The Washington times., 1917-05-26

sharp at o'clock a bugle sounded
reveille, and down in the berth and
gun decks a thousand bluejackets
rolled out of their hammocks, dressed.
and hurried up on deck in the cool
May morning under a sky OF hazy
blue. Black volumes OF smoke
were already pouring from the
big tunnels of the ship. The rockies
had their coffee. and then the boat
swains' pipes were heard. and soon
hundreds of barefooted lads were
scrubbing down decks. The great
vessel steamed off to target practice,
and the life OF the day began.
We came to a long line of barrels
bobbing out there on the sea, a line
of net for submarines. Room was
made for US to pass by = launch
which towed a section of nets with
their bobbing barrels to one side
like a great sea gate. We passed,
and the gate closed behind US.
Breakfast IL Substantial
At 7:3O the rockies went be-
low to their morning Chow" OF
liver and bacon, fried potatoes. apple
sauce. coffee, and cinnamon buns.
After breakfast they brought up
their hammocks and blankets. and
these were soon in long gray lines
on the ships rails airing in the sun,
for there are boys here from all
kinds OF homes, and the navy is TAX
ing no chances. Now they are shin
ing brass work like "the ruler of
the Queens navee," while down in
the sick bay the doctor was examin-
ing those who were sick. There was
little for him to do today few
severe colds and one case OF bron-
chitis. The last was promptly put
to bed. 1 sat with the doctor talk
ing a while. In the last month he
has examined two or three hundred
recruits. many OF whom he was con-
WINGED had sworn falsely to their
ages. Some he thought were not
over fifteen. There was one VINO had
come from Detroit. Are you seven
teen?" the doctor asked. Sure L
am" the boy replied. Don't look at
the portfolio, look at me-" said the
doctor. Now how old are you?"
I'm seventeen. doctor. honest to
God" where are you FROM? DE
troit" Are you out OF school?"
Me out of school? been out years"
what have you been doingT
"woIkin'r' who for?" THE West
ern Union"
Hes one of our ship messengers
now" the doctor ended. land If he
worked for the Western Union he
must have had a change OF heart,
90 him RfTaaEinO around
this ship in a way that ought to win
the war"
Laundry n Duty.
heard bugles up on deck.
What's on now?" inquired. That's
for quarters" he replied. And l
hurried above. The blueiackets
were all drawn up by squads. from
the double file of marines in the
stern past squads of seamen, nremen'
engineers and machinists. to the 1T
tie group OF Filipino cabin boys near
the galley amidships. The squads
formed in two files facing each other,
and officers came between the lines
inspecting their clothes, here and
there pulling out from under a jacket
a soiled bit OF an undershirt and
giving a sharp reprimand. Then an
order was read to this effect, that
each boy was expected to use the
ship laundry and keep his clothes
clean. II he got on the dirty list
he would have to do his washing on
deck under a watchful officers eye.
Later came Swedish exercises. All
up and down both sides of the ship
were boys going through calisthenics
The little Filipinos now were fairly
chucklinE with delight.
/ never get tired of watching
these bright alert little islanders,
Most of them learned to read and
write in American schools in the Phil
ippines. and now they are ambitious
to get along as fast as they can. Two
OF them here are taking correspond
ence courses. One wants to be an
electrician. the other a bookkeeper,
A third has bought a typewriter and
is learning shorthand. One plays the
oboe in the band.
Use Dummy Gun
There came another bugIe call. and
now in two long bobbing lines the
bIuejackets were going at double
quick around the ship. the Filipino
ponies trotting busily in the rear.
Then another bugle call, and soon
all up and down the decks recruits
were having gun drills. In the stern
a number of youngsters were excited
Iy working a loading machine. which
is a sort OF a skeleton gun used for
breaking in new men and teaching
them speed They throw in dummy
shells and powder bags, and repeat
the process hundreds of times till
they become Automatons. Nearby, II
huge round turret with its two long
tweIve-inch guns began revolving
slowly. crawled underneath and
climbed up inside. squeezing between
the legs OF an officer who sat in a
sort Of a little cave OF steel from
which he could see through opening
into both gun chambers. ! crept for.
ward into one. 1t was eight or ten
feet wide by something less than
twenty feet long, and IL was half
filled by the gun, whose huge breech
OF Elistening steel hung over the