The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-09-15
Battalion Will Do Duty Of Sailors
For Two Weeks In Waters
of Hawaii
GOOD SHOWING MADE
AS THEY GO ABOARD
Cruiser Leaves Harbor In After
noon and Will Reach Garden
: Island Today

OF for a two weeks cruise, eighty
men Of the naval militia sailed
on the big United States cruiser
81. Louis yesterday afternoon shortly
after four clock, with the gOOdbys of
sisters, wives and swecthParts still SCUM
ding in their ears, as the bugle sound
ed "cnrry 0n' and the work of the big
ship began.
The men gathered at the bungalow
In the capital grounds according to or
dors at nine o 'clock, and put the finish
ing touches to their bags and ham
mocks. There is II world of skill nee
| cesSary to tn" proper flashing of ham
mock, and when one has to pack all
of on" \ be Iongings into a bag twelve
inches wide and two and one half feet
deep it takes not little training to
| avoid discoN ering that you have left
n right shoe ON the outside after the
| bag is slowed and the hammock neatly
| dashed.
Bags and Hammocks Lashed
SO it was that the boys under the
command of Ensign w. II. Stroud found
their work cut OIt for them in getting
ready, and that in spite of the fact they
had believed all prepared. 1t was half
| past ten 'clOck before the last Glove
| nitch was safely Delayed and the last
| bag and hammock slowed on the truck
| that was to take them to the cruiser.
Then in their natty white uniforms
with the black neckerchiefs for con
| trast, the brigade was mustered and
marched to the wharf on the trail of
the dunnage. There the men were lined
up and given n chance to say goodby
70 their friends, before being marched
on board the warship. Have they were
| mustered on the port side aft, assigned
| to their stations on the ship and given
| thcir numbers for battle practise, tar
get pructise boat drill, armand away,
| abandon ship, firc-drill, hammOcks
stoves and mCSsgPrr. Not much is left
20 chance on board n cruiser of Uncle
sam = and Lieut.. -Comdr. Victor s.
Houston, commanding the st. Louis and
| inspector Of the naval militia
| was careful to see to it that the militia
men got all that the regular "jack
shike" gets.
Old Timers Help Out
There were u few ''plank owners, ~
which is navicSc for kamanina, with
the militamcn, and they fell too at
once to show their green comrades
| what $ what aboard cruiser. Some
Of the regular crew of the steamer
were also told off to act as instructors
to the landsmen who wanted to learn,
showing them where to stow bags and
| hammocks the former in the bag room,
the latter in the hammock lockers.
Bags and hammocks out Of the way
the work began. Each man had to
learn where his station might be in
the numberlcss drills that 90 on on
board man o. war day and night. They
were taken by their mentors from place
to place, and shown where they must
report in case of fire call, boat drill,
mun-ovrr board drill, arm and away.
| abandOn-ship, close. wutrrtight doors
| and all the rest of it. Most important
Of all they were shown where and how
they got their food and the m"ssrs to
which they were assigned for the
cruise.
They're OFF At Last,
1t was well past three o'clock before
the last Of this preliminary work was
finished and the big ship, which had
been humming like q munition factory
with Il big order Of shells to fill set
tied down to its wOnted calm routine
The Matches had been made out and
every man knew what was expected
IT MN on tn" run down to Waimra,
Kauai, the first port of call the big
ship is to make. She is due there about
sunrise this morning, although there
w"r" hints OF drill planned for last
night which might delay her short
time.
Once in trim it did not take the st.
Louis long to shake off the dust Of
the land and get out to sea- her long
gray painted hull cleaning duly in the
Afternoon sun, and her tunnels strrum-'I
ing smoke, that smuged the blue of the
horizon. She was off and the men stood
by the rail and checred and waved their
hands TO the friends and relatives who
had come down to see them off.
After touching at Waimea, where
the officers and men will be entertained
by the officers of the national guard
regiment ON the Garden Island, the
ship will return to Honolulu tomorrow,
reaching here Sunday, to pick up mem
beers of the naval brigade who remain
ed here to take part in the events of
Regatta Day.
Lahaina and Hilo Also
As soon as these are on board the
St. Louis will bear away for lahaina, !
Maui and Hilo, reaching the Big Island |
city September %. She will remain
there two days, when she will turn her
nose homeward, and is due back here
September 26.
Brig Gen. Samuel |. johnson. ud tut |
ant e neral commanding the national |
guard Of llnWul, accompanied the nav |
al mlIItlamcn ON the cruise, but may |
not remain with them the entire trip |
While away nothing will hn snnrpd tn |
teach the men their work on board
hIG man % war. None Of the drills that |
ur" given the regular seamen will be
missed. There will he plenty of drill |
ing with tn" big guns, and any spare
time tn" men mny have on their hands !
viii be taken up with the muItifurious !
duties that fall to the lot Of n deep J
sea saIlUrmun in the service Of