Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-27

L isn't one iota's difference between the
sides of the iron gateway that stands
two miles northeast Of Cape May, N. J.,
except that on one side Is the public
highway. while on the other are the
buildings and grounds which 60 to make
up Wissahickon navy barracks.
But to the sailor boys. in their neat
looking blue. white or khaki uniforms.
there Is vastly more difference than
that. The minute they reach the inside
of the gate they hear the click of the
telephone in the gate house as the
Junior o. d. calls to the Quartermas-
ter Department:
Ensign +. aboard with fifty men," or
Three men of Company A aboard"
While, II they are going out the gate.
that same voice informs the Quarter.
master Department: sixty men ashore
for rifle practice"
The land-lubber may smile as he vain.
ly tries tries to imagine a gangplank
stretched from the dusty roadway to the
gate house. an to feel the ship" rock.
ing beneath his feet as he walks through
the barracks.
But to the 1000 navy boys. 700 of
whom are Philadelphians. it isn't a bit
funny. They are training for their
share in the war just as strenuously as
the soldiers in army camps, and under
even greater difficulties, because they
must learn all the ship terms, the many
signals, elementary seamanship and nav
igation with only miniature or imaginary
ships to work on.
That is why inside the gate Is
aboard" and everything Is kept as
"ship-shape" as possible.
Must Learn Ship Terms
You see." explained Ensign w. K.
Allen, of Philadelphia. who escorted a
party of visitors through the barSacks,
we must know the different parts of
the ship and its equipment by name,
and become accustomed to ship terms.
To two-thirds of the rockies 1t is almost
like learning a new language except
the grammar isn't so difficult. They
must know this language to become pro-
ficient seamen."
Just at that moment the junior officer
Of the day known aboard as Junior
20. d. at the gate house reported two
recruits aboard and the visitors watched
an orderly take them to the supply house
where each was fitted with two blue
wooden suits. two white suits. two pairs
Of shoes, half a dozen pairs of socks, a
knife and kiyi, which in landlubber's
language is a brush with which to scrub
clothes.
Perhaps the first impression a visitor
to the barracks gains Is the excellent
''housewifery" of the sailors. Some of
them are scrubbing all the time. If it
isn't clothes it is windows. floors or
tables.
Well make excellent husbands, -
called one of the scrubbers, smiling
above the bucket of suds over which he
dangled a floor brush. And the officer
acceded, explaining that every man had
his days as dining-room walters. as deck
scrubbers and window washers. and
each man had to lash his own ham,
mock and wash his own clothes. Bank
presidents sons or boys who scrubbed
floors at home--they all have it to do.
Here Is the quartermaster depart
ment," said the ensign as he opened
the door of a wooden building re-
sembling the cantonment of an army
camp The forecaste, which he pro-
nounced ''fok-sul.' might have re-
sembled dormitory when all the ham,
mocks were swung, but at this time
they were rolled and tied with ships
cord, nondescript row hanging on a
beam across the length of the room.
Beneath each hammock roll hung a sea
bag about the size of Uncle Sans mail
sacks.
Neatly Packed Bag
Even to the most precise housewife or
practiced maid the packing of that sea
bag would be a puzzle. Every article
of wearing apparel the sailor possesses
aside from what he wears is kept in
this bag. Each article has to be rolled
in its own peculiar way in order not to
become wrinkled and so it will fit in.
More than one landlubber would be
ashamed as he compared his own
rumpled trunk to the sailors imma culate
sea bag.
But it was the sailors ditty box that
attracted most attention. On a high
shelf just above the hook which holds
the hammock head when It is swung
stands the ditty box. Quite ordinary
looking, isn't it?" asked the ensign as
he lifted one down and opened 1t. ut
is really the sailors most precious pos
session, because in II he keeps his love
letters" The officer. with certain rev.
erence, turned a bunch of ribbon-tied
letters, address down, as he talked. Be-
side the letters lay a shaving crush.
razor and small mirror. In the lower
compartment were handkerchefs, sta
tionery, stray collar buttons and other
small articles.
1T is rather like miniature trunk"
said the officer. And here in the very
top compartment you usually find the
pictures of home folk" He slid back
the board that made a sort of pocket
beneath the lid of the box and the face
of pretty girl looked directly at the
visitors. His very best girl" explained
the ensign Every fellow has key to
his ditty box. but this one must have
forgotten to lock his.
ut isn't an easy life here in the bar
racks by any means the officer con-
tinued as the party went on about the
grounds. THE fellows are kept on the
go pretty much of the time. But the
men here are all volunteers and deeply
interested in the work. They are here
for business and make the most of the
training.
Every morning at $3.50 they hit the
deck and they are expected to dress,
lash their hammocks and have their sea
bags and ditty boxes all shipshape by
5:45. They have monkey drill for half
an hour and then there is half an hour
to smoke or scrub clothes before chow.
Chow, you know,5is food, and we make
no distinction between breakfast, dinner
or supper here. 1t is all chow. At
7:45 o'clock they all turn to for the
armory. where they get their rifles,
bayonets and equipment for morning
drill. The ROCKIES drill till 11:0. but
the school companies dncluding men who
have been here eight weeks) drill only
till 0:30 o'clock. At 1:a0 every one
knocks off for smoke and chow. And at
12:45 the classes begin"
learn from Miniature Ships
All the intricac'es of seamanship are