel
and rare responsible to the captain
for the navigation of the ship. The
first mate takes the observations that
denote the location OF the vessel. the
speed OF the ship and the time on
shipboard- He is also the executive
ofricer and must see that the sailors
keep the decks scrubbed and the vessel
clean The chief steward bosses the
men who clean the staterooms and
cook and serve the food; also. and i'm
portant to many, he has charge OF a
locked little room where are stored on
Ice sundry bottles OF Budweiser. Blue
Ribbon. Individual cocktails. high balls.
etc, quite numerous in variety
The rznf0fn
diouS quarters on board the ship and
smokes good cigars. He worked when
he was a yoHnger mar Life is easy
IN fair wea Their for the captain of a
passenger ship. When it storms it is
different but no passenger ever heard
captain admit that the weather was
ever anything but fair
Those are the principal but by no
means all the important people on the
ship The bath room steward. the
bath room stewardess. who run in the
water an call the passenger at the ap-
pointed hour for the plunge; the deck
steward. who rents you a steamer chair
at the beginning OF the voyage for a
dollar and sees that nobody takes il
from you; who also brings you beef
tea each morning at II and sends you
hot coffee each morning at 7 before his
changing gong announces that in 90
AAAiuteS breakfast VIII be served. are
important factors in the pleasure Of
a trip.
Nay Send Word Home.
And the boat passenger is not isolated
In this day Of modernity as he used
to be. The man who forgets some
business matter. or the womn who |
wishes to send back a report to the
children left at home can do il with
despatch and at a cost of but a dollar
more than the land rate. The wireless
operator only charges that much for
his services in getting the message 70 I
the nearest land station and the sender I
also pays him the land price. which
insures its transmission to its destina- !
ton
The steamship company furnishes
food and it is always so abundant that
nobody goes hungry ard many even
run strong chances of being attacked !
by dyspepsia by ca ting what thew feel !
they want hut really don't need.
For tired people seeking a rest. /
there is nothing any better than a /
voyage by water to New York
through the Gulf Of Mexico. the straits /
Of Florida and the Atlantic ocean. The I
salt sea breezes create the appetite the /
steamship company satisfies this !
through its commissary department. !
and the life on board the boat Is suf- /
active to aid digestion and /
Just quiet enough to afford complete |
rest.