New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-16
Makes 800 Awaiting Ocean
Cruise Spend Day Learn
ing the Rudiments.
THREE SHIPS ARE TO
START THIS MORNING
Two Men Reach Yard with
Valet, but Find He Must
Be Left Behind.

Any hostile fleets outside New York
Harbor are required to withhold their
attack until food tide tomorrow makes
the East River channel deep enough
for the naval rockies to get at them.
Aside from the fact that the battleship
Names 2S-foot draft and the 26-foot Of
the New Jersey and the Kentucky made
it impossible for the ships to go out at
ebb tide yesterday, there was nothing
to keep the rockies from going forth
CALAMITY to the defence Of their coun-
try against whatever foe offered, all
dressed up in their white sailor suits
and things, and with the blessing Of Jo-
sephus Daniels, Secretary Of the Navy,
upon their heads.
But even if there was a delay OF
twenty-four hours, when they do go
forth they will be just that much better
sailor men, for they spent the day yes
terday, picking up some Of the rudi-
ments-and also some Of the courtesies
of naval life. They began to learn
how to salute their officers and to call
them "sir" and not just Say.
Also, as plain, ablebodied sailors, tney
learned first, not to smoke pipes on the
quarterback, and, second, not to invade
those sacred precincts at all unless on
business.
Find Most Difficult Task.
The toughest rudiment came at 9
o'clock last night, when they tried 20
perform the apparently simple opera.
tion of going to bed. It consisted OF
laying hold of a swinging piece OF by
6 foot canvas stretched between two
hooks about the height of their heads,
swinging under and then, with heaye,
I'D on to the top side. That was the
theory of the thing as demonstrated by
enlisted men.
But when the rockies came to do 1t
most of them, instead of Landing on
the top side of their hammocks, either
found themselves clinging to the un-
der side or SPRAYING on the floor. But
with repeated efforts and kindly boosts
from comrades they finally got to bed,
comforted by the precept that 1t would
get easier each time.
The days experience consisted IN
receiving equipment, slowing clothing,
under the nagging directions of young
officers, in bags; rolling hammocks.
with bedding inside, into respectable
looking bundle, and in stencilllng
names with a particularly smudgy
kind of indelible ink on all property.
Name on Each Chest.
When the work was done, across each
mans chest stood out his name, in let
ters clear and bold, an inch and half
high. Thus Junius Spencer Morgan,
son of ]. P. Morgan; C. Oliver lselin,
ir.. William McAdoo, jr., and all the
osher notables bore their identity la
bells on their chests, along with Tom
Jones. Frank Smith and all the rest.
wherefore the deck of the Maine, to
which they were assigned, was para
disc for camera men.
Some naval discipline went into eff
feet. but not too GENEROUSLY. For IN
stance. near the aft gangplsnk Of the
Maine the navy yard "Buttercup" ap-
reared with a rack of pie and freezer
of ice cream to sell. The mouths of
the rockies along the rail began to
water.
"Can we 90 ashore?" asked one.
"Not without leave-you have to ask
that gink up by the front gangplank
with a pinnacle in his hand" another
advised him.
"What do you mean-binnacle"
"Yes; that long, slim thing-you al
ways have to ask the officer who has
that in his hand"
"That isn't a binnacle-that's a spy
glass" an enlisted man explained. So
the two rockies went to the man with
the spy glass.
"Say, can we go ashore and get some
ice cream" they asked, without salut-
ing.
mo. Lay off that stuff" the young
officer said, with as gruf voice as he
could muster. "You don't know any
thing about it. 1t might make you
sick"
"Oh. I won't be seasick," one rookie
replied. 81 brought two oranges and a
lemon with me-"
As it is not military for an officer TO
laugh with enlisted men, the lieutenant
retained himself long enough TO blurt