The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-11-13
On Board The Mesquite FLEET
(By Kennedy Boardman. }

(By Kennedy Boardman.j
Mr. Boardnlal is Il \. NJ. G. y. sec
retary, who recently spent few days
on a submarine chaser.
| was right on the spot when the
launch came to take Lieutenant ----
and me ous TO the ship. The boats
which make up this fleCt-otiicially
known as The United States Patrol
Squadron Based on Irance-Weie
formerly privately owned yachts,noW
turned ever TO Uncle Sam and con
yerted into highly efficient fighting
craft The fittings Of these ocean
going yachts were not appropriate
for a fighting ship at war, which has
to carry Il great many more meh on
board than the small crew required
for pleasure cruises. So that a great
change has taken place On all OF the
converted yachts which make up the
mosquito Fleet"
! After a little while both the fcon-
! voy"-the term applied to the group
/ of merchant vessels which are con-
! voyed by the Mosquito Fleet-and
! the other patrol boats accompanying g
! us were all ready and We got under
! way. ii was Il fine day. On board
/ the talk was always of the change of
! getting a submarine, and L learned
! that there were several ways of ac-
! complishing this.
! My position on the ship was a very
! happy one. l was in all respects
treated as d guest and yet was acCor-
ded the good-hearted welcome of a
fellow COB by the sailors on board.
Most Of the universities and colleges
of note had graduates on the boat,
and while many of them had never
! before done the tasks to which they
were assigned, yet the entire machin-
cry of the ship moved like clock
work. One noted, with a feeling OF
pride in the American Navy discip-
line, the promptness with which CT
ders were obeyed. What l liked
most though was the unceasing alert
ness of the men. Not only the men
whose duty it was TO be on watch,
but also other 'tgobs" who were sup
posed to be below getting their sleep,
were often On the deck strainins
their eyes in all directions to be the
first to spot a periscope.
l was invited to take the noon
meal in the ward room with the OIL
GERS. Lieutenant -, whom l will
hereafter refer to as the Captain
since whatever his rank may be, the
commander of the ship is always
called the aptaln-assigned me to
share the room occupied by the doc
tors assistant, who proved to be d
pleasant bunkmate.
That night we were we'll outside
by six o'clock, and quite ground
SWELL was noticeable. | agreed with
the apt remark made by Fielding, one
of the good friends l made On board
Whats the use of paying perfectly
good money to ride on the rollenj
coasters at Coney Island, when you
can have this, Indefinitely, free OF
charger" l agreed with him that il
was all right, until after | had gona
down below to eat supper with the
black gang" (the boys who work il
the engine room and with the boilers
amidships) and then, fSr doubtful.
half hour, L questioned the joy anu
fun in these unceasing dip-the-dip
sprees. Canned salmon never die
agree with me. Sympathetic adN.set
was given by the sailors who dfscoY-
cred me.
"Oh, hello there, Y NJ. c. A, die
this roll get you Well, we get some
pretty good ground swells out here
1 tell you, the best way is just to
keep working and don't think of il.
ooh, how l wish l could have forgot
ten IT'D That's the best cure i
know"
Then Sage No. would blow along
in the gloom, smoking a cigarette:
"Ain't you feeling well, old boy.
Say, let me tell you the best thing
for that is a good smoke. Ever try
it? Well, that'll sure fix you"
There was no argument there. |
fully agreed with him that tobacco
would "sure fix me-"
You would liked to have been with
me at the table below with the
black gang" These boys have {
hard time of it, because many o.
them have to be below, keeping the
engines going, during all their wax
ing hours, and so get none of the eX-
citement and interest Of watching
for the enemy. There were mixed
types to be found in this group.
Some were older men, experienced IL
ship lore. who had knocked around &
young, in the twenties. Their quar-
ters are necessarily cramped anc
lot. But most Of them were quite
crowded, the folding hammock hunks
being on each side of the long wood
en- table where their meals are serv-
ed, and the light afforded in this
hole is hardly suitable for reading.
Here one learns to ask for the salt
cellar by it's nautical name-''light-
house'-and to relish navy beans and
canned bill" OF course, there is 4
lot of kicking about the food, but il
seems to me to be pretty good, sub
stantial Chow" as the "gobs'' cali
it. We had .'slumgullion" (mea1
stew, bread and coffee, and for des
sert, fish eyes," the highly descrip-
tive term given to tapioca pudding.
| heard several references as to
what would be ordered by some Of
them at the Y. NJ. c. \. restaurant
On return.
Down with the BLACK gang" it