Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05
|D.C ..MEN TO CRUISE
ON BIG BATTLESH|P
Members of Naval Battalion
to Spend Fifteen Days on
the Rhode Island.
LEAVE THIS EVENING
FOR OLD POINT COMFORT
Foreign Ports to Be Visited and
Men Will Have Training
at Big Guns.

Nearly 200 strong and in command of
Commander Joseph A. Dempf. the Naval
Battalion of the National Guard OF the
District of Columbia the citizen bluejack-
cts of the District. tonight at Il
O clock will embark on the Norfolk and
Washington steamer for Hampton roads.
where early tomorrow morning they will
ship on the L. S. s. Rhode Island for a
fifteen-day cruise to foreign waters. 1t
will be the annual practice cruise OF the
District jackies, and destined to be one OF
the best training cruises ever participated
in by the District naval militiamen. being
made on a vessel in active service in the
Atlantic fleet.
Although on vessel of the active Al
lantic fleet, the coming cruise Of the ma
val militiamen will be strictly naval
militia cruise, for there will be on board
fifty-three naval militia officers and near
ly 100 naval militia enlisted men-practi-
cally the Rhode Islands entire compile
ment. AS the naval militiamen come
aboard the regulars will be given two
weeks liberty in the states Inc naVai
militia organizations of North Carolina
toned at Camden, \. j., will be aboard
Activity at the Armory.
Much activity has been displayed dur
ing the last few weeks at the local ma
val militia armory. at the foot of Water
and o streets southwest. by the officers
and men in making their preparations
for their cruise. Practically everything.
according to Commander Dempf, is now
ready, and what few details remain Will
be taken UP when the men report at
o'clock this morning. They Will pc
on duty at the armory all day up until
the time for them to march from inc
armory up Water street to the Norfolk
and Washington dock, at the loot OF
18th street.
AS each division of jackies finishes
packing it's equipment it will be marched
to the boat, where the baggag. VIII De
deposited, and the men then will re-
turn to the armory to ava the sound
ing of assembly, when the entire oat-
talon will be marched to the dock
Although the boat does not sail until
6:45 O'Clock the jackies will have to go
aboard at o'clock. in order that they
can be given their dinners Immediately
When they embark on the Rhode IS
land the ship will proceed to LeWes,
Del. where the militia organizations
from Philadelphia and Camden will be
shipped, and then the Rhode Island VIII
point her PROV toward the Bermuda is.
lands. where the naval militiamen Will
have at least two days and maybe
three days of shore liberty.
Regular OuI1eS OIL oAlP.
The jackies while they are aboard the
Rhode Island will stand regular watches
just the same as the regulars. The en-
gineers will go down in the engine room
and the deck division will be used in
duties about the deck. They will operate
the ship for the fifteen days they are
aboard, ana when the vessel arrives at
Tansier sound. in the lower Chesapeake
bay. they will man the ships guns.
After day or two target practice AT
Tangier sound. the Jackies Tuesday,
July II. will be put ashore at Old
Point, and will arrive in Washington
early on the morning of July -. ac-
cording to the present schedule.
1t Will be one of the longest cruises,
in point of distance and time consumed.
ever participated in by the local naval
militia, and the officers and men of the
battalion are enthusiastic. They declare
that 1t will give them more time in
which to train themselves to be able
to take their stations aboard any of
Uncle Sans ships in time of war. for
it is these reserve sailors. who. while
leading a civilians life in time of
peace, will be called upon to man the
reserve ships of the navy in time of
war