Evening star., 1915-07-15
District Sailor Boys to Disem-
bark From the U. S. S. Kear-.
sarge Tomorrow Morning.
TWO-WEEK TRIP AT SEA
CONSIDERED PROFITABLE
Warship Is Expected to Arrive at
Hampton Roads Tonight-0ne
Round of Work.
From a Special Staff Correspondence.


ABOARD L.. s. S. KEARsARGE. at
sea. July 15.-School bells and bugle
calls soon will cease to ring aboard
this vessel for the members of the
Naval Militia of the District of Colum-
bia. Tomorrow in Hampton roads the
organization will complete it's four
teen-day practice cruise-one of the
best cruises in it's history and far more
profitable to both officers and men
than any one heretofore taken by the
organization.
Although there has been nothing but
work aboard the ship, even two days
of the proposed four days liberty
being cut out. the men feel that the
time was spent very profitably. Every
hour of the day. from the time the
shrill call of the boatswain's mates
whistle resounded through the decks
at $50 in the morning until taps in
the evening, there was work, work,
work, and drill, drill, drill.
Barefooted and with the fare-bot-
toned sailor pants turned up over the
knees. these District sailormen turned
out of their hammocks every morning
and scrubbed and ho1y-stoned the decks
until they were Immediately clean.
They polished bright work and
painted-these boys who more than
eleven months of the year are work
ing in the offices and government de-
partments at Washington. And they
enjoyed it. too. At least, they do not
admit that they do not enjoy it, ex-
cept, of course, when they stayed
ashore late when on liberty. Then the
boatswain's mates whistle was con-
demned. He could be any manner of
mi
litiamen. But they just turned out.
That is a part of their military train
ing. They cannot question an order.
They cannot turn over for another
first call. or be tumbled out of the
hammock.
Benefited by the Cruise.
Two weeks aboard this ship has
served to work the District contingent
into responsible naval organization.
Owing to the shortage of the regular
complement aboard, it was necessary
to give the militiamen respon sible po
sitions, and they assumed them with
out a murmur. But if matter arose
that either militia officer or man did
not know how to handle the regulars
came quickly forward and gave help
ing hand During the entire cruise the
regular and the militiaman have been
welded tightly together. all bound for
one purpose-military training in prep
aration for any eventuality.
So thorough has been the instruc-
ton by the regular officers and men
aboard the ship that even after these
two weeks it is safe to say that there
are very few things that a militiaman
has not found out. Signaling. navy
names of parts about the ship, sea-
manship in all it's branches, infantry
and the manual of arms have been
taught.
One of the school periods was given
over to first aid instruction by DR..
Sellers. the ships surgeon He in
structed the men in various ways of
rendering first aid treatment and keep
ing a ship and her complement in a
healthy condition. He told of the
little tricks of the men that would
have to be watched instruction in
the first aid treatment, he said, should
be given by division officers of the mi
litia and not by the surgeon. And
when it came to resuscitating drown
ing persons he just placed one of the
officers on the table and went through
all of the details.
At her present steaming rate. it is
probable that the kearsarge will ar
rive at Hampton roads late this even