New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-13
Hundreds Visit WarShipS
to Which They Have
Been Assigned.
WILL SAIL AWAY
AT NOON TUESDAY
Week of Man9uvres To Be Fol-
lowed by Target
Practice.

From New York Offices, from inland
cities and from Middle West farms men
will gather at the Brooklyn navy yard
next Tuesday morning to go down TO
the sea in battleships. A month later
they will roll down the gangways on
their newly acquired sea legs, swapping
yarns favored with the tang OF tho
sea, for they will have spent that time
as members of the training cruise with
which the navy is rivalling the military
training camps at Plattsburg.
Yesterday hundreds Of the prospec-
tive "tars" visited the ships to which
they have been assigned, TO receive
their billets and draw their equipment
For weeks they have been dreaming
of the sea aSd its mystery, and their
visions began to be realized as they
climbed the ships ladder and brushed
elbows with the uniformed regulars
who are to be their companions Tor
four weeks.
For many Of them II was their first
time aboard a warship. The. great gray
guns, the shining brasses, fascinated
them. The glamour of the sailors lie
dimmed the fact tina the training
manned out for them contained much
hard work, some of which might even
prove disagreeable. They looked for
ward to the cruise as lark and we're
impatient to don their jumpers and to
weigh anchor.
Men of Many Sorts to Cruise.
On the Kentucky, anchored off Nine
ty-sixth Street, Paymaster Clark was
kept busy receiving the deposits of $50
required from the men 10 cover the
expense of equipment and food. Inc
widespread interest in the cruise and
the type of men who are making 1t was
demonstrated by a group of four who
visited his office at the same time.
One was a business men from SIAM
ford Conn; another was youth from
an upstate farm, third was unlver-
sity man from Cincinnati, and the
fourth was an electrical engineer.
When they had made their deposits
and received their orders for clothing
and equipment they were led down a
narrow hatch and through a labyrinth
ian corridor to the paymaster's store
rooms.
The Stamford man, somewhat older
than his companions and deeply versed
in the ways of the sea from several!
motor boat cruises, Immediately put
on his sea legs. He was taking the
cruise because its novelty appealed to
him.
Recruits Get Supplies.
"a fellow could get lost in this place
If he wasn't used 10 ships" he said
as he stumbled down the narrow lad
der "We1l know our way around be-
fore we get through ] guess"
The men presented their orders and
each got canvas bag, a hammock and
ropes with which TO swing it. After
each bag was tagged the quartet pro-
ceeded TO the clothing room. Here
they were given two mattress covers,
pair of bathing trunks, a necker-
chief. a scrub brush. a watch cap, four
, undershirts. two white hats. four white
undress jumpers. four pairs Of white
trousers, pair of leggings. a mattress
and a galvanized iron bucket.
The business man could not under
stand why each man could not carry
out his own taste in the matter OF un-
dershirts. Personally. he confessed
he always wore union suits. The man
who was issuing equipment explained
to him that no buttons must show In
the V-neck opening of the jumper.
"Oh, see," the man from Stamford
D,,t bar do fhpu hutton
: in the back or on the side "
, Smith, the university man, hid
around the corner. He had run the
mile in college and knew buttonless
! track shirt when he saw it.
Hammock Hooks Given Out.
After receiving all their supplies the
men were introduced to two hooks,
, which are to be in their quarters dur
ing the cruise. From these they Will
, swing their hammocks. After marking
|, their bags they hung them up and
went on deck.
The man from Stamford fingered be-
: hind. He reached the deck very much
, elated.
1.-THE paymaster tells me that we can
come aboard Monday if we want to- he
chartered. "That will be fine, for it is
going to take some time to lash up all
our things. It's just like going to Eu-
rome. You always have TO engage your
steamer chairs ahead of time. And
then, who knows but what we will be
in Germany before this cruise is over"
The Kentucky will move this morning
to the Brooklyn navy yard, where she
will ioin the Maine. The cruise Will
begin at noon on Tuesday, the ships
proceeding first TO rendezvous near
BLOCK Island. Strategic maneuvres
will be engaged in for week, after
which the fleet will move to Tangier
sound. near Hampton Roads, for tar
oct practice. The last week OF the
cruise will be devoted to maneuvres
in the vicinity of the points OF embark
zion in which a modified feet OF pri-
vately owned motor boats will take
part.
Must Wash Their Own Clothes.
Lieutenant Commander Reyes OF the
Kentucky said yesterday that he
Thought il would take at least week
to shake down" the men to life aboard
ship. al,
bave To do" he said, will be TO teach
the volunteers how to live in deck
bucket and keep happy. | suppose some
of them think they can have their
laundry done for them, and they may
object when they find they must wash
their own clothes. Some of them may
demand the use of the captains bath