The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-08-03
LIFE N OUR NAVY
II Is Not All Drill and Drudgery
For the Enlisted Man.
THE WAY HE SPENDS HIS TIME
Story of Days Routine, With It's
Duties, Work and Recreation, From
Revoille In the Morning Until Taps
Are Sounded In the Evening.

ReNoile In the Morning Until Taps
Are Sounded In the Evening.
All the world loves the sailor but
how few know and understand him!
The American people have very little
knowledge of the blueJackets who man
the United States navy, theif profes-
sionaI zeal and enthusiasm. their pride
In the service and their answering
devotion to flag and country.
Our brave men Of the sea-" says
Franklin ID. Roosevelt, assistant secre-
tary of the United States navy, Should
| be better known to the American pub
| lie. All the people OF this great repub-
| lie should be made thoroughly ac-
quaintod with the human element of
| the navy, not merely to popularize 1t,
COR the navy is popular in vague, inn
personal manner but to have our citi-
2ens know more of what the navy
really means to the men who com
pose it,
At $50 a. IN. the buglers sound the
revciIle. accompanied by a chorus OF
boatswains' pipes with the added adj
monition. Up all hammocksm shake
leg" etc. The cooks are astir much
Learlier for coffee must be served tho
crew. Then, after Il short smoke, comes
Scrub aud wash clothes"
Then all bands clean ship. ~. ,,s,,a
| After the ship Is cleaned breakfast
is served. and the blleiaclSet is usual
~ ready for it, petasocs, ham and
eggs. bread. butter and coffee consti-
tute n sample breakfast menu, changed
each day.
After breakfast comes an hour for
smoking and for relaxation, TO don the
uniform OF the day and get ready for
inspection at $3.50.
Il From that time until the dinner hour,
: 1889. the time is spent at drill, and
Iaftc- dinner rlorc drill There are big
gun drills, boat drills with both oars
and sails, signaling. small arms prac-
tice, collision drill, fire quarters, ahan-
don ship, clearing ship for action and
r a, night searchlIght d;'ills These drills
. sre interspersed with special duty,
. such as coallng ship or landing par
I ties. and lectures by division officers or
others on timely professional topics.
IT Rarely are the men engaged upon
Q the same task two days IN succession
0 so the sailors life has little chance to
q become monotonous.
At Up. m, eight tells," is period
of "knocl; of all work" Pipes again
are lighted. or the race boat crew has
manned the cutter and Is taking pull
through the fleet, The baseball team
or football sound goes ashore for daily
practice; the hugle sounds swimming
!, sail. aud hundreds Of men are soon In
: the water. with a dinghy crew stand
: Ing bv to aid tired swimmer or n
r beginner
r Books OF fiction or OF travel are
It drawn from the crews library. while
It throughout the ship may be found mer
] STUDYING for the annual examination
y for appointment to the Naval academy
l. older men studying for a warrant and
s. classes In academic studies Others
Il play checkers. chess or cards
The cauteen or ships store, is liber
lalIy pntronl2cd Tobacco, candy, sweet
meats, writing paper, toilet articles
and other necdful articles are kept oil
p. sale.
After supper Mt G, the bluejacketi
N time il his own. There is a conccr
IS by the ships band, often few reel
IN of movies. Occasionally there Is
'r smoker or an Invitation from anothe
O. ship To atteud q Jminsuel show or
i program of .boSing and wrcstlini
u, bouts Unless there is some specia
event taps are sounded at o. aud th
- !, sailors day is over, except those o.
9 watch.
An account of the sailors life woul
he incomplete without mentioning IN
mascots. The most common pets ar
goats bulldogs, cats. monkeys and pai
rots. But many ships have bears, pig
or and strange tropical animals from CT
la and Mexico, and some battlcshlp
I'd have even carried kangaroos from Au'
is iralin. Newark star Eagle.