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 OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 October IT, 1905. 
 
 My dear Beyer: 
 
 Replying further to your letter of Ootober 5th, I am 
 authorized "by the Secretary of the Navy to inform you that 
 the Department authorizes you to publish your book entitled, 
 The American Battleship in Commission* 
 
 I am sorry to hear of your being in the hospital and 
 hope that you are getting on well. I wish you all success 
 with the publication of your book. 
 
 Your manuscript is returned by registered mail* 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Captain, U. S» K* 
 
 Ihomas Beyer 
 
 s .Beyer, 
 
 Shipfitter 1st Class, U.S.tfavy, 
 U. S. A. General Hospital, 
 Port Bayard, 
 
 New-Mexico. 
 
 OFFICE Of 
 
 THE COMMANDER-IN-C.HIEF. 
 
 UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET. 
 
 U. S. FLAGSHIP MAINE. 
 
 tfavy Yard, Hew fork. 
 June 10, 
 (2) 
 4. It is with pleasure that I note that a book which 
 Appears to -have merit is about to be published above the 
 eignature of one of our enlisted men. 
 Respectfully, 
 
 Rear Admiral, tJ. S. Hary, 
 Commander in Chief, 
 United States Atlantic Fleet, 
 
 Hr# Thomas Beyer, 
 
 Shipfitter, 1st class, TJ.S.H. 
 Naval Y.M.C.a; 
 Brooklyn, H.Y. 
 
 Photographic reductions 
 from original letters. 
 
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 office or 
 
 NAVY OtPA^FwCNT 
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 THE ADMIRAL OPTHK NAVY 
 
 WIH.* SUlLOINO 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 
 f£-/fiC 
 
 
 
 
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CRUISE OF THE AfJERlCAIsmsrr^ * 
 
 00 110 120 130 
 
 140 ISO t«0 170 180 170 
 
 Route to the Pacific 
 
 Proposed Trip Home 
 
 Practice around (Magdalena Bay), 
 
 ion no 
 
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 "PUNTA ARENAS 
 
 CAP E TOWN 
 
 Approximate Distances miles 
 
 Hampton Roads— Trinidad .1,780 
 
 Trinidad— Rio do Janeiro 2,900 
 
 Rio de Janeiro— Punta Arenas, 2,230 
 
 Punta Arenas— Call ao 2,850 
 
 Callao— Magdalena Bay 3,010 
 
 Magdalena Bay— Honolulu . . . 2,740 
 
 Honolulu— Tokyo 3,800 
 
 Tokyo — Manila 1,800 
 
 Manila — Straits Settlement. . . 1,720 
 
 Straits Settlement — Aden 4,200 
 
 Aden — Port Said 1,500 
 
 Port Said — Gibraltar 2,000 
 
 Gibraltar — Hampton Roads.. 3.500 
 
 Total route of cruise 34,030 
 
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THE 
 
 Ameriean Dattleship 
 
 AND 
 
 Life in the Navy 
 
 ALSO 
 HUMOROUS YARNS AS TOLD BY A BLUEJACKET 
 
 (The American Battleship in Commission) 
 
 BY THOMAS BEYER 
 
 Published by Special Authority of U. S. Navy Department. 
 Endorsed by Admiral Dewey and Rear-Admiral Evans 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 Latest tables of Battleships, Armored and Protected Cruisers, 
 Monitors, Vessels Built and Building, showing Size, Dis- 
 placement, Tonnage, Caliber and Number of Guns, 
 Gun Power, Armor and Number of Officers and Men 
 
 ILLUSTRATED WITH 
 
 Forty full-page copper-plate half-tones and special double-page map, 
 
 lithographed in four colors, showing route of the fleet to the 
 
 Pacific and the probable return trip via Suez Canal, 
 
 with distances between stopping-points 
 
 CHICAGO 
 
 LAIRD & LEE, Publishers 
 
Two Copies Keo 
 
 MAR 25 1308 
 
 ooMfftiCrtt aw j. 
 
 ; " 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1908, 
 
 By William H. Lee, 
 
 in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at 
 . Washington, D. C. 
 
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 
 
The Nation 
 
 "TN time of peace, prepare for war" So runs the old 
 -* adage. It follows, therefore, that Congress should 
 appropriate sufficient money to build and properly 
 maintain a powerful navy, as well as to strengthen our 
 coast defenses wherever needed. If, as it is often as- 
 serted, the United States has assumed the position of 
 leader among the Powers, then it is all-important that 
 we demonstrate our ability to carry out the obliga- 
 tions imposed by the new world policy. To be fully 
 prepared for any emergency, is in itself a guarantee that 
 peace will not be disturbed. A (t shore diplomat" uses 
 his pen and diplomacy to avert war ; the "sea-going 
 diplomats " (battleships) use their twelve and thirteen- 
 inch guns to make peace. Historians write history, but 
 Navies and Armies ( or the men-behind-the-guns ), make 
 it. Under present conditions, in the event of interna- 
 tional complications, the navies are destined to play a 
 most important part. How essential, then, that the 
 American fleet should be second to none. 
 
 The recent action of the Administration, in despatch- 
 ing the fleet to the Pacific, the greatest battleship cruise 
 of modern times, must be regarded as a masterstroke 
 of policy, because it establishes the significant fact that 
 the United States can and will maintain its flag and 
 national supremacy on every sea. 
 
 —THE PUBLISHERS, 
 
*" i o the relatives and friends 
 
 of the American Bluejackets 
 
 and all who are interested in the 
 
 Great United States Navy, 
 
 this book is respectfully dedicated. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Chapter I. — 
 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Navy, . 1 
 
 Building and Commissioning, . . 8 
 
 Officers of the Ship, . . . . .16 
 
 How Officers are Made, . ... 25 
 
 Chapter II. — 
 
 Preparing for a Voyage, . . . .27 
 
 At Sea, .... 
 
 
 
 . 29 
 
 In Port, 
 
 
 
 , 31 
 
 
 
 
 . 34 
 
 Drills of the Week, 
 
 
 
 . 37 
 
 Description of Drills, 
 
 
 
 39 
 
 Chapter III. — 
 
 The Crew and their Duties, . . . .51 
 
 Engineer's Department, . 
 
 
 
 . 52 
 
 Carpenter's Gang, . 
 
 
 
 54 
 
 Deck Force 
 
 
 
 . 55 
 
 Ordnance Department, . 
 
 
 
 . 57 
 
 Pay Department, . 
 
 
 
 . 58 
 
 Medical Department, 
 
 
 
 . 59 
 
 Clerical Force and other Rates, 
 
 
 
 . 60 
 
 Extra Rates 
 
 
 
 . 62 
 
 Rating and Pay of Enlisted Men, 
 
 
 
 . 64 
 
 Enlistment, 
 
 
 
 70 
 
 Opportunities, 
 
 
 
 . 72 
 
 Sailor's Duds, 
 
 
 
 . 75 
 
 Amusements and Pastimes, 
 
 
 
 , 76 
 
 Man-'o-War Lingo, 
 
 
 
 . 79 
 
CONTENTS — Continued 
 
 Chapter IV.— page 
 
 Official Description of a Battleship, . . 84 
 
 Ordnance, 99 
 
 Main Guns, 101 
 
 Crew of a Large Gun, 104 
 
 Intermediate and Secondary Battery Guns, . 107 
 
 How a Large Gun is Made 109 
 
 Ammunition 112 
 
 Weight of Projectiles, 115 
 
 Torpedoes 116 
 
 Chapter V. — 
 
 Nomenclature of the Ship, . . . .121 
 
 Drainage System, ,133 
 
 Ventilation System, 134 
 
 Fresh and Salt Water Systems, . . ,136 
 
 Description of United States Vessels, . .137 
 
 How the Navy has Grown in Fourteen Years, . 147 
 
 Chapter VI. — 
 
 Different Types of Warships, . . . .153 
 Two Years on the Oregon, . . . . 1 60 
 
 How a Battleship is Docked 162 
 
 Admiral Dewey's Fleet at Manila Bay compared 
 
 with a 20,000-ton Battleship, . . .167 
 How the Crew is Divided, . . . .169 
 
 Naval Notes, . . . . . .174 
 
 Man-'o-War Yarns, , . . . .195 
 
List of Illustrations 
 
 Lithographed Map — Cruise of the American 
 
 Battleship Fleet Around the World, and 
 Rear-Admiral Evan's Flagship Connecticut, . 
 
 Portrait of the Author, . 
 
 Launching of the U. S S. Connecticut, 
 
 A Battleship Under Construction, . 
 
 A Monitor at Sea, . . . 
 
 A Navy-yard Scene, . . 
 
 U. S. S. Oregon, Outward Bound, 
 
 U. S. S. Virginia on her Trial Trip, 
 
 How a Battleship is Docked, 
 
 Taking Life Easy, 
 
 Taking Stores Aboard, 
 
 Boxing Aboard the West Virginia, . 
 
 A Homeward-bound Pennant, 
 
 U. S. S. Iowa, .... 
 
 A Submarine Boat, 
 
 Ship's Company, U. S. S. Charleston, 
 
 Getting the Liberty Boats Ready, . 
 
 Enlistment Record, 
 
 Honorable Discharge, . 
 
 The Pennsylvania's Broadside, 
 
 • Frontispiece 
 
 opp. page 
 
 1 
 
 8 
 16 
 17 
 
 24' 
 25 
 32 
 33 
 40 
 41 
 48 
 49 
 56' 
 57 
 64 
 65 
 70 
 71 
 78 
 
 / 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS — Continued 
 
 The New Bliss- Leavitt Turbine Torpedo, opp. page 
 
 A Six-inch Gun, .... 
 
 A Group of Young Naval Officers, . 
 
 U. S. S. Alabama at Sea, 
 
 U, S. S. Rhode Island, . 
 
 Signal from the Bridge, 
 
 On the Quarterdeck, 
 
 Outward Bound, .... 
 
 A Galley Scene, . . . 
 
 A Few Mascots, .... 
 
 The Wooden Navy, 
 
 U. S. S. West Virginia at Anchor, 
 
 U. S. S. Charleston at Sea, 
 
 Ship's Company, U. S. S. Chattanooga, 
 
 A Diver at Work, 
 
 Nobody Works but Uncle, 
 
 A Wrestling-match, 
 
 A New Race-horse, 
 
 Race-boat and Crew, U. S. S. Illinois, 
 
 U. S. S. Ohio, .... 
 
 Waiting for the Admiral, 
 
 Naval Y. M. C. A. Building, Brooklyn, N 
 
THOMAS BEYER. 
 Shipfitter 1st Class, U. S. N. 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 THE NAVY — BUILDING AND COMMISSIONING — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE SHIP — HOW 
 
 OFFICERS ARE MADE 
 
 THE NAVY 
 
 QREAT pride and interest are taken in our 
 navy. The results of the Russian- Jap- 
 anese war have plainly demonstrated that 
 a strong and efficient navy is the most important 
 factor in time of war. Folks at home read about the 
 achievements of a certain ship while at the same time 
 many do not realize what a grand array of war- 
 ships are owned by Uncle Sam. 
 
 A person may gaze at the photograph of a battle- 
 ship or cruiser or he may see one lying at anchor, 
 but in explaining the difference between their fight- 
 ing qualities, the average landsman would be "at 
 sea." It requires personal experience and study 
 to enable one to comment intelligently upon the 
 service. 
 
 A warship is a floating diplomat. In moving 
 
2 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 about singly or in fleets they command in many 
 ways, respect for the country which they represent. 
 Our interests in foreign ports are constantly on the 
 increase as the Export Statistics will show ; and now 
 that Uncle Sam is the legal guardian of the Philip- 
 pines, Cuba, Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Panama 
 Canal, a large and efficient navy is needed to pro- 
 tect American interests. 
 
 A large navy does not signify a strong one ; 
 should the personnel be lacking in training, skill 
 and discipline, the ships would be of little value. 
 In time of action it would prove an easy prey to the 
 enemy whose ships and men had a superior training. 
 Millions of dollars are spent annually to keep the 
 fighting qualities of both ships and men up to the 
 highest standard, and every dollar of this money is 
 well invested. A powerful navy is one of the most 
 valuable assets a nation can possess. When the 
 war clouds are gathering the strength of the navy 
 regulates the ultimatum. 
 
 Washington, D. C, is the official headquarters 
 of the United States Navy. From there all orders, 
 movements of ships, officers, enlisted men and 
 stores, are directed, and with the assistance of the 
 many admirals and captains who are in command of 
 the various fleets, squadrons, divisions and single 
 ships, these orders are carried out to the letter. 
 
 The Navy Department is divided into different 
 
 * 
 
The Navy 3 
 
 bureaus; such as the Bureau of Navigation, Con- 
 struction and Repair, Equipment, and Steam Engi- 
 neering. The duties aboard ship and of the different 
 bureaus are thus divided in order to simplify mat- 
 ters. 
 
 Ships of the navy are placed out of commission 
 regularly, at the different navy-yards maintained 
 by the navy. When a ship is placed out of com- 
 mission she is thoroughly overhauled and equipped 
 with the latest appliances. Warships are also built 
 at the navy yards by the Government; the Con- 
 necticut, a sixteen-thousand-ton battleship, being 
 one of them * This ship was built at the Brooklyn 
 Navy Yard. 
 
 Several of our warships have been in commission 
 ten years before being placed out of commission. 
 When a ship is recommissioned she is better equipped 
 than when new, for the reason that she is more 
 modern, as improvements which have come into use 
 recently are installed. 
 
 The entire navy is conducted on the same prin- 
 ciple. The Navy Department prints a book which 
 contains the rules and regulations governing the 
 United States Navy. From the color of its binding 
 this book is known as the "Blue Book." Every 
 detail of the service is contained within its pages. 
 From time to time, as the service may require, 
 changes are made in the rules and regulations. 
 
4 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Some people may be inclined to think that naval 
 officers have one continuous round of pleasure with 
 nothing to do but travel around the world at the 
 expense of the Government. Such an erroneous 
 impression could be entertained only by one unac- 
 quainted with the service. All naval officers have 
 arduous tasks to perform before ships are entrusted 
 to their command. After six years of continuous 
 study, midshipmen are commissioned ensigns ; this 
 being the lowest rank of commissioned officer. 
 Line officers are the regular commissioned officers 
 of the navy who have gone through the prescribed 
 course at the Naval Academy. This also includes 
 the warrant officers who have successfully passed 
 the examination for ensign. Officers are gradually 
 promoted in turn ; a special examination being 
 taken for each graduation. A Line officer must 
 have been in charge of every department of a war- 
 ship, such as the Signal, Navigation, Ordnance, and 
 Executive Officer, before given command of a large 
 ship. Many admirals in foreign navies have seen 
 far less service than our commanders. 
 
 Regarding the benefits that an enlisted man de- 
 rives from the service, they are many. A blue- 
 jacket is well taken care of, and best of all, he is 
 well paid. The opportunities for advancement in 
 the navy are greater to-day than at any previous 
 time. Many new rates of petty officers have been 
 
The Navy 5 
 
 recently created and more are being added from time 
 to time as required. These new rates, with the old 
 ones, have advanced many of the crew to the rank 
 of petty officer. The initial pay of a petty officer 
 varies from thirty to seventy dollars per month, this, 
 however, does not include his ration and extra pay, 
 as gunpointer, lamplighter, messman, or continuous 
 service benefits. 
 
 A large number of new battleships and cruisers 
 have been recently completed and commissioned. 
 The majority of these ships carry a complement of 
 over eight hundred men, thus causing many open- 
 ings for advancement. When a member of the crew 
 is rated a petty officer more work is not expected 
 of him because his pay has been increased ; he is 
 rated a petty officer for the reason that he has 
 acquired sufficient knowledge to enable him to com- 
 mand a more responsible position. As a general 
 rule the higher an enlisted man advances the less 
 manual labor he is required to perform. A petty 
 officer is clothed with considerable authority, and 
 many responsible duties are assigned him. Naval 
 life is very congenial to the enlisted man and he 
 gains a vast amount of knowledge and experience 
 in his travels. Most important of all, he is well 
 disciplined. 
 
 Occasionally a young man may enlist who turns 
 out to be an undesirable recruit ; he may often cause 
 
6 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 discontent among other members of the crew. Some 
 write home to their parents condemning the service, 
 and in some instances their home papers publish the 
 contents of their letters and cause a false impression 
 to be formed regarding the life of the enlisted men. 
 Were it taken into consideration that the authors of 
 these letters as a rule are recruits who have just 
 joined the service and know but little of it owing to 
 inexperience, little faith would be placed in the 
 articles published. When a young man writes home 
 informing his relatives or friends that he has been 
 an ordinary seaman two years, and that others who 
 have less service to their credit are being promoted 
 to petty officers, it is quite logical that there is 
 something wrong. The "growler" (better known 
 as a sea-lawyer) never explains the cause. Those 
 who are tardy in being promoted are sleeping while 
 their more industrious and studious shipmates are 
 advancing over them. The old saying that " Every 
 man makes his own career, " is quite true of the 
 men in the navy. 
 
 One may join the navy with false ideas of life 
 aboard ship. Some expect to be given a private 
 room and even a servant to wait upon them. Cases 
 of this kind are rare, however, as most of the re- 
 cruits soon adapt themselves to the routine of the 
 service. When a recruit persists in being obstinate 
 he will either desert or be dishonorably discharged, 
 
The Navy 7 
 
 for under no circumstances does Uncle Sam wish to 
 retain men of this character. 
 
 Some young men enlist without the consent of 
 their parents. This is usually due to the objections 
 of the parents. It seems that the names of warships 
 and talk of big guns give many people peculiar no- 
 tions about the service ; this is particularly true of 
 women. 
 
 When an accident occurs in the navy it is looked 
 upon as something awful by the shore folks. Were 
 it taken into consideration that there are over three 
 hundred ships on the Naval Register the majority 
 of which are in commission, it would be plainly seen 
 that naval life is no more dangerous than other vo- 
 cations ashore. The majority of accidents in the 
 navy occur under unavoidable circumstances, and 
 at the same time a great lesson is learned from each. 
 The experience thus gained is utilized to prevent a 
 repetition of similar occurrences. The warships in 
 commission hold regular target practice and have 
 speed trials each year, all of which involves a cer- 
 tain amount of risk. 
 
 There are over one hundred different rates aboard 
 a battleship. Members of the crew are constantly 
 being transferred, discharged or retired, causing 
 rapid promotion among the crew. During first en- 
 listment a majority of the enlisted men are rated 
 petty officers. Many of the author's shipmates 
 
8 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 aboard the Oregon can verify this statement, for many 
 of them were made petty officers during first enlist- 
 ment. When the Oregon won the Gunnery Trophy, 
 several of the gunpointers were on their first enlist- 
 ment ; a large number of them having never seen 
 salt water until enlisting. Many naval officers can 
 look back to the day they entered the service with 
 the lowest rating on the muster-roll. The naval 
 regulations allow a warrant officer to become a reg- 
 ular commissioned officer of the Line, that is, pro- 
 vided he passes the examination successfully. This 
 examination is quite severe and requires a large 
 amount of practical and theoretical knowledge to 
 enable one to pass it ; several warrant officers have 
 already passed this examination and are now com- 
 missioned officers. Upon passing successfully they 
 are given the rank and pay of an ensign. 
 
 The present law allows twelve warrant officers 
 to become commissioned officers each year. Over 
 ninety per cent of the warrant officers are promoted 
 from the ranks, and the day is not far distant when we 
 will have captains and admirals in the navy who were 
 once enlisted men. 
 
 BUILDING AND COMMISSIONING 
 
 Drawing up the plans of a battleship is an excep- 
 tionally arduous task, there being many difficulties 
 to overcome. The first thing to be considered is 
 
Q 
 
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 DC 
 
 CD 
 
Building and Commissioning 9 
 
 the displacement, which is equal, of course, to the 
 weight of the vessel. Displacement signifies power, 
 which is equalized ; speed, steaming radius, armor 
 and armament are provided for according to the 
 type of ship desired. Should a warship of high 
 speed be designed, the armor, armament, etc., 
 would be lessened accordingly. When the dis- 
 placement has been determined, all plans and speci- 
 fications are made out accordingly, for the armor, 
 armament, speed, steaming radius, fuel and water 
 supply, living quarters, and in fact every detail of 
 the ship is considered and provided for. The 
 weights and spaces of all parts of the ship are 
 equalized, so that when the ship is completed she 
 will not exceed the displacement she was designed 
 after. 
 
 From year to year battleships are constantly 
 being increased in size, speed, armor and arma- 
 ment. Much experience, skill and money are needed 
 to acquire these valuable points of advantage. 
 Speed alone is an important factor in time of battle. 
 Take for instance, two opposing fleets, one having 
 an average displacement of fourteen thousand tons 
 and a speed of sixteen knots, the other having the 
 same displacement but a speed of eighteen knots, 
 the fleet having the higher rate of speed has a de- 
 cided advantage over the other. To increase the 
 speed of a battleship an extra knot, additional 
 
io The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 horse-power is required ; this necessitates an in- 
 crease in the power of the boilers and engines, also 
 of the fuel and water supply. 
 
 When Congress has appropriated the money to 
 build a warship, the final plans are drawn up and 
 the building of the ship is let out by contract to 
 the lowest bidder. All materials used in the con- 
 struction of the ship must be of home manufacture, 
 and the successful bidder agrees to build the vessel 
 strictly according to contract ; the specifications, of 
 course, contain all details pertaining to the con- 
 struction of the ship. 
 
 Formerly the Government paid a bonus for each 
 knot or part thereof in excess of the speed specified 
 in the contract, but this system has been discon- 
 tinued. When it is taken into consideration that 
 the contract price of a battleship varies from three 
 to eight million dollars, which is, of course, regulated 
 by the displacement and type of the ship, great 
 caution must be exercised on the part of both the 
 builders and the Government. The penalty imposed 
 for failure to develop the required speed during the 
 official trial trip of our late type of battleship, is at 
 the rate of $50,000 for the first quarter knot under 
 the contract speed, $100,000 for the second quarter 
 knot ; should the speed be more than half a knot 
 under that specified in the contract, the ship would 
 
Building and Commissioning n 
 
 be rejected, or accepted at a greatly reduced price, 
 at the option of the Navy Department. 
 
 Piece by piece the huge fighting machine is as- 
 sembled ; several thousand workmen are at work on 
 the ship itself or in the workshops nearby. Every 
 labor-saving device that can be utilized is taken 
 advantage of by the builders. Only a short while 
 ago all riveting, drilling, etc., on the ship was per- 
 formed by hand ; now most of it is done by auto- 
 matic tools of different kinds ; riveters, chippers 
 and drillers do most of their work with tools which 
 are operated by compressed air. Most of these 
 tools are of light construction, so that they can be 
 transported to any part of the ship ; an air hose 
 connects them with the compressed air system 
 which is set up temporarily in and about the ship. 
 
 There is but little opportunity for palming off 
 on the Government poor work or materials, because 
 the plans and specifications state precisely the 
 quantity and quality of all materials used. In ad- 
 dition to this, naval officers are detailed as inspect- 
 ors at the different shipbuilding plants where 
 warships are under construction. Should the ship 
 be faulty in construction, defects would appear 
 when the ship is put through the various tests at 
 the trial trip. 
 
 When the ship is ready for launching, many 
 
1 2 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 preparations are necessary. The launching of a 
 battleship is quite an event, and thousands of spec- 
 tators assemble to witness it. All of our battle- 
 ships are named in honor of States, with the excep- 
 tion of the Kearsarge. When the day for launching 
 arrives, a delegation is on hand to represent the 
 State after which the vessel is named, and some 
 fair daughter of the State (usually the Governor's 
 daughter) has the honor of christening the vessel. 
 As the ship starts to move, the sponsor dashes a 
 bottle of wine against the ship's bow and exclaims : 
 11 I christen thee ," at the same time pro- 
 nouncing the ship's name. The ship is launched at high 
 tide. When everything is in readiness, all blocking 
 is released and suddenly she starts to move. It is 
 indeed a grand sight to witness that huge hulk of 
 steel rushing onward to the water which is to be 
 her home. She strikes the water with a splash 
 amid a din of cheers and whistles. 
 
 When the armored cruiser Washington was 
 launched a new device was introduced. This ship 
 was built in a building with a glass roof, which 
 enabled the builders to work during inclement 
 weather. This ship was launched automatically, 
 all blocking was released simultaneously, and the 
 ship was given a start with hydraulic rams which 
 were located at the head of the launching-ways. 
 
 When a warship is launched she generally repre- 
 
Building and Commissioning 13 
 
 sents a mere shell, though in some cases the build- 
 ers may partly equip her before launching. After 
 she is launched tugs stand by to tow her to the 
 berth where she is finished and made ready for the 
 trial trip. The builders have everything in readi- 
 ness ; selected men are at the engines and in the 
 fire rooms, and in fact everything is done to increase 
 the power and speed of the ship. A certain course 
 is laid out and marked at intervals by the Govern- 
 ment stake-boats. Several naval officers are detailed 
 on the trial board to look after Uncle Sam's in- 
 terests. 
 
 During the trial trip every one aboard is held in 
 great suspense as the ship is throbbing and trem- 
 bling from stem to stern while she speeds through 
 the water. The stake-boats being anchored at cer- 
 tain intervals, enable the trial board to accurately 
 ascertain the ship's speed. 
 
 Recently a new method of holding trial trips has 
 been introduced, known as the Standardized Screw 
 method. In the vicinity of the throttle of each 
 main engine is a counter connected with the main 
 engine. This counter registers accurately each 
 revolution made. The ship is then run many times 
 over a carefully measured mile course which enables 
 the trial board to ascertain the exact number of 
 revolutions both engines must make in order to 
 give the speed specified in the contract. When 
 
14 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 the exact number of revolutions the engines must 
 average to give the ship the required speed is de- 
 termined, the ship is then run for four consecutive 
 hours in the open sea under full power. After the 
 full-speed trial comes the endurance trial, when the 
 ship is run full speed for twenty four consecutive 
 hours. In most every instance the ship exceeds 
 the speed specified. After the trial trip she returns 
 to the harbor with brooms flying from the masts ; 
 sometimes the ship's speed is painted on the smoke- 
 stacks. 
 
 After the speed trials are held another series of 
 tests follow. The ship steams ahead at different 
 speeds and the engines are suddenly reversed to 
 ascertain in what space and time the ship can be 
 stopped. The steering gear, water tight doors, 
 and all parts of the ship are also carefully tested 
 under different conditions. The results of these 
 various tests are of great value for future reference, 
 for during the ship's career emergencies may arise 
 when the information gained can be put to practi- 
 cal use. 
 
 When the ship has successfully passed the trial 
 trips she returns to the shipyard, where all defects 
 are remedied and the furnishings and all. necessary 
 equipments are installed* When completed the 
 ship is ready to be commissioned. The ship's 
 builders render a monthly report to the Navy De- 
 
Building and Commissioning 15 
 
 partment of the percentage of progress made while 
 the ship is under construction. 
 
 Placing a battleship in commission is a very quiet 
 and simple affair. Shortly before the ship is com- 
 missioned a small portion of the crew is sent to the 
 ship ; these are chiefly from the engineers depart- 
 ment, which enables them to become familiar with 
 the machinery. The balance of the ship's comple- 
 ment has been previously selected and held in 
 readiness for the day when they will be ordered 
 aboard. 
 
 The captain musters all hands aft on the quarter- 
 deck and reads to them his orders, which state that 
 the Navy Department has ordered him to assume 
 command of the ship. The orders on the commis- 
 sioning having been read and Old Glory and the 
 commission pennant hoisted, the ship is then en- 
 tered upon the "Active List" of naval vessels. 
 
 When a ship is commissioned she is taken in 
 hand by the officers and crew and " broken in." 
 Fire, collision and other drills are frequently held, 
 and the ship is taken out for short cruises to famil- 
 iarize the crew with their new home and duties. 
 
 The ship is again put through a series of severe 
 tests, the most important being the firing of the 
 ships battery simultaneously to ascertain the con- 
 cussion. The builders are held responsible for any 
 defects which may arise during a specified period, 
 
1 6 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 as a final payment is withheld until the ship is 
 accepted by the Government. After a short period 
 of patience and toil the ship is finally " broken in M 
 and ready for assignment to duty. 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE SHIP 
 
 Admiral. The warships in commission are divi- 
 ded into fleets. When a fleet consists of a large 
 number of ships it is divided into squadrons and 
 divisions. Each squadron or division is under the 
 command of an admiral, while the entire fleet is 
 under the command of the senior admiral, who is 
 known as the Commander-in-Chief. 
 
 When at sea the admiral often puts the entire 
 fleet through a series of maneuvers, all of which 
 require great tact and skill. It is an imposing sight 
 to witness a fleet of large warships maneuvering 
 about with clockwork-like precision. In time of 
 action prompt maneuvering is one of the most im- 
 portant factors. The orders are signaled from the 
 flagship, each ship of the fleet keeping a keen look- 
 out and obeying all signals promptly. The admiral 
 has a staff of officers who assist him in many ways, 
 for the duties of an admiral are of a varied nature. 
 
 The ships of the fleet are inspected regularly by 
 the admiral and his staff ; every nook and corner, 
 and the ship's personnel is thoroughly inspected. 
 In time of war the greatest responsibility rests upon 
 
u 
 
 5 
 
Officers of the Ship 17 
 
 the admiral. Should communication with Wash- 
 ington be impossible the admiral has to use his own 
 discretion according to the circumstances of the 
 case. 
 
 When two admirals are together in a fleet the 
 senior admiral would display from his ship a blue 
 flag, and the other would use a red flag; should 
 there be three admirals together, the junior admiral 
 would display a white flag. Upon being separated 
 from the fleet the admiral in command of any 
 squadron or division would then hoist his senior flag. 
 
 Captain. The captain is in command of the ship 
 to which he is assigned and is held responsible for 
 the ship ia general. The captain and admiral both 
 have their own private quarters, each having his 
 own cook, steward and mess attendants ; they mess 
 in their respective cabins. The captain is known 
 as the Commanding Officer and is clothed with 
 great authority. Should two or more ships be to- 
 gether with no admiral among them, the senior cap- 
 tain present would then be acting admiral. Both 
 the captain and admiral have their own boats for 
 their personal use. At the bow of the admiral's 
 launch, or oared boat, are two gilt stars which sig- 
 nify admiral's barge. At the bow of the captain's 
 gig is a long gilt arrow which signifies command- 
 ing officer's gig. 
 
1 8 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 All promotions of the enlisted men are made 
 upon the captain's indorsement ; the other officers 
 in charge of the different departments and divisions 
 do the recommending. During battle, important 
 maneuvers, entering or leavmg port, the captain 
 remains on the bridge. The only real difference 
 between a captain and a commander is that the 
 former is of a higher rank and has command of a 
 larger ship. Battleships and armored cruisers rate 
 a captain. 
 
 . 
 
 Executive Officer. This officer is the right-hand 
 man of the captain and has complete charge of the 
 discipline and routine of the ship. He is also 
 equipment, and construction officer. All stores 
 issued out and repairs made on the ship, except 
 those of the engineer's, navigator's, and ordnance de- 
 partments, are under his supervision. The execu- 
 tive officer attends to an extensive correspondence 
 which includes quarterly reports, recommendations 
 promoting the crew, and the many other details of 
 the daily routine of the ship. 
 
 Three yeomen assist the executive ; two for his 
 office work, the other being assigned charge of the 
 equipment, and construction accounts. Stores, 
 tools and materials of every description are con- 
 stantly needed for the ship. Each quarter, the 
 ship is allowed a certain amount of stores which 
 
Officers of the Ship 19 
 
 are served out when needed for use. In this way 
 the executive exercises great care that no stores 
 are wasted. The executive has the ship made 
 ready for inspection and kept in good condition at 
 all times. 
 
 On Sunday morning the captain inspects the en- 
 tire ship and crew. The executive officer generally 
 ranks next after the captain. When dining in the 
 wardroom this officer sits at the head of the table, 
 as he is the ranking officer. 
 
 Engineer Officer. The senior engineer officer is 
 in charge of the engineer's department and is re- 
 sponsible for all the machinery operated by steam 
 power, also all compartments, double bottoms, 
 piping and valves within the boundaries of the en- 
 gineer's department. The machinery of a battle- 
 ship is no small item. The labor, patience and 
 time occupied in keeping it in order is enormous. 
 A large force of mechanics, firemen and coalpass- 
 ers are attached to this department. An accurate 
 log is kept wherein an account of all coal and water 
 used, also every minor detail of the department is 
 recorded. The senior engineer is assisted in his 
 duties by one or more junior engineer officers and 
 the regular warrant machinists. These junior offi- 
 cers, with the warrant machinists, stand regular 
 
20 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 steaming watches at sea and perform the regular 
 day's duty when in port. 
 
 Great care must be exercised with the machinery 
 at all times. When the ship has completed a voy- 
 age many repairs are sometimes necessary. All our 
 large ships are equipped with powerful machinery, 
 and should any work be done carelessly or incom- 
 petently a serious accident might be the result. 
 
 Navigating Officer. This officer has charge of 
 the navigation of the ship and is responsible for all 
 compasses, steering-gear and signaling apparatus. 
 The navigator has an office of his own, also a yeo- 
 man to perform the clerical work. The navigator 
 has charge of the ship's log; everything pertaining 
 to the ship, such as amount of coal and water on 
 hand, ship's draught, speed made, and position, 
 are entered in the log book. 
 
 The smooth log is made up regularly and signed 
 by the watch officers, navigator and captain, and 
 forwarded to the Navy Department at intervals. 
 Should a ship be lost the quarterly reports and 
 smooth copies of the various logs would enable the 
 Department to know all about the ship up to the 
 end of the quarter prior to her loss. 
 
 When the sailing orders are received the navi- 
 gator takes his charts and lays out the course of 
 
Officers of the Ship 21 
 
 the ship. All the electrical apparatus of the ship, 
 such as search lights and electrical machinery are in 
 charge of the navigator. On the smaller type of 
 ships the navigator is also the ordnance officer. 
 
 Ordnance Officer. This officer has charge of all 
 guns, magazines, torpedoes, ammunition, ammuni- 
 tion hoists and their many appurtenances. The 
 greatest care is exercised with the ordnance of the 
 ship. The guns are kept in the best of condition, 
 powder tested regularly and in fact every detail at- 
 tended to. This is extremely necessary, for should 
 an emergency arise, the guns of the ship must be 
 ready for instant use. 
 
 Target practice is held regularly with the ship's 
 battery and a good score at target practice is quite 
 a feather in the ordnance officer's cap. An enor- 
 mous amount of ordnance paraphernalia is required 
 aboard ship. Several of our battleships are 
 equipped with a battery consisting of seventy-four 
 guns of varied calibers. If all the guns were 
 fired simultaneously, nearly four tons of projectiles 
 would be hurled through the air. The total weight 
 of projectiles fired from a battleship in battle would 
 equal the tonnage of an average gunboat. 
 
 Medical Officer. A complete medical staff con- 
 sisting of one senior surgeon, one junior surgeon, 
 
22 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 one hospital steward and the hospital apprentices is 
 carried. Special quarters are provided for the sick- 
 bay or ship's hospital. The sick-bay adjoins the 
 dispensary and contains a number of berths and the 
 operating table. 
 
 Every morning the bugler sounds sick call and 
 those wishing to interview the doctor report at the 
 sick-bay. Should the complaint be of a serious 
 nature the patient is put on the sick-list and excused 
 from all duty. Often during an emergency, opera- 
 tions are performed aboard ship. . When convenient 
 a serious case is transferred ashore to some naval 
 hospital for further treatment. When on a foreign 
 station the doctor may recommend that patients be 
 sent home for further treatment should circumstan- 
 ces warrant it. 
 
 Pay Officer. The pay department issues money, 
 clothing and rations. The crew is paid monthly, 
 each member having a pay number. On pay day 
 the crew lines up at the pay office and as each per- 
 son is paid he signs for the money received. At 
 the end of each quarter the crew signs the quarterly 
 accounts, a duplicate of which is forwarded to the 
 Navy Department. It is quite a task to keep the 
 accounts owing to the fact that constant changes are 
 taking place, resulting from transfers and promo- 
 tions. . 
 
Officers of the Ship 23 
 
 The crew is subsisted by the pay department, a 
 commissary steward being in charge. A large 
 amount of money is handled aboard a battleship. 
 The crew is paid regularly and an enormous quantity 
 of stores and provisions is purchased from private 
 firms ashore. Much of the funds handled by the 
 paymaster consists of navy pay checks. The com- 
 missary store is also managed by the pay depart- 
 ment, where articles such as tooth powder, soap, etc. 
 are sold to the crew at a small advance over the cost 
 price. 
 
 The paymaster, who is placed under heavy bonds, 
 is responsible for everything pertaining to his de- 
 partment. Should a member of the crew wish to 
 make an allotment to his folks he can do so. The 
 amount allotted each month is then deducted from 
 his accounts and forwarded regularly to the person in 
 whose name the allotment is made. A pay clerk 
 and three yeomen assist the paymaster with his 
 duties. 
 
 Other Officers. There are many other officers 
 who stand regular watches besides being in com- 
 mand of their respective divisions and batteries. At 
 all times, whether the ship is at sea or in port, there 
 is one or more officers on watch. The senior officer 
 on watch is known as the officer-of-the-deck and his 
 orders are law ; for he represents the captain. This, 
 
24 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 however, does not include the engineer's department 
 which has a system of its own. 
 
 The crew is divided into divisions, such as pow- 
 der, engineer's, and pay divisions ; an officer being 
 in charge of each division. The deck force (seaman 
 branch) is also divided into divisions, such as first, 
 second and third divisions. Each division is in 
 charge of a Line officer who is assisted by other 
 officers of lower rank. A marine captain and lieu- 
 tenant have charge of the marines aboard ship. 
 
 On the larger type of ships an officer known as 
 the signal officer is in charge of the signal branch. 
 The wireless telegraph and telephone are now installed 
 aboard most of our ships and are of great value 
 in receiving and transmitting messages. Many secret 
 codes are used when signaling. The captain has a se- 
 cret code signal-book, which is bound in sheet lead ; this 
 book is bound in metal so that in time of war it can be 
 thrown overboard to prevent any possibility of its 
 falling into the hands of an enemy. 
 
 Warrant Officers. Several warrant officers act as 
 assistants to the officer in charge of their respective 
 departments. The majority of the warrant officers 
 are promoted from the ranks. Boatswain, Gunner, 
 Carpenter, Warrant Machinist, Sailmaker and Phar- 
 macist represent the warrant officers of the ship. 
 Some ships, however, do not carry a sailmaker or a 
 
A Navy-yard Scene. A typical scene at the Brooklyn navy-yard, where warships 
 
 are overhauled. 
 
 Copyright, 1901, by Enrique Muiler. 
 
How Officers are Made 25 
 
 pharmacist. Pay Clerks and Mates have about the 
 same status as the warrant officers ; instead of being 
 warranted they are appointed. Mates are appoint- 
 ed from the enlisted men who have faithful service 
 to their credit. Those who are too old, or are un- 
 able to pass the examination for warrant officer, find 
 it quite easy to qualify for mate. 
 
 A warrant officer, after serving as such for a pe- 
 riod of six years is examined for promotion. Should 
 the examination be passed successfully he is com- 
 missioned in his respective corps, such as Chief 
 Boatswain, Chief Gunner, or Chief Carpenter; these 
 rank with, but after, an ensign. 
 
 HOW OFFICERS ARE MADE 
 
 Senators, Representatives, and Delegates in Con- 
 gress appoint the midshipmen from their respective 
 districts. The President also makes a number of 
 appointments which are known as " Appointments 
 at Large. " Upon being appointed the applicant 
 undergoes a careful examination. After the ex- 
 amination has been successfully passed, the appli- 
 cant is then admitted to the Naval Academy. 
 
 Midshipmen go through a six-year course ; four 
 years are spent at the Naval Academy and two 
 years on a sea-going ship. Upon completing the 
 course a final examination takes place ; those who 
 pass successfully are commissioned ensign. Each 
 
26 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 class is appointed in order of merit, for instance, 
 the Class of '08 consists of two hundred midship- 
 men ; the one receiving the lowest percentage is 
 placed at the bottom of the list. Each officer has 
 a certain number; when an officer is promoted or 
 retired, all those below him are advanced one 
 number. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 PREPARING FOR A VOYAGE — AT SEA — IN PORT — 
 
 DAILY ROUTINE — DRILLS OF THE WEEK — 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF DRILLS 
 
 PREPARING FOR A VOYAGE 
 
 THE flagship gives the order to get underway, 
 allowance being made for the ship to get 
 steam in the boilers and have everything in 
 readiness for the voyage. Ships of the navy 
 in commission are ready for duty at all times. 
 Immediately after arriving in port from a long 
 voyage the coaling gear is " broken out " and the 
 ship is coaled. m 
 
 The paymaster has always on hand a certain 
 amount of provisions; shortly before sailing time 
 a large supply is taken aboard. The fresh meats are 
 stowed in the refrigerating rooms and the vegeta- 
 bles in the vegetable lockers. Engines, boilers, 
 and in fact all parts of the ship are kept in perfect 
 condition, so when the order is received to get un- 
 der way at a specified time there will be no delay. 
 When the anchor gear is " broken out," it is a 
 
28 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 good sign that the ship is about to start on her 
 journey. Everything in the engine room is ready, 
 a full head of steam is up, the engines have been 
 warmed and tested, the steaming watch is on and 
 everything is in readiness for the speed annunciators 
 to give the signal to start the engines. 
 
 On the bridge, the steering gear, speed annun- 
 ciators and other appliances used for the navigation 
 of the ship have been tested, and the anchor gear 
 is in readiness. Shortly before sailing time the 
 captain and executive officer make their appearance 
 on the bridge. The boats and gangways are hoisted 
 in, and every one awaits the command " Up An- 
 chor." All eyes are fixed on the flagship; sud- 
 denly as the signal il Up Anchor" flutters to the 
 breeze, the executive officer then gives the order 
 "Up Anchor." The anchor engine tugs at the 
 mighty chains as they come quivering through the 
 hawse pipes. Slowly, but surely, the huge anchor 
 is hoisted. When it appears in view the cat-falls 
 are hooked into the balancing-link of the anchor 
 which is then hoisted aboard and placed on the 
 bill-board, which is a slanting receptacle to which 
 the anchor is secured by means of large clamps. 
 
 Many ships are equipped with a stockless anchor. 
 The shank of this type is drawn into the hawse 
 pipe. The instant the anchor is sighted and found 
 to be clear, the flagship is signaled " All Ready." 
 
At Sea 29 
 
 Each ship strives to report first. It frequently 
 occurs that the anchor is badly fouled by having 
 the chain entangled around the anchor stock or 
 flukes. When all the ships of the fleet report " All 
 Ready," the flagship gives the signal to get under 
 way, and the ships steam in column or in line ac- 
 cording to the order, the flagship leading. 
 
 AT SEA 
 
 When the anchor is hoisted and secured, all gear 
 about the decks is stowed, the boat covers are put 
 on, and should the sea be rough, all necessary 
 hatches, air and gun-ports are well secured. The 
 ship is now ready to combat any storm that may 
 arise. After a passenger steamer encounters a 
 storm at sea the captain usually informs the passen- 
 gers that it was the worst storm he ever encountered 
 during his experience at sea. In the navy it is 
 different, for all storms look alike to the man-o'- 
 war's man. A warship is always ready for any 
 emergency whether it be to battle with the elements 
 or an enemy. 
 
 When at sea each division is divided into two 
 watches, port and starboard. When the port watch 
 is on duty it does all the work in its own part of 
 the ship. Upon being relieved by the starboard 
 watch the duties are performed by those assigned 
 to this watch. 
 
30 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 The general routine at sea is somewhat different 
 from that in port. On the bridge are the regular 
 watch officers, quartermasters, signalmen and helms- 
 men, standing their watches. A seaman is sta- 
 tioned at the steering wheel, assisted if necessary 
 by the quartermaster. On the lower decks is a 
 member of the carpenter's gang on watch who 
 sounds all bilges regularly and keeps a sharp look- 
 out for leaky ports, etc. 
 
 At all times the life-boats are suspended from 
 the davits ready for instant use. These boats are 
 kept well provisioned and watered. At night a 
 lighted lantern is kept in each boat and the life- 
 boat crews are constantly on watch. Should the 
 cry "Man Overboard " be heard, the boats are 
 lowered instantly. Two patent life-buoys are sus- 
 pended clear of the ship's sides, which are held in 
 position by a trigger-like arrangement. When the 
 trigger is pulled the buoy drops into the sea. Upon 
 contact with the sea two jets of flame spurt up, 
 as there are two automatic torches attached to the 
 sides of the life-buoy. The person in the water 
 swims for this buoy ; the life-boats also make for 
 the buoy upon getting clear of the ship. It rarely 
 occurs that the cry " Man Overboard" is heard 
 and in almost every instance the person is promptly 
 rescued. 
 
 The entire crew excepting those on watch turn 
 
In Port 31 
 
 in (retire) by eight o'clock in the evening. Through- 
 out the day a lookout is stationed in the forward 
 fighting top in order to keep a sharp lookout for 
 passing vessels or land. Should a sailing vessel, 
 steamer or land be sighted, the lookout would cry 
 " Sail Ho," " Smoke Ho," or " Land Ho," as the 
 case may be. The officer-of-the-deck would in turn 
 inquire " Where Away?" In answer, the lookout 
 reports the direction in which the object is sighted. 
 
 At noon when the weather is fair, the navigator 
 observes the altitude of the sun with the sextant ; 
 for in this manner the exact position of the ship is 
 determined. Should the weather be inclement for 
 several days, the ship's position would then be 
 judged by "dead reckoning." This is done by 
 calculations from speed, courses steamed, and plot- 
 tings on the chart. The patent log which is towed 
 astern while the ship is under way registers the 
 speed of the ship. 
 
 When the ship nears port both anchors are pre- 
 pared for letting go, and the boats made ready for 
 lowering, and many other preparations are made 
 for bringing the ship to anchor. 
 
 IN PORT 
 After being at sea for an extended period land 
 is a very welcome sight. Upon entering a foreign 
 port the ship steams in slowly to allow the quaran- 
 
32 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 tine authorities and other officials to board her and 
 examine the ship's papers. An American warship 
 can in almost every instance show a clean bill of 
 health, because the crew is a healthy body of men. 
 Jack's health is well cared for. All enlisted men 
 carry a complete outfit of clothes which are adapted 
 for both hot and cold climates. 
 
 When the papers have been examined and found 
 to be satisfactory, the ship proceeds into the harbor. 
 On the port and starboard sides of the ship are two 
 small extension platforms called chains. Seamen 
 are detailed in the chains to heave the lead ; at each 
 heave of the lead the leadsmen drawl out the depth 
 in a sea-going voice. When the ship has reached 
 the anchorage spot the engines are reversed. As 
 the ship begins to move astern the anchor which is 
 released by a trigger arrangement, is ordered 
 dropped. Upon its release a great splash is made, 
 and the anchor chain creates c£ loud noise as it rat- 
 tles through the hawse pipe. The chain is marked 
 at intervals and the amount slacked out is regulated 
 by the depth of the water, tides and position. As 
 the anchor is released the lower booms are rigged 
 out, the National Ensign hoisted at the stern, the 
 Union Jack run up at the bow, all necessary boats 
 lowered, and once more the port routine is re- 
 sumed. 
 
 Upon the completion of a long voyage the ship 
 
In Port 33 
 
 is more or less disordered and her coal bunkers are 
 quite depleted. The ship is soon coaled and all 
 other stores laid in. After coaling, she is given a 
 thorough cleaning. Side-cleaners go over the side 
 and clean the sides of the ship. All boat gear and 
 movable articles about the decks are " broken out M 
 and thoroughly cleaned, and when all of these op- 
 erations are completed the ship is once more neat 
 and clean to the satisfaction of all hands. 
 
 Bright work (metal parts of the ship which are 
 kept brightened, such as brass railings) is polished. 
 Clean bags and hammocks are issued to the crew 
 and the soiled ones are cleaned and turned in to the 
 sailmaker's mate. The ship is touched up with 
 paint where needed, and when the ship is " policed 
 up " (an expression meaning absolute cleanliness 
 and perfect order) the crew is given liberty. 
 
 The liberty party go ashore in watches or sections. 
 Each member of the crew is assigned to a certain 
 watch or liberty section which equalizes the work 
 among the men left aboard. A party of bluejackets 
 leaving the ship presents a picture of happiness ; 
 each is dressed in his " Sunday-go-to-meetings." 
 
 After taps, 9.00 P.M., the ship appears to be 
 deserted, as the crew retires at this hour. There 
 is no one about the ship except the quartermaster, 
 sentries, anchor watch, and a few men on watch in 
 the engineer's department. 
 
34 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 DAILY ROUTINE 
 
 The routine is systematically regulated as there 
 is a time and place for everything. At 5.00 A.M,, 
 Reveille is sounded by the bugler. All hands, ex- 
 cepting a few who have stood a night watch, turn 
 out, dress, lash and stow away their hammocks 
 which must be accomplished within ten minutes, 
 those who have stood a night watch sleep in until 
 7.00 a.m. From 5. 10 a.m. to 5.30 a.m., hot coffee 
 or cocoa is served to the crew from their respective 
 messes. At 5.30 A.m., the boatswain's mates pipe 
 Turn To and all hands go about their regular du- 
 ties; decks, paint work, boat gear, etc., are thor- 
 oughly cleaned, this work is regulated by the 
 morning order-book. At 6.45 A.M., the decks are 
 washed and dried and all gear about the decks is 
 stowed in its proper place. At 7.00 A.M., the 
 morning work is about completed and the crew 
 prepare for breakfast. At 7.20 A.M., Mess Gear 
 is "piped," (signals given by the boatswain's 
 mates with whistles called pipes. All calls not 
 "piped " are sounded by the bugler) the messmen 
 lower the mess tables, set up the benches and serve 
 the breakfast. At 7.30 A.M., each member of the 
 crew goes to his respective mess for breakfast ; no 
 one ever forgets the number of his mess — it is too 
 important. 
 
Daily Routine 35 
 
 At 7.50 a. m., first call to "Colors," also Band 
 Call is sounded, and the band assembles aft on the 
 quarter-deck. At 8.00 A.M., the band plays 
 "Colors" (the National Anthem), Old Glory is 
 hoisted and all hands on the upper decks stand at 
 attention facing the flag. When the band finishes 
 playing the National Anthem all hands salute. 
 
 At 8.30 A.M., Sick Call is sounded and those 
 wishing to visit the doctor go to the sick-bay and 
 tell their troubles. 
 
 At 9.00 A.M., the crew finish their work and 
 clear the decks for quarters. All gear about the 
 decks is carefully stowed or made up and the decks 
 given a thorough sweeping. 
 
 At 9.25 A.M., the Officers' Call to quarters is 
 sounded and the crew go to their respective divi- 
 sions neatly and cleanly dressed. 
 
 At 9.30 A.M., Quarters sound, the division officer 
 inspects his division and reports to the executive 
 officer. Shortly after quarters, retreat and drill 
 calls are sounded. The drills vary according to the 
 order of the day. 
 
 At 10.30 A.M., Retreat from drill. The crew is 
 now generally at leisure until 1.30 P.M. 
 
 At 11.00 A.M., Band Call sounds and the Band 
 assembles for practice. 
 
 At 11.50 a.m., Mess Gear is " piped " and at 
 12.00 M., dinner is served. 
 
36 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 At i.oo P.M., Turn To is " piped" and the decks 
 are again swept. At 1.30 P.M., Drill Call is sounded, 
 and at 2.30 P.M., Retreat from drill. Little work 
 is performed during the remainder of the day. 
 
 At 5.00 P.M., Evening Quarters; at 5.20 P.M., 
 Mess Gear is " piped " and at 5.30 P.M., the sup- 
 per is served. 
 
 Ten minutes before sundown, first call to " Col- 
 ors " and band call sound. At sundown the band 
 again plays the National Anthem and Old Glory 
 is lowered. 
 
 At 7.30 P.M., the call Hammocks is sounded and 
 the crew line up alongside the hammock nettings 
 where the hammocks are stowed. When the boat- 
 swain's mates "pipe down" the hammocks are 
 taken out of the nettings and the owners take them 
 below and swing them on the hammock hooks, the 
 number of the hook and that of the hammock cor- 
 responding. 
 
 At 8.00 P.M., the carpenter, gunner, sailmaker, 
 master-at-arms and captain-of-the-hold report to 
 the executive officer that everything in their respec- 
 tive departments is secure. 
 
 At 9.00 P.M., Taps is sounded and all unneces- 
 sary lights about the ship are extinguished. When 
 with a fleet the senior ship fires a 9 o'clock gun. 
 
Drills of the Week 37 
 
 DRILLS OF THE WEEK 
 
 The drills aboard ship vary considerably accord- 
 ing to the weather and other circumstances. As a 
 general rule the most important drills occur on cer- 
 tain days of the week and when these drills are 
 taking place most all other work is temporarily 
 suspended. 
 
 Monday morning, small-arm drill takes place. 
 The crew is instructed in the manual of arms on 
 the upper decks. During the afternoon boat drill 
 is held and the ship's boats are lowered and the 
 crew go out for drill. 
 
 Tuesday morning is devoted to battalion drill. 
 In the afternoon signal drill is held, the members 
 of the crew practising among themselves. All 
 members of the seamen branch must be proficient 
 in signaling. 
 
 Wednesday morning, fire drill is held. No one 
 is permitted to be absent from this drill although 
 from the minor drills several are excused ; these 
 are artificers and members of the engineer's depart- 
 ment. Wednesday afternoon is mending and sew- 
 ing time ; should the day be fair Jack lt breaks out " 
 his bag of clothing and gives it an airing and over- 
 hauling. 
 
38 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Thursday morning, general quarters is held. 
 Every person has a station at this drill. In the 
 afternoon sword exercise is held and the members 
 of the crew are given single sticks or wooden 
 swords with which to drill. 
 
 Friday morning, collision drill is held. Great 
 promptness is displayed in this drill, all compart- 
 ments, etc., are closed and the collision mat is 
 thrown overboard and drawn over the hole sup- 
 posed to have resulted from the collision. In the 
 afternoon, arm and away drill is held, and the 
 ship's boats leave the ship with an armed party for 
 landing or boarding purposes. 
 
 Saturday is a general field day and no drills or 
 routine of any kind excepting evening quarters are 
 held. The ship is given a thorough cleaning to 
 have her ready for the regular Sunday morning 
 inspection. In the afternoon there is little work 
 going on. The ship is touched up with paint 
 where needed and the enclosed decks freshly shel- 
 laced. 
 
 Sunday morning the ship is given an extra touch- 
 ing up, all bright work is highly polished and at 
 quarters the crew muster in their respective divi- 
 sions in their best clothes. The captain and the 
 
Description of Drills 39 
 
 executive officer inspect the crew, all storerooms 
 and compartments. After inspection the crew is 
 at leisure until Monday morning. There is always 
 a certain number of men on watch at all times; 
 electricians, quartermasters, marines and members 
 of the engineer's force. These watches are so reg- 
 ulated that each has certain days off duty. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF DRILLS 
 
 Fire Drill. Located throughout the ship are 
 many fire plugs, reels of hose, nozzles and fire axes. 
 The instant the fire alarm is sounded and the loca- 
 tion of the fire known, all hands hurry to their 
 allotted stations, each being detailed to perform 
 certain duties. The smotherers go to the hammock 
 nettings, each taking a hammock with which to 
 smother the fire. Extra pressure is put on the fire 
 mains, the fire hose is coupled and in a short time 
 there are several streams of water available. In 
 the engine room are huge fire pumps which supply 
 all the necessary water. Salt water is used for fire 
 extinguishing purposes. After Secure has sounded 
 everything is restored and secured. Our large 
 ships are built of metal throughout and what little 
 woodwork there is in the interior, is made fireproof 
 by treating it with certain chemicals. In case of 
 fire all unused compartments are promptly closed, 
 thus diminishing the danger. 
 
40 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Abandoning Ship. Every person aboard ship is 
 detailed to the ship's boats. There is a sufficient 
 number of these boats carried to accommodate the 
 ship's complement should it be necessary to aban- 
 don the ship. No one is excused from this drill 
 excepting the few men on watch. Each one is 
 detailed to assist and provide for his respective boat. 
 Some get water, others provisions, cook-stoves, 
 arms, ammunition, or mess gear. Casks of water 
 are kept carefully stowed in the main hold where 
 they are in readiness for an emergency. The pay- 
 master throws open his storerooms where all neces- 
 sary provisions can be procured. 
 
 Each boat contains a boat-box in which are 
 tools, fishing tackle, nails, strips of lead, etc. Often 
 when the boats are lowered the crew get into them 
 and row away from the ship leaving only a few per- 
 sons aboard. Each boat has an officer in charge 
 and when the boats return to the ship they are 
 inspected to ascertain if they have been properly 
 provided. 
 
 General Quarters. This drill is one of the most 
 important held aboard ship and is usually held once 
 la. week when the same maneuvers are practised as 
 though the ship were in action. All magazine 
 doors and hatches under the "armored deck are 
 opened. There is a complete system of trolleys 
 
w 
 
 
bio 
 
 5 
 
Description of Drills 41 
 
 which lead from the magazines to the different 
 ammunition hoists which convey ammunition to 
 the guns as needed. 
 
 The instant General Quarters is sounded all men 
 go to their allotted stations " double time " ; every- 
 thing seems to be in confusion but such is not the 
 case, for in a few minutes there is a continuous 
 stream of ammunition being forwarded to the guns. 
 Battle-ports are battened down, unused compart- 
 ments closed, on deck the guns are maneuvered as 
 though in real action, torpedo attacks are repelled, 
 and the imaginary enemy put out of commission. 
 
 During battery drill dummy cartridges are used 
 in the smaller guns. Sometimes a wooden frame 
 with which the six, seven and eight-inch gun's crew 
 drill is set up. At one end a regulation breech- 
 plug mechanism is attached. By making use of 
 these appliances the guns proper are saved from 
 much wear and tear. 
 
 Regular drilling develops perfect team-work. 
 When the guns are in action either on the target 
 range or in battle, perfect team-work is essential, 
 for should one of the gun's crew delay in perform- 
 ing his specified duty the remainder of the crew 
 would also be delayed. 
 
 After Secure has sounded everything is re-stowed, 
 magazines are locked and the keys returned to the 
 
42 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 captain. The keys of the magazines can be secured 
 only with the special permission of the captain. 
 
 Battalion Drill. Many persons are unaware that 
 members of the navy are trained to be soldiers as 
 well as sailors. All ships have a battalion which 
 consists of every available man aboard, including 
 the marines. Should any trouble arise ashore 
 where Uncle Sam's interests are in jeopardy, the 
 battalion is sent ashore fully armed, equipped, and 
 prepared for any emergency that may arise. A 
 battleship can land three hundred men or more and 
 still have enough left aboard to operate the ship. 
 When a fleet of warships is together a large force 
 of men can be quickly landed when necessary. 
 
 At drill, the battalion, fully equipped in heavy 
 marching order, musters on the quarter-deck. Each 
 man carries a haversack, canteen, arms and ammu- 
 nition, the haversack contains blankets, poncho, 
 shifts of clothing, toilet gear and mess kit. The 
 haversack and canteen are suspended from the 
 shoulders. In the battalion are the Pioneers con- 
 sisting of the carpenter's gang, each member carry- 
 ing a set of tools. 
 
 The Color Guard, consisting of a detachment of 
 armed men, march with the Color Bearers, protect- 
 ing Old Glory. A couple of three-inch field pieces 
 
Description of Drills 43 
 
 and other small machine guns are included in the 
 battalion. 
 
 It is a very imposing sight to witness a battalion 
 of marines and bluejackets fully equipped, marching 
 about the decks to martial music. 
 
 The medical department is also represented in the 
 battalion. When convenient, the battalion is taken 
 ashore and drilled. 
 
 Clear Ship for Action. This drill involves a con- 
 siderable amount of labor, for the ship is stripped as 
 though in real action. All stanchions, davits, awn- 
 ings and chests are cleared away in order to give 
 the guns a clear sweep. The chests, mess tables 
 and benches are marked "O.B."and stowed away; 
 all articles so marked would be thrown overboard 
 in time of war thus reducing the danger of flying 
 splinters. When the ship is stripped for action she 
 looks somewhat like a bare tree, as there is no ob- 
 struction or gear of any kind about the decks. 
 
 When the drill is over the ship is rigged again, 
 and after several hours of toil she once more dis- 
 plays a peaceful appearance. No battleship, how- 
 ever, could be properly termed peaceful when one 
 realizes that within a few minutes she could be 
 hurling many half-ton shells through the air. A 
 thirteen-inch shell weighs eleven hundred pounds. 
 
44 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 When on the range for target practice the ship is 
 also cleared for action. 
 
 Target Practice. The good shooting records 
 made by the gunpointers of the navy show the 
 highest standard of efficiency. Gunpointers are 
 appointed from the crew; in these appointments 
 no favoritism is shown, for anyone is eligible 
 whether it be the ship's cook or the chief boat- 
 swain's mate. Men who can shoot straight are 
 wanted and Uncle Sam surely has them. By rat- 
 ing anyone who can shoot well, the navy is bene- 
 fited in many respects. 
 
 A large number of the crew are qualified to shoot 
 the guns and should war occur, the gunpointers 
 and other enlisted men of the navy who had re- 
 mained in civil life after the expiration of their en- 
 listment, would come to the front if needed. With 
 the large fleet of converted cruisers and other craft 
 which would be immediately commissioned, their 
 services would be of great value owing to their pre- 
 vious training. It is not the gunpointer alone who 
 is valuable, for there are several hundred other men 
 stationed throughout the ship, each of whom has 
 some specified duty to perform. 
 
 Official target practice is held annually. During 
 this practice the range and speed are carefully re- 
 corded. Much preliminary target practice is also 
 
Description of Drills 45 
 
 held, which includes firing at long range, firing at 
 night, etc. 
 
 The expense attached to target practice is enor- 
 mous, as the wear and tear of the guns and the ship 
 in general costs a great deal of money, this expense 
 does not include, however, the actual cost of the 
 ammunition used at target practice — yet the end 
 justifies the means. 
 
 A few months before the regular target practice 
 the guns are rigged up for sub-caliber practice. In 
 sub-caliber practice a small rifle is strapped against 
 the side of the large gun, and both guns are trained 
 and sighted together. A swinging target is placed 
 a few rods from the gun and when sighted properly 
 the sub-caliber gun is fired. This particular form 
 of target practice is known among the crew as * 4 ping 
 pong/' and those who make the highest score at 
 ik ping pong" are chosen to shoot the big guns at 
 the regular target practice. 
 
 The target for the big guns is about fourteen by 
 twenty feet and is set up on a raft-like arrangement 
 which is securely moored. The range is usually 
 two thousand yards or more and is carefully marked 
 off by three flags directly in line with each other, 
 the center flag being in front of the target. 
 
 The ship speeds by the range at twelve knots per 
 hour, and as she comes abreast of the first flag the 
 whistle is blown as a signal to commence firing. 
 
46 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Everything is in readiness for the guns to be fired 
 and when the whistle toots, there is a great noise 
 and roar as the shell speeds through the air. The 
 gun is now fired continuously, the gunpointers try- 
 ing to make as many shots and hits as possible. 
 When the ship comes abreast of the third flag the 
 whistle toots again as a signal to cease firing. This 
 particular form of shooting is called a ' ' string. " The 
 ship always makes the same speed on the range so 
 the time occupied in passing is always about the 
 same. The center flag informs the officers and 
 crew when half the distance has been passed. 
 
 The admiral appoints a board of officers to take 
 charge of the official target practice which goes aboard 
 each ship on the range and keeps an accurate ac- 
 count of all shots, time and speed, so that no par- 
 tiality is shown to any ship. 
 
 President Roosevelt presented to the navy a prize 
 known as the Gunnery Trophy, which goes to the 
 ship making the best score at target practice each 
 season. The name of the winning ship is inscribed 
 on the trophy, a space being provided for the pur- 
 pose. Great rivalry exists in the navy for the win- 
 ning of this much coveted prize. 
 
 It is a fascinating sight to see a twelve- or thir- 
 teen-inch gun spit a great volume of fire and hurl 
 the shell through the air. When the guns are fired 
 the ship trembles as though she had run into a bank 
 of dough and forced herself through, and the shell 
 
Description of Drills 47 
 
 seems to cut a great hole in the air as it speeds toward 
 the target. 
 
 When one type of gun has completed firing on the 
 range everything is re-stowed and the gun's crew 
 comes up on deck to take in the excitement. It 
 seems as though the sporting blood of each man 
 aboard is aroused, for when a bull's-eye is made 
 (it is a tare occurrence that the target is missed) 
 a great and mighty cheer is given simultaneously. 
 When in line with the target, shells from the 
 six-inch and up can be plainly discerned with the 
 naked eye as they speed on their course. 
 
 When a large caliber gun has been fired there is 
 a tremendous roar; as the shell strikes, it throws 
 the water up like a large water spout, while a couple 
 of miles distant another splash can be seen ; then 
 one or two more, and that is the end. 
 
 Great precaution is exercised at target practice as 
 the magazines are open and ammunition is lying 
 about. Both officers and men take great pride in 
 making a good score at target practice, for it is the 
 result of many months of patience and toil. The 
 general motto of the navy is " Only the shots that 
 hit count " — and it surely requires a great many 
 hits to win the Gunnery Trophy. 
 
 Collision Drill. When the alarm is given, com- 
 partments and water-tight doors are closed, hand- 
 pumps rigged, etc. On our latest type of war 
 
48 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 ships all the main water-tight doors are closed auto- 
 matically, a whistle or bell giving the warning to 
 keep clear. This gives the crew ample time to keep 
 clear of the doors as they are being closed. A col- 
 lision mat is kept in a handy place on deck where it 
 can be easily procured. This mat is thrown over- 
 board and by means of a system of ropes and chains 
 it is hauled over the imaginary hole ; were there a 
 real puncture, the suction of the water entering 
 would draw the mat over the hole and prevent any 
 more from entering. The entire ship is a mass of 
 bulkheads of all sizes and descriptions, thus should 
 a puncture be made in a ship's bottom the danger 
 would be quickly confined. In addition to these 
 bulkheads, the ship has a complete double bottom 
 which extends her entire length. A collision mat 
 is about sixteen feet square and looks like a sheep- 
 skin, being made of short rope tufts sewed closely 
 together on heavy canvas. 
 
 Other Drills. Many other drills take place on 
 board ship, which include arm and away, signal, 
 battery, sword drill and setting-up exercises. The 
 deck force is drilled regularly with small arms, thus 
 making them proficient. Often the entire crew is 
 landed in sections and participate in small-arm 
 practice, each member firing a certain number of 
 rounds from a rifle and pistol. 
 
Description of Drills 49 
 
 Setting-up exercises are given the entire crew 
 immediately after quarters and last about five 
 minutes. 
 
 The most realistic drill of all is coaling ship, as 
 this is classed as a drill and reality combined. Coal- 
 ing ship is one of the most disagreeable tasks in 
 the navy, because while the coaling is taking place 
 the ship is more or less covered with coal dust. 
 Our new ships have many modern coaling devices 
 which reduce the labor, time and inconvenience of 
 coaling. The large ships have a bunker capacity 
 of from one thousand to two thousand five hundred 
 tons. Many ships can take aboard over a hundred 
 tons of coal an hour provided the coaling condi- 
 tions are favorable. The different coal bunkers 
 have large bunker plates, upon the removal of 
 which the coal is dumped into the bunkers. When 
 the coaling is completed, all coaling gear is re- 
 stowed and the ship is then washed down and thor- 
 oughly scrubbed. 
 
 Most coaling is done from lighters or colliers 
 which come alongside the ship. In many of the 
 foreign ports the navy has its own supply of coal, 
 which is of the best quality. Should a ship be or- 
 dered home from a distant port, the bunkers would 
 be filled to their utmost capacity and a deck load 
 of coal carried, which is placed in bags and is the 
 first used. 
 
50 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Usually when a warship is ordered to sea she 
 takes the least traveled route, and should a disabled 
 vessel be sighted, aid would be promptly rendered. 
 In time of war, to supply coal to the various war- 
 ships is a serious problem. Many patent devices 
 have been tried for coaling from a collier at sea, 
 but the weather and other conditions must be fa- 
 vorable to transfer any great amount. Should 
 the day arrive when warships use oil for fuel the 
 labors of the personnel will be greatly reduced. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 THE CREW AND THEIR DUTIES — RATING AND 
 PAY OF THE ENLISTED MEN — ENLISTMENTS — 
 OPPORTUNITIES — SAILOR'S DUDS — AMUSE- 
 MENTS AND PASTIMES — MAN-O'-WAR 
 LINGO 
 
 THE CREW AND THEIR DUTIES 
 
 THE following descriptions will give a good 
 idea of the duties required of each member 
 of the crew. Our armored cruisers and 
 battleships carry a crew of from five hundred to 
 nine hundred men, according to the size and type 
 of the vessel. The amount of work performed 
 daily to keep the ship in trim is enormous. 
 
 The naval regulations are such that each member 
 of the crew is cognizant of the duties expected of 
 him. The term crew refers to the enlisted men, 
 while the ship's complement includes both enlisted 
 men and officers. The list of rates are sectioned 
 off to enable the reader to ascertain to which de- 
 partment of the ship the men are assigned. 
 
52 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 engineer's department 
 
 Machinist f s Mates stand regular watches at sea 
 and work about the machinery of the ship when in 
 port. A machinist with no previous sea service 
 upon first enlisting is rated second-class and later 
 when more proficient is rated first-class, and then 
 chief. A chief machinist's mate often stands a 
 throttle watch and has other important duties to 
 perform. The term chief is applied to all chief 
 petty officers who hold the highest rank of the en- 
 listed men. 
 
 Watertenders are in charge of the fire rooms. At 
 sea two or more are on watch and they see that the 
 proper amount of steam is kept up, that the boilers 
 are supplied with water, and that other details are 
 attended to. Watertenders are promoted from 
 oilers and firemen. There are two rates, chief 
 watertender, and watertender. 
 
 Oilers stand a regular watch in the engine room 
 both at sea and in port. At sea they oil the ma- 
 chinery regularly and are careful that no bearings 
 run hot. Most of the machinery is oiled automat- 
 ically by self-feeders which are operated by a sys- 
 tem of small tubes leading from the oil-reservoirs 
 to the different bearings. In port, oilers stand a 
 regular auxiliary watch attending to the steam 
 
The Crew and Their Duties 53 
 
 pumps and assisting in general. There is but one 
 rate of oiler and he is promoted from fireman. 
 
 Boilermakers perform all necessary work on the 
 boilers. When the ship has arrived in port from a 
 voyage considerable work is done ; old grate-bars, 
 bridge walls, gaskets, etc., are renewed. Many of 
 our ships with high-pressure boilers have a working 
 pressure of two hundred and fifty pounds of steam. 
 
 Blacksmiths perform all the smithing work of the 
 engineer's department. Many ships are equipped 
 with a modern blacksmith shop. The majority of 
 the repairs aboard ship are made by the officers and 
 the crew. Should all the repair work be done by 
 private shipyards, the Naval Appropriation would 
 no doubt have to be doubled. 
 
 Coppersmiths, blacksmiths, plumbers and boiler- 
 makers are enlisted first-class direct. There is only 
 one rate of each. All suction and supply pipes 
 from the pumps, condensers and other machinery 
 are made of copper, for many of these pipes have 
 salt water circulating through them, and were they 
 not made of copper, they would soon deteriorate. 
 
 Firemen keep up steam in the boilers. At sea 
 the engineer's department is divided into steaming 
 
54 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 watches, as a rule they are divided into four 
 watches, thus giving the men more time off duty. 
 There are two rates of firemen ; first-class and 
 second-class. Firemen with experience are enlisted 
 direct, but the majority are rated from coalpassers. 
 
 Coalpassers trolley the coal from the bunkers to 
 the firemen, each supplying a certain number of 
 fires with coal. All coal bunkers are equipped with 
 a complete trolley system, the coal being shoveled 
 into iron buckets which are trolleyed to the firemen. 
 At the end of each watch fires are cleaned, ashes 
 hoisted and dumped overboard, and everything in 
 the fire room is turned over to the relief watch in 
 good order. 
 
 carpenter's gang 
 
 Carpenter s Mates keep in repair all woodwork of 
 the ship. There are four rates ; chief, first-class, 
 second-class and third-class. Each ship is allowed 
 a certain number of men of each rate, and with so 
 many of the crew being transferred, paid off, etc., 
 there are many vacancies which are filled by pro- 
 moting members of the crew when possible to do so. 
 
 Shipfitters have a complete knowledge of the ship 
 and their duty is to perform all riveting and other 
 work outside of the engineer's department. Upon 
 
The Crew and Their Duties 55 
 
 first enlisting, they are rated second-class and later, 
 first-class. 
 
 Shipwrights perform duties similar to those of the 
 carpenter's mates, and when vacancies occur they 
 are promoted to the higher rates. Many of the 
 rates are divided into several grades which create 
 many opportunities for advancement. 
 
 Painters are included in the artificer's branch. 
 In the paint locker all necessary paints are stored 
 and mixed ready for use. Uncle Sam takes great 
 pride in having his ships kept scrupulously clean, 
 both within and without. The painters mix and 
 serve all necessary paints besides performing all 
 skilled labor, as retouching the figurehead, letter- 
 ing, etc. There are three rates of painters ; first- 
 class, second-class and third-class. 
 
 DECK FORCE 
 
 Masters-at-Arms are to the ship what a police 
 force is to a city. There are four rates; chief, 
 first-class, second-class and third-class. Masters-at- 
 arms are responsible for prisoners, all parts of the 
 enclosed decks where the crew eat, and mast call. 
 The names of all who commit themselves are en- 
 tered in the report book, and when the captain is 
 prepared to hold court, mast call is sounded and 
 
56 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 the master-at-arms lines up all the offenders on the 
 quarter-deck where the captain passes judgment on 
 each case. Most offenses committed are of a minor 
 nature. 
 
 Boatswain 's Mates do duty about the upper decks 
 of the ship, one or more being assigned to each di- 
 vision. They carry silver whistles or "pipes" 
 which are blown according to a certain code of 
 signals. The deck force, which is divided into di- 
 visions, is assigned to certain sections of the ship. 
 In this manner each division keeps in order a cer- 
 tain part of the ship. There are three rates ; chief, 
 first-class and second-class. 
 
 Coxswains are detailed in charge of the ship's 
 boats, each boat rating one, and they, with the rest 
 of the boat crews, keep their respective boats in 
 order. Coxswains are promoted from seamen ; 
 their next advancement is to boatswain's mate. 
 
 Quartermasters stand a regular watch on the 
 bridge at sea and in port. At sea they keep a 
 keen lookout, sending and receiving all signals, 
 and in port they keep a sharp lookout and report 
 all passing vessels, signals, etc. The signal flags 
 are placed in lockers on the bridge where they 
 are ready for instant use. There are four rates 
 
r. 
 
 he 
 
 - 
 
The Crew and Their Duties 57 
 
 of quartermaster ; chief, first-class, second-class and 
 third-class. 
 
 Seamen, Ordinary Seamen and Apprentice Sea- 
 men are three distinct rates. Upon first enlisting 
 in the seamen branch a recruit without any previous 
 training is rated apprentice seaman, after passing 
 through several courses of training and found to be 
 proficient, he is gradually promoted. 
 
 Sailmakers Mates have charge of all the canvas 
 work of the ship. Twice a month clean clothing 
 bags and hammocks are issued to the crew and the 
 soiled ones are scrubbed and turned in to the sail- 
 maker's mate. There is but one rate of sailmaker's 
 mate. 
 
 ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT 
 
 Gunner s Mates are in charge of the different 
 batteries, magazines and other ordnance appliances 
 to which they are assigned. Members of the crew 
 are detailed to the different guns as the regular 
 gun's crews. The guns and their accessories are 
 kept in perfect order. There are four rates of 
 gunner's mates ; chief, first-class, second-class and 
 third-class. 
 
 Turret Captains are detailed for duty in the tur- 
 rets only, and they have a thorough technical 
 
58 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 knowledge of the guns, and are also in charge of 
 the turret. A turret captain is next in command 
 after the turret officer and should anything happen 
 to the turret officer, the turret captain would then 
 take charge. They also act as drill instructors and 
 drill the gun's crew when necessary. There are 
 two rates of turret captains ; chief and first-class. 
 
 PAY DEPARTMENT 
 
 Commissary Stewards cater to the crew's mess 
 and when convenient, they go ashore and pur- 
 chase all the necessary provisions and supplies. 
 Every enlisted man is allowed a certain amount of 
 fresh bread, meat, etc., which is issued to the cooks 
 in bulk daily. 
 
 Ship's Cooks do cooking for the crew only. The 
 ship is equipped with a large modern galley which 
 contains many ranges, besides several large coppers. 
 All cooking in the coppers is done by steam. A 
 regular bill of fare is made out in advance by the 
 commissary steward — each mess fares alike, for no 
 one is allowed to contribute any mess money. 
 Should the meal be a poor one or improperly 
 cooked, members of the crew would take a sample 
 of it to the officer-of-the-deck where the complaint 
 is investigated. There are four rates of ship's 
 
The Grew and Their Duties 59 
 
 cooks ; first-class, second-class, third-class and 
 fourth-class. 
 
 Bakers are also carried, and their services are very 
 much in demand. In order to realize this, one 
 need but consider the amount of fresh bread con- 
 sumed daily by six hundred or more men. The 
 baker has a modern bake oven and bake shop for 
 making bread and pastries. When in port the 
 fresh bread is generally purchased ashore. There 
 are two rates of bakers; first-class and second- 
 class. 
 
 MEDICAL DEPARTMENT 
 
 Hospital Stewards have charge of the sick-bay or 
 ship's hospital and they carry out the doctor's 
 orders pertaining to the treatment of patients and 
 other routine. Hospital stewards are well versed 
 in pharmacy. There is but one rate of hospital 
 steward. 
 
 Hospital Apprentices serve out medicine, take 
 temperatures and assist in general. There are two 
 rates of hospital apprentices; first-class and hos- 
 pital apprentice. 
 
6o The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 CLERICAL FORCE 
 
 Yeomen are assigned to different departments of 
 the ship. Pay, equipment, engineer's department, 
 admiral, captain, executive officer, and navigator, 
 each have one or more yeomen to perform the nec- 
 essary clerical work. There are many log books, 
 accounts and records kept aboard ship. Members 
 of the crew are often rated yeomen when found 
 qualified. There are four rates of yeomen ; chief, 
 first-class, second-class and third-class. 
 
 Printers are carried principally aboard flagships. 
 They have a complete printing press with which 
 band programs and fleet orders are printed. Many 
 of the large ships print a weekly or monthly paper 
 which is devoted to the interests of the crew. 
 There is but one rate of printer. 
 
 OTHER RATES 
 
 Electricians stand regular watches as the dynamos 
 are in operation day and night. On the latest 
 type of warships, blowers, cranes, and gun turrets 
 are operated by electrical power. The dynamo 
 room is located in a separate compartment below 
 the armored deck. The ship contains a mass of 
 electrical appliances which are kept in perfect order. 
 
The Crew and Their Duties 61 
 
 There are four rates of electricians; chief, first- 
 class, second-class and third-class. 
 
 Buglers stand a regular watch and sound all calls 
 which are ordered by the officer-of-the-deck. Each 
 drill call is quickly recognized by the notes sounded 
 on the bugle. At sea the bugler's duties are quite 
 light there being but few calls. There is but one rate 
 of bugler. 
 
 Bandmaster is in charge of the ship's band. All 
 ships of the first rate, battleships, armored cruisers, 
 and flagships, carry a band. The bandmaster leads 
 the band and ranks as a chief petty officer. 
 
 Bandsmen are quite an acquisition to the ship. 
 When at sea it is quite a treat to go on deck and 
 listen to the concert. All members of the band 
 are also proficient with stringed instruments. There 
 are two rates of bandsmen ; first-class and second- 
 class. 
 
 Marines, consisting of about sixty-five men, are 
 carried together with their regular quota of ser- 
 geants and corporals. Marines stand sentry watch 
 about the ship and are also assigned to several of 
 the ship's guns as the regular gun crews. The 
 Marine Corps is a special branch of the navy, and 
 
62 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 its maintenance is provided for in the regular naval 
 appropriation. 
 
 Cooks, Stewards and Mess Attendants are three 
 distinct rates. The admiral, captain, wardroom 
 officers, junior officers and warrant officers' mess 
 have their regular allowance of cooks, stewards 
 and mess attendants. The officers' standard of 
 living is regulated by the mess money they sub- 
 scribe. 
 
 EXTRA RATES 
 
 There are many extra rates in the navy which 
 entitle the holders thereof to extra pay. 
 
 Gunpointers receive ten, eight, six, four and two 
 dollars per month extra which is regulated accord- 
 ing to the classification of the gunpointer. No 
 doubt our wonderful shooting records have been 
 brought about by this rate. 
 
 Captain-of-the-Hold is appointed from seaman 
 and he receives five dollars per month extra. He 
 has charge of the ship's main hold where anchor 
 gear, hawsers and all other nautical gear are stowed. 
 Should the boatswain send for a certain article the 
 captain-of-the-hold would fill the order. The cap- 
 tain-of-the-hold also keeps account of the fresh 
 water used outside of the engineer's department. 
 
The Crew and Their Duties 63 
 
 Lamplighters are appointed from ordinary sea- 
 men. A supply of spare lanterns and side-lights is 
 carried which is to provide for an emergency should 
 the electric lights fail. Lamplighters also attend to 
 the portable lights about the decks. Their extra 
 pay is five dollars per month. 
 
 Signal Men first-class receive three dollars per 
 month extra, second-class signal men receive two 
 dollars, and third-class signal men, one dollar per 
 month extra. They are expert in receiving and 
 sending signals quickly and accurately. They work 
 on the bridge with the quartermasters. 
 
 Ship's Tailor and Tailor s Helper are also ap- 
 pointed from the crew. All clothing issued by the 
 paymaster is altered free of charge. In this man- 
 ner Jack's clothes are sure to fit. There are also 
 other men aboard ship who do tailoring for the 
 crew. The ship's tailor receives twenty dollars 
 extra per month and the helper ten dollars. 
 
 Jack-of-the-Dusts are detailed from ordinary sea- 
 men. They are attached to the pay department 
 and assist in issuing clothing and rations. Their 
 extra pay is five dollars per month. 
 
 Submarine Boat Men receive five dollars per 
 
64 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 month extra, also one dollar additional for every 
 day or part thereof that their boat may be sub- 
 merged. 
 
 Mess Men are detailed from ordinary seamen to 
 wait upon the tables, bring the food from the gal- 
 ley, and lay out the meals for the crew. About 
 twenty men are assigned to each mess. Mess men 
 receive five dollars per month extra. 
 
 Drill Instructors are chief petty officers who drill 
 and train the recruits of the seamen branch at the 
 Naval Training Stations maintained ashore. Their 
 extra pay is ten dollars per month. 
 
 RATING AND PAY OF THE ENLISTED MEN 
 
 The following tables give the rating and pay of 
 the enlisted men. All these pay tables signify ini- 
 tial pay ; the longer one remains in the service the 
 greater his pay. 
 
 Previous to July I, 1903, all chief petty officers 
 received from $50.00 to $70.00 per month which 
 was regulated according to the rating of the chief 
 petty officer. When an enlisted man is promoted 
 he is given an acting appointment, and when the 
 acting appointment has been in force one year, the 
 owner is then recommended for a permanent ap- 
 

 
 
 
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Rating and Pay of the Enlisted Men 65 
 
 pointment. When a chief petty officer receives a 
 permanent appointment he is then entitled to 
 $70.00 per month. With all other rates the pay is 
 the same regardless of the permanent appointment. 
 Under certain conditions an enlisted man can be 
 promoted to a higher rate without a permanent 
 appointment. This is done upon the approval of 
 the Commanding Officer and the Navy Department. 
 
 CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS 
 
 Acting Permanent 
 
 Rate Appointment Appointment 
 
 Pay per month Pay per month 
 
 Chief Master-at-Arms .$65.00 $70.00 
 
 Chief Carpenter's Mate 50.00 70.00 
 
 Chief Boatswain's Mate 50.00 70.00 
 
 Chief Yeoman 60. 00 70. 00 
 
 Chief Gunner's Mate 50.00 70.00 
 
 Commissary Steward 60.00 70.00 
 
 Chief Quartermaster 50.00 70.00 
 
 Chief Commissary Steward.... 70.00 70.00 
 
 Bandmaster 52.00 70.00 
 
 Chief Machinist's Mate 70.00 70.00 
 
 * Hospital Steward 60.00 60.00 
 
 Chief Watertender 50.00 70.00 
 
 Chief Electrician 60.00 70.00 
 
 Chief Turret Captain 60.00 70.00 
 
 * Hospital Steward's pay is regulated by Congress. 
 
66 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 FIRST-CLASS PETTY OFFICERS 
 
 Rate Pay per month 
 
 Machinist's Mate, first-class $55. 00 
 
 Yeoman, first-class 40. 00 
 
 Electrician, first-class 50.00 
 
 Master-at-Arms, first-class 40.00 
 
 Boatswain's Mate, first-class 40.00 
 
 Gunner's Mate, first-class 40. 00 
 
 Quartermaster, first-class 40.00 
 
 Carpenter's Mate, first-class 40.00 
 
 Coppersmith 55. 00 
 
 Shipfitter, first-class 55. 00 
 
 Painter, first-class 40. 00 
 
 Turret Captain, first-class 50.00 
 
 Watertender 40.00 
 
 Boilermaker 65.00 
 
 Blacksmith 50. 00 
 
 Plumber and Fitter 45.00 
 
 Sailmaker's Mate 40. 00 
 
 First Musician 36.00 
 
 SECOND-CLASS PETTY OFFICERS 
 
 Rate Pay per month 
 
 Master-at-Arms, second-class $35. 00 
 
 Machinist's Mate, second-class. 40.00 
 
 Electrician, second-class 40.00 
 
 Boatswain's Mate, second-class 35. 00 
 
 Gunner's Mate, second-class 35. 00 
 
 Yeoman, second-class 35. 00 
 
 Carpenter's Mate, second-class «... 35.00 
 
 Quartermaster, second-class 35. 00 
 
Rating and Pay of the Enlisted Men 67 
 
 Shipfitter, second-class $40.00 
 
 Painter, second-class 35. 00 
 
 Oiler 37.00 
 
 Printer 35. 00 
 
 THIRD-CLASS PETTY OFFICERS 
 
 Rate Pay per month 
 
 Carpenter's Mate, third-class $30.00 
 
 Master-at-Arms, third-class 30.00 
 
 Electrician, third-class 30.00 
 
 Gunner's Mate, third-class 30.00 
 
 Painter, third-class 30.00 
 
 Yeoman, third-class 30.00 
 
 Quartermaster, third-class 30.00 
 
 Coxswain 30. 00 
 
 Hospital Apprentice, first-class 30.00 
 
 OTHER RATES 
 
 Rate Pay per month 
 
 Seaman $24.00 
 
 Ordinary Seaman 1 9. 00 
 
 Apprentice Seaman 16.00 
 
 Bugler 30. 00 
 
 Fireman, first-class . . . 35.00 
 
 Fireman, second-class 30.00 
 
 Coalpasser 22.00 
 
 Shipwright 25. 00 
 
 Ship's Cook, first-class 55. 00 
 
 Ship's Cook, second-class 40.00 
 
68 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Ship's Cook, third-class $30.00 
 
 Ship's Cook, fourth-class 25.00 
 
 Musician, first-class 32.00 
 
 Musician, second-class 30.00 
 
 Baker, first-class 45. 00 
 
 Baker, second-class 35. 00 
 
 Hospital Apprentice 20.00 
 
 Admiral's Cook 50. 00 
 
 Admiral's Steward 60.00 
 
 Cabin Steward . 50. 00 
 
 Cabin Cook 45. 00 
 
 Wardroom Steward 50.00 
 
 Wardroom Cook 45. 00 
 
 Warrant Officers' Steward 35. 00 
 
 Warrant Officers' Cook 30.00 
 
 Mess Attendant, first-class 30.00 
 
 Mess Attendant, second-class 25.00 
 
 Mess Attendant, third-class 20.00 
 
 EXTRA RATES* 
 
 Rate Pay per month 
 
 Captain-of-the-Hold $5.00 
 
 Jack-of-the-Dust 5.00 
 
 Lamplighter 5.00 
 
 * There are many extra rates aboard ship which are given to 
 the men holding a lower rate. This extra pay demonstrates how 
 liberal Uncle Sam is to the enlisted men, for the men would have 
 to perform these duties without extra pay should the Navy De- 
 partment see fit. 
 
Rating and Pay of the Enlisted Men 69 
 
 Rate Pay per month 
 
 Coxswain of Steam Launch $ 5.00 
 
 Messmen . . 5. 00 
 
 Signal-man, first-class 3. 00 
 
 Signal-man, second-class 2.00 
 
 Signal-man, third-class 1.00 
 
 Ship's Tailor . 20. 00 
 
 Men on submarine boat duty 5.00 
 
 Tailor's Helper 10.00 
 
 Heavy Gunpointers, first-class 10.00 
 
 Heavy Gunpointers, second-class 6.00 
 
 Intermediate Gunpointers, first-class 8.00 
 
 Intermediate Gunpointers, second-class 4.00 
 
 Secondary Gunpointers, first-class 4.00 
 
 Secondary Gunpointers, second-class 2.00 
 
 Drill Instructors (at Naval Training Sta- 
 tions) 10.00 
 
 THE MARINE CORPS* 
 
 Rate Pay per month 
 
 Sergeant Major $34.00 to $42.00 
 
 Quartermaster Sergeant 34.00 to 42.00 
 
 Drum Major 25.00 to 33.00 
 
 Gunnery Sergeant. 35.00 to 43.00 
 
 First Sergeant 25.00 to 33.00 
 
 Sergeant 18.00 to 26.00 
 
 Corporal 15.00 to 23.00 
 
 Private 13.00 to 21.00 
 
 * Marines receive clothing allowance and their pay increases 
 according to length of service. A regular pay schedule is ar- 
 ranged for this purpose. 
 
;o The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 ENLISTMENTS 
 
 Upon enlisting, the Shipping Articles (an agree- 
 ment between the Government and the recruit) are 
 read, and the recruit agrees on oath to obey all 
 rules and regulations of the naval service. The 
 enlistment record is under the personal supervision 
 of the executive officer. All offenses, recommen- 
 dations and other details are entered upon this 
 record. 
 
 The term of enlistment is four years. Perma- 
 nent recruiting stations are established in many of 
 the large cities, and traveling recruiting parties are 
 also sent out by the Navy Department to visit the 
 smaller cities and towns. When a number of men 
 have been enlisted they are sent to the different 
 receiving ships and training stations. 
 
 A receiving ship is known as a guardo which is 
 nothing more than a sailors boarding house. A 
 guardo presents a busy scene as all unassigned 
 bluejackets are quartered aboard awaiting assign- 
 ment. Men whose enlistment is about to expire 
 are generally sent to a guardo to be paid off. 
 
 Training stations are located ashore where newly 
 enlisted men, as apprentice seamen, are sent. Af- 
 ter successfully passing several courses of training, 
 recruits are promoted, and sent to the different 
 
ENLISTMENT RECORD. 
 
 * MARKS*-*. Badl t, MMMMl a. Fairr $. Oxrtr 4 > Very Oood; «. PirUlirt 
 
 Previous Naval Service. 
 Cun Captain Certificate,^, 
 Seaman r*in«*r 
 
 ft $ at<^^z*s*#~><>r„<~VJor 
 $&„■„ ..-..jean; Served Apprenticeship. 
 
 ..; Certificate of Graduation P. 0. 
 T^)z£3&sitiKiJ&3Lr Citizen 
 
 School.^ 
 
 Citizenship., 
 
 Ratings held during entistmenL^L„J.^J^.^j&^...r'j 
 Eroficitw „ Ratin^....^j/^JS r n a ^i t > J.^±fc 
 
 Marksmanship. Great Guns. _'** . \ Marksmanship. Smalt Arms, yiL5=U.« 
 
 Qr4mmV*m-£p£&L. 
 
 Signaling. 
 
 Sobriety.. 
 
 Average 'Sfanding /or term of -enlistment. 
 
 ££& 
 
 Obedience. ~j££*Z„ 
 
 &>i)j.S.N., 
 
 JDESORIPTlva LIST, 
 
 tfooe Made after carsjji! examiMtibn rt dale c 
 
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 &L-feetj£L5lAbches; Weight. „J&£.tbi.; 
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 Personal characteristics, marks 
 
 £L~*ont**l Heigh\^sS2feetS^ 
 
 Percentage of time on sick list during, enlistment, 
 In^f^^pnysUMy qualified" for. teeuHs 
 
 ksUL^JiUl&i,' " 
 
 'tt'Stt 
 
 t hereby! certify that the above-named kf Af u * 4&£.d^A 
 
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 eemp 
 
 las been paid^^i^h^^-^^^ Mte*. ^ 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHIC REDUCTION FROM ORIGINAL. 
 
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 PHOTOGRAPHIC REDUCTION FROM ORIGINAL. 
 
Enlistment 71 
 
 ships in commission to fill vacancies. The majority 
 of the recruits take to the sea like a duck to water 
 as there is seldom a case of chronic seasickness. 
 When one stows away a couple of pounds of " salt 
 horse" (salted meat) all tendency toward seasick- 
 ness disappears. 
 
 A complete outfit of clothing is furnished the 
 recruit which is taken to the master-at-arms where 
 the owner's name is stamped on each article accord- 
 ing to the naval regulations. Upon donning his 
 new uniform the recruit feels quite strange but this 
 soon disappears. A few days after enlisting it is 
 probable the recruit will be writing home telling 
 his folks all about the service. 
 
 Upon receiving an honorable discharge from the 
 navy, four cents per mile is granted from point of 
 discharge to original point of enlistment. This 
 mileage money is paid in lieu of transportation and 
 subsistence which the Government agreed to fur- 
 nish. The discharge is made out according to the 
 owner's enlistment record, there being a regular 
 scale of marks for this purpose. In selecting mem- 
 bers of the crew for promotion, those who have a 
 good enlistment record are preferred. There are 
 three grades of discharge ; honorable, ordinary and 
 dishonorable. 
 
 On the opposite page is a facsimile of the dis- 
 charge received by the author upon the expiration 
 
72 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 of his second enlistment. By referring to this dis- 
 charge it will be noted that $1.36 was granted as 
 increase pay when reenlisting within a period of 
 four months after discharge. Since that date, a 
 new order has been issued granting $5.00 increase 
 of pay per month throughout the second enlistment 
 and $3.00 increase of pay per month during each 
 subsequent enlistment. This increase of pay will 
 enable a recruit who enlists with no trade or pro- 
 fession to eventually draw from $75.00 to $100.00 
 per month. This, of course, after he has become 
 a chief petty officer, which can easily be accom- 
 plished on the second enlistment. 
 
 OPPORTUNITIES 
 
 It is quite evident that there are many openings 
 in the navy for an enlisted man. The pay tables 
 demonstrate the fact that there are over one hun- 
 dred different rates (positions) aboard ship. To 
 compare the pay of these various rates with similar 
 vocations in civil life, would reveal the fact that the 
 navy men receive in the end, far better pay. Take 
 for instance, a coalpasser or an apprentice seaman, 
 these are the lowest paid men in the service, the 
 navy enlists these recruits with the intention of 
 training them to qualify for higher and better paid 
 positions. 
 
 Quartermasters, gunner's mates, boatswain's 
 
Opportunities 73 
 
 mates and many others are gradually promoted in 
 turn from apprentice seamen. The members of the 
 engineer's department, firemen, oilers and water- 
 tenders, are gradually promoted from coalpassers. 
 When a civilian is employed as a laborer he can 
 advance no higher, but in the navy, however, it is 
 different, as there are many provisions for advance- 
 ment. No recruit is competent to fill certain posi- 
 tions, as gunner's mate or boatswain's mate until 
 he has been especially trained to qualify. 
 
 Mechanics in the navy average far better wages 
 than those in civil life. The author has found this 
 to be true from personal experience. There are no 
 dues, strikes, lay-offs, pay stopped while sick, or 
 any of the other hardships which are often encoun- 
 tered in civil life. When on the sick list the patient 
 is excused from all duties, and all medical attend- 
 ance and medicines are furnished gratis, and the 
 patient receives full pay during the period that he 
 may be sick. 
 
 Upon being recommended by their superior offi- 
 cers, certain members of the crew are sent to the 
 different naval schools which are maintained ashore, 
 to make them more proficient in their duties ; while 
 at the school members receive their regular pay 
 and ration. Those who graduate are given a di- 
 ploma and transferred to the various ships. In this 
 
74 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 manner the navy acquires men who are experts in 
 their professions. 
 
 As a rule, after a man honorably discharged from 
 the navy has remained in civil life for a short period 
 (about two months), a longing for the sea is again 
 felt, the result of which is that he will make up his 
 mind to reenlist, especially if he was paid off with 
 a small pay day. In the navy, the meal pennant 
 (a red pennant hoisted at the signal yard during 
 meal hours) is hoisted three times a day without 
 fail. In civil life the meal pennant is often hoisted 
 irregularly. 
 
 During the year 1906, over three quarters of a 
 million dollars ($750,000) was deposited in the 
 ships' banks by the enlisted men. All money thus 
 deposited draws interest at the rate of four per 
 cent, per annum. This above mentioned sum does 
 not include the enormous amount sent home by 
 allotment. 
 
 The above paragraph explains why many of the 
 enlisted men remain in civil life after being dis- 
 charged from the service. The old saying " A 
 sailor works like a horse for his money and spends 
 it like a jackass," is not true of the men of the 
 navy. Were the total amount of money deposited 
 in the ships' banks and that sent home by allot- 
 ment computed, it would be well into the millions. 
 
 Many bluejackets leave a * * girl behind " when 
 
Sailor's Duds 75 
 
 they enlist. These men save their money with the 
 expectation of settling down after the expiration of 
 their enlistment, and in this way the service loses 
 many good men who no doubt would reenlist for 
 duty on the high (not the matrimonial) sea. 
 
 Good conduct medals are often presented the 
 enlisted men by the Navy Department. Any one 
 performing an extraordinary act of bravery is pre- 
 sented with a medal, and when convenient, the 
 prospective recipient of the medal is ordered to 
 Washington, D. C, where the presentation takes 
 place. 
 
 SAILOR'S DUDS 
 
 The togs of a bluejacket are in a class by them- 
 selves. The quality of the materials used in making 
 the clothes is unsurpassed. The Navy Department 
 manufactures a large portion of this clothing ; the 
 remainder is let out by contract to private firms. 
 As similar goods cannot be purchased elsewhere, 
 the navy man is equipped with an outfit of clothing 
 which cannot be duplicated. 
 
 Upon first enlisting the recruit is furnished with 
 a complete outfit of clothing by the Government 
 which consists of shoes, hats, various uniforms, 
 several suits of light and heavy underwear, leggings, 
 neckerchief and knife lanyard. All clothing issued 
 thereafter is charged to the person to whom issued. 
 
76 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 A hammock furnished complete is also given. 
 Sleeping in a hammock is quite comfortable; in 
 warm weather, the clews (a series of cords which 
 regulate the swing of the hammock) are so adjusted 
 that the hammock swings flat. In cold weather, if 
 the center clews are slackened the hammock will 
 fit snugly to the occupant's body. 
 
 Each sailor has a ditty-box which is a small box 
 made of hard wood. The lid is quite deep and 
 contains letters and writing paper; the tray con- 
 tains toilet gear and other trinkets, the bottom 
 contains towel, shoe brush and the knickknacks 
 which only a sailor can accumulate. A bluejacket 
 can pack up and be ready for transfer within ten 
 minutes if necessary. 
 
 AMUSEMENTS AND PASTIMES 
 
 Shore folks who are unfamiliar with man-o'-war 
 life may form the opinion that life aboard ship is 
 quite monotonous. Men who remain in the serv- 
 ice do so because the service offers to them the 
 best pay and general inducements. The amuse- 
 ments and pastimes aboard ship are of such a varied 
 character that it is a difficult matter to enumerate all 
 of them. 
 
 By making navy life congenial to the enlisted 
 men the service retains many of them. The large 
 type of ships carries a band. Evening concerts are 
 
Amusements and Pastimes 77 
 
 given for the crew and they go on deck and listen 
 to the music — sometimes the sailors dance with 
 each other. 
 
 Athletic sports are greatly encouraged by the 
 Navy Department, and each ship is allowed a cer- 
 tain amount of money yearly with which to pur- 
 chase sporting goods ; each ship also has its own 
 baseball and football teams. As nearly all of our 
 ships travel around in fleets much time is devoted 
 to sporting events. A trophy is generally given to 
 the crew when a series of games, as baseball and 
 football, is played. 
 
 Boat racing is one of the most exciting sports of 
 the navy. When the crew of one ship wish to 
 challenge another, the boat to be used is lowered ; 
 this crosses the other ship's bow at full speed ; as 
 it crosses the bow, the coxswain gives the order 
 "Toss Oars," the race boat's crew raise their oars 
 and hold them upright. This is a direct challenge, 
 and should the crew of the challenged ship wish to 
 race they would invite the racing boat's crew aboard 
 and make arrangements for the same. 
 
 Boxing contests are also very popular and there 
 are many expert boxers in the service. When it 
 comes to financial backing for boat racing or other 
 sporting events, the crews of the ships are "on 
 deck " with the necessary funds. 
 
 Shore leave is frequently granted and the crew 
 
yS The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 go ashore in watches or sections. At meal time 
 the " bumboat" (shore boat) comes alongside the 
 ship to peddle fruit and pastries. All forms of 
 card games, checkers, chess and other games of 
 skill are played, but no gambling is permitted. 
 Should members of the crew be caught gambling 
 they would be severely punished. 
 
 When members of the crew wish to visit other 
 ships, a visiting party is made up and the list handed 
 to the officer-of-the-deck who grants permission for 
 the party to go visiting. The ship's boats are used 
 to convey the visiting party to and from their des- 
 tination. 
 
 Often when the weather is fine, permission is 
 granted to go swimming from the side of the ship. 
 Any one wishing a swim dons a bathing suit and the 
 instant swimming call is sounded there is a swarm 
 of bluejackets in the water swimming and splashing 
 about. 
 
 A boat is detailed to lay off from the side of the 
 ship to render aid instantly in case of accident. 
 The men are not permitted to remain in the water 
 too long. When recall is sounded all hands come 
 out. 
 
 Each ship has an up-to-date library which con- 
 tains several hundred volumes, and the most popu- 
 lar books with the men are those on travel. Many 
 members of the crew are talented singers and musi- 
 
The Pennsylvania's Broadside. A few broadise guns of an armored cruiser. 
 
 The port side looking af£. 
 
 r\ii^vT>i.rVlf- 1 OOK V»y- ffnrinno Mull, 
 
Man-o'-War Lingo 79 
 
 cians. It is quite a treat to hear a quartette sing- 
 ing on the forecastle (pronounced foc'sl by seafar- 
 ing men) to the accompaniment of several stringed 
 instruments. 
 
 The dramatic talent has an opportunity to dis- 
 play itself at the various theatrical performances 
 frequently given. Little artificial scenery is re- 
 quired, the big guns, neat appearance of the offi- 
 cers and crew, and the general surroundings fur- 
 nishing all the necessary scenery. The stage is 
 rigged up on deck. Officers and men of the fleet 
 and sometimes people from shore are invited to the 
 performance. 
 
 No admittance is charged at these theatrical per- 
 formances, for the officers and crew furnish every- 
 thing needed. The entertainments, of course, are 
 more or less of a salty nature. Entertainments 
 are also frequently given to aid some shipmate who 
 has met with misfortune, and an admission fee is 
 charged to entertainments of this kind. The 
 amount netted from one of these performances is 
 never less than $500.00. 
 
 MAN-O'-WAR LINGO 
 
 Many of the terms and expressions used by the 
 men in the navy are most peculiar. Should a civil- 
 ian overhear, two bluejackets conversing about the 
 service he would hear many terms which would 
 
80 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 certainly be incomprehensible to him. The follow- 
 ing list will give a fair idea of the meaning of some 
 of the expressions: 
 
 4 ■ Going down hill M — over half the enlistment in. 
 
 " Rookie " — a recruit. 
 
 " Smokestack " — an imaginary jag. 
 
 " Ship over" — to reenlist. 
 
 " Jimmy Legs " — the master-at-arms of the ship. 
 
 "Black gang" — all men belonging to the engi- 
 neer's department. 
 
 '• Mailo " — the mail has arrived aboard the ship 
 and is ready to be distributed. 
 
 " Blacky M — the blacksmith. 
 
 14 Chips " — a carpenter's mate. 
 
 "Coppers" — the coppersmith. 
 
 11 The Chief M — chief engineer of the ship. 
 
 " Lucky bag" — a room in which are placed all 
 articles lost aboard ship. 
 
 " Jumped " — desertion by a sailor. 
 
 "Six months and a bob" — refers to one who 
 has been court-martialed and sentenced to six 
 months in prison and given a dishonorable dis- 
 charge. 
 
 " Pipe down " — shut up. 
 
 " Belay "—hold on. 
 
 " Dog " — a bottle of liquor. 
 
 " Tell it to a marine " — a remark used when one 
 
Man-o'-War Lingo 81 
 
 person does not believe a statement another is tell- 
 ing him. 
 
 " The ghost walking" — pay day, 
 
 " Pot on M — a person with a heavy list to port. 
 
 "Beach comber " — one who hangs around sa- 
 loons ashore and who has no desire to work. 
 
 " Hike " — to go ashore on a heavy march. 
 
 "Sea-going" — traveling at sea. 
 
 "Mulligan" — a favorite dish of an unknown 
 quality. 
 
 "Charley Noble" — the galley stovepipe. 
 
 "Sea-dog" — an old sailor with several enlist- 
 ment stripes on his arm. 
 
 "Run up" — brought to the mast for offenses 
 committed. 
 
 " Breaking it " — remaining overtime on shore. 
 
 " Down for a chance" — on the report for mast call. 
 
 "Canned Willie" — canned beef. 
 
 "On the books" — money due on the paymas- 
 ter's books. 
 
 " Pie wagon " — the brig where prisoners are con- 
 fined. 
 
 " Sea-lawyer" — one who thinks he knows more 
 about the Blue Book than the captain. 
 
 " Hitch" — an enlistment. 
 
 " Hitched up " — married. 
 
 " Cum shaw " — a rake-off. 
 
 " Big ticket " — honorable discharge. 
 
82 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 " Stone frigate " — prisons ashore. 
 
 " Sheeney " — a person having a sewing machine 
 and doing tailor work aboard ship. 
 
 14 Gadget " — a makeshift name for any object. 
 
 11 Jaw-bone " — credit. 
 
 " Busted " — disrated to a lower rating. 
 
 " Hurdy gurdy " — a sewing machine operated 
 by hand. 
 
 " Mud hook " — the ship's anchor. 
 
 " Berth-deck-slusher " — messmen who wait on 
 the tables of the crew. 
 
 " Rope-yarn Sunday " — Wednesday afternoon 
 when the crew overhaul their bag of clothing. 
 
 " Dead soldier " — an empty bottle. 
 
 " Making knots " — hurrying. 
 
 " Micky " — nickname for the U.S.S. Mohican. 
 
 44 Philly " — nickname for the U.S.S. Philadelphia. 
 
 " Show a leg" — when the master-at-arms wakes 
 the crew in the morning they call out, "Rise and 
 shine " or " Show a leg." 
 
 " Stand by " — be on hand. 
 
 " Draws more water" — receives more pay. 
 
 " Blow-off-at-a-low-pressure " — refers to a talka- 
 tive person. 
 
 " Under the gun " — one sitting next the dealer 
 in a friendly game of "draw." 
 
 "Got the wrinkles out " — sensation of hunger 
 removed. 
 
Man-o'-War Lingo 83 
 
 11 God's country" — any part of the United 
 States. 
 
 " Douse the glim " — extinguish the light. 
 
 " Put in his oar ' — to " butt in." 
 
 " Sloper " — a person from the West coast of the 
 United States. 
 
 " Snowdigger" — a person from the East coast 
 of the United States, 
 
 " Batten down " — secure. 
 
 "Straight kick " — dishonorably discharged,. 
 
 4< Red house M — insane asylum. 
 
 11 Swallowed the Blue Book — one who is con- 
 tinually quoting the naval regulations. 
 
 " Caught a crab M — oar caught in the water. 
 
 u Shove off, Jack " — a hint to move on. 
 
 " Straggler " — a deserter who voluntarily gives 
 himself up within a period of six months after de- 
 sertion. 
 
 " Heave to " — stop. 
 
 4< Swing ship " — placing the ship in position to 
 enable the navigator to adjust the compass. 
 
 " All night in and beans for breakfast " — are- 
 mark that is made by one who has had no night 
 watch and awakes with a good appetite. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION OF A BATTLESHIP — ORD- 
 NANCE — MAIN GUNS — CREW OF A LARGE 
 GUN — INTERMEDIATE AND SECONDARY 
 BATTERY GUNS— HOW A LARGE GUN 
 IS MADE — AMMUNITION — TOR- 
 PEDOES 
 
 OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION OF A BATTLESHIP 
 
 OWING to the fact that Chapters IV and V 
 dwell principally on the material part of 
 the navy this article entitled " Official De- 
 scription of a Battleship " will convey to the reader 
 an accurate idea of the many details which are pro- 
 vided for in making the plans and specifications of 
 a battleship. 
 
 The chiefs of the different bureaus of the Navy 
 Department at Washington submit to the Honor- 
 able Secretary of the Navy an annual report in 
 printed form. This report contains in a condensed 
 form all important data pertaining to each bureau. 
 The descriptive matter herein reproduced is taken 
 
Official Description of a Battleship 85 
 
 from the Annual Report of the Chief Constructor 
 of the United States Navy. This data pertains to the 
 battleship New Hampshire. The battleships Con- 
 necticut, Louisiana, Kansas, Minnesota and Vermont, 
 are sister ships of the New Hampshire; thus these 
 six great battleships are designed on about the 
 same plans. 
 
 Owing to the fact that the construction of the 
 New Hampshire was started later than her sister 
 ships, she may be equipped with a few more mod- 
 ern improvements; these improvements, however, 
 are only of a minor nature. The important data, 
 such as length, beam, and battery are identically 
 the same. This type of warship was the first to be 
 equipped with seven-inch guns which represent 
 their broadside batteries. 
 
 The plans and specifications of a battleship, 
 from which the various ship builders of the United 
 States base their bids, is a voluminous document 
 consisting of several thousand pages of printed 
 matter. 
 
 The plans and specifications of first-class battle- 
 ship No. 25, New Hampshire, authorized by Con- 
 gress, were completed and advertised. The con- 
 tract for this vessel was signed with the New York 
 Shipbuilding Company, Camden, N. J., at a price 
 of $3,748,000. 
 
86 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 The general dimensions and features of the ves- 
 sel are as follows : 
 
 Length on load water-line 450 feet 
 
 Breadth, extreme, at load water-line. ..76 feet 10 inches 
 
 Displacement on trial, not more than 16,000 tons 
 
 Mean draft to bottom of keel at trial displacement not 
 
 to exceed 24 feet 6 inches 
 
 Coal bunker capacity, about 2 >3 I 4 tons 
 
 Coal carried on trial 900 tons 
 
 Feed water carried on trial 66 tons 
 
 The hull is to be steel throughout, in accordance 
 with the " Specifications for the Inspection of Hull 
 Material. " 
 
 Armament: 
 
 Main Battery — 
 
 Four twelve-inch breech-loading rifles. 
 Eight eight-inch breech-loading rifles. 
 Twelve seven-inch breech-loading rifles. 
 Four submerged torpedo tubes. 
 
 Secondary Battery — 
 
 Twelve three-inch (fourteen-pounder) rapid 
 
 fire guns. 
 Twelve three-pounder semi-automatic guns. 
 Four one-pounder semi-automatic guns. 
 Two three-inch field pieces. 
 Two machine guns, caliber .30. 
 Two automatic guns, caliber .30. 
 
Official Description of a Battleship 87 
 
 The foregoing battery complete will be furnished by 
 the Government, and will be mounted as follows: 
 
 The twelve-inch guns, in pairs, in two electrically 
 controlled, balanced, elliptical turrets, on the cen- 
 ter line, one forward and one aft, each with an arc 
 of fire of about 270 . 
 
 The eight-inch guns, in pairs, in four electrically 
 controlled, balanced, elliptical turrets, two on each 
 beam, at each end of the superstructure. 
 
 The seven-inch guns, in broadside, on pedestal 
 mounts on the gun deck behind seven-inch armor, 
 each gun being isolated by splinter bulkheads of 
 nickel steel of from one to two inches thick ; for- 
 ward and after guns arranged to fire right ahead 
 and right astern, respectively; other seven-inch 
 guns to have the usual broadside train. 
 
 The guns of the secondary battery in command- 
 ing positions, having a large arc of unobstructed 
 fire, and protected wherever practicable. 
 
 All the seven-inch guns are so arranged that their 
 muzzles train inside the line of the side armor, thus 
 leaving a clear and unobstructed side when it is de- 
 sired to go alongside a pier or vessel. 
 
 Arrangements will be made whereby the three- 
 inch guns on the main deck can be quickly and con- 
 veniently dismounted, housed, and secured. 
 
 Four torpedo tubes and accessories will be in- 
 stalled, two each in forward and after submerged 
 
88 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 torpedo rooms. Directing stations will be installed ; 
 also all necessary bench marks in connection there- 
 with. 
 
 Armor and Similar Protection. The hull is pro- 
 tected at the water-line by a complete belt of armor 
 nine feet, three inches wide, having a uniform thick- 
 ness of nine inches for about 287 feet amidships, 
 gradually decreased to four inches at the stem and 
 stern. 
 
 The lower casemate armor extends to abreast the 
 twelve-inch barbettes and reaches from the top of 
 the water-line belt to the lower edge of the seven- 
 inch-gun ports on the gun deck and is seven inches 
 in thickness, the athwartship bulkheads at the ends 
 of this casemate being seven inches thick. 
 
 The casemate armor around the seven-inch guns 
 on the gun deck is seven inches thick and the splin- 
 ter bulkheads are from one to two inches thick. 
 The protection of three-inch guns is nickel steel, 
 two inches thick. 
 
 The upper and lower casemate athwartship ar- 
 mor, extending from the shell plating to the twelve- 
 inch barbettes, is to be seven inches thick through- 
 out. 
 
 The twelve-inch barbettes extend from the pro- 
 tective deck to about four feet above the main 
 deck and consist of eleven inches of armor in front j 
 
Official Description of a Battleship 89 
 
 and in the rear, seven and a half inches above the 
 gun deck and six inches between the berth and gun 
 decks. 
 
 The twelve-inch turrets will have a front plate 
 twelve inches thick, rear and side plates eight inches 
 thick, and top plates two and a half inches thick. 
 
 The eight-inch barbettes will be six inches thick 
 in front and four inches thick in rear, with the 
 upper tube three and three quarter inches thick and 
 the lower tube three inches thick. 
 
 The eight-inch turret front plate will be six and 
 a half inches thick, the rear and side plates six 
 inches, and the top plates two inches thick. 
 
 The conning tower will be nine inches thick; 
 door, six inches thick; signal tower, six inches 
 thick. An armor tube thirty-six inches in diame- 
 ter will extend from the base of the conning tower 
 to the protective deck and will be six inches thick 
 throughout. 
 
 One torpedo-directing station, five inches thick, 
 , will be fitted near the conning tower. The direct- 
 ing station for after torpedo tubes will be located 
 in the signal tower. 
 
 Teak backing of a minimum thickness of three 
 inches will be fitted behind all side and twelve-inch 
 turret armor, two inches of backing to be fitted 
 behind the eight-inch turret armor; other armor 
 will be fitted without backing. 
 
90 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Protective Deck. There is a complete protective 
 deck extending from stem to stern, the deck being 
 flat amidships, but sloped at the sides throughout 
 and sloped at each end. It will be built up of 
 twenty-pound plating throughout, with nickel steel 
 of forty pounds on the flat, except it will be eighty 
 pounds forward and abaft twelve-inch barbettes 
 over magazines and of ioo pounds on the slopes. 
 
 Nickel-steel Protection. The following nickel steel 
 is to be furnished and fitted: 
 
 Upper strakes of protective deck plating, as in- 
 dicated above ; hatch covers and gratings in the 
 protective deck ; splinter bulkheads on gun deck ; 
 sponsons and wing plates for two forward three- 
 inch guns and for four after three-inch guns on gun 
 deck ; bullet shields between wing plates for seven- 
 inch guns; side protection and wing plates for 
 three-inch guns on main deck ; turret shelf plates ; 
 conning tower base plates; seven-inch gun-port 
 sill plates ; eighty-pound protection on ammunition 
 hoist trunks not otherwise protected by armor; 
 and eighty-pound protection on coaling trunks on 
 slope of protective deck to the height of berth 
 deck amidships. 
 
 Ammunition. The magazines and shell rooms are 
 so arranged that about one-half of the total supply 
 
Official Description of a Battleship 91 
 
 of ammunition will be carried at each end of the 
 ship. 
 
 Magazine bulkheads adjacent to heated compart- 
 ments, such as fire rooms, engine rooms, and dy- 
 namo rooms, are arranged with ventilated air 
 spaces. 
 
 Ammunition Supply. The ammunition for seven- 
 inch and smaller guns will be conveyed by hoists 
 directly from the ammunition rooms or ammunition 
 passages to the deck on which it is required, or as 
 near that as possible. These hoists will be driven 
 at constant speed by an electric motor, and will be 
 arranged to deliver not less than eight pieces per 
 hoist per minute. 
 
 The number of hoists will be as follows : Twelve 
 seven-inch, fourteen hoists for three-inch, three- 
 pounder and one-pounder combined, and sufficient 
 whip hoists to the top. To supply the seven-inch 
 hoists, four horizontal ammunition conveyers, 
 operated by electric motors, will be fitted in the 
 ammunition passages for the transfer of ammunition 
 from the handling rooms to the base of the hoists. 
 
 The turret guns will have regular turret ammuni- 
 tion hoists, operated by electric power ; these hoists 
 leading directly from the handling rooms or the 
 ammunition passages to the turrets. The handling 
 rooms will be isolated from the turrets. The turret 
 
92 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 ammunition hoist motors and controlling appliances 
 will be installed, under the specifications of the 
 Bureau of Ordnance. 
 
 For transporting twelve-inch, eight-inch, and 
 seven-inch ammunition, torpedoes and warheads, 
 trolleys and tracks will be fitted in the handling 
 rooms, passages, and shell rooms. 
 
 Propelling Machinery. The engines will be of the 
 vertical, twin-screw, four-cylinder, triple-expansion 
 type, of a combined indicated horse-power of 16,- 
 500, and arranged for outboard turning propellers 
 when going ahead. The steam pressure will be 250 
 pounds. The stroke will be four feet. The cyl- 
 inder diameters will be sufficient for the required in- 
 dicated horse-power at about 120 revolutions per 
 minute. Each engine will be located in a separate 
 water-tight compartment. They will be provided 
 with all the necessary auxiliaries and accessories in 
 accordance with the latest practice of the Bureau of 
 Steam Engineering. 
 
 There will be twelve water-tube boilers, placed 
 in six water-tight compartments. The type of 
 boiler will be as approved by the Bureau of Steam 
 Engineering. There will be not less than 1,100 
 square feet of grate and not less than 46,750 square 
 feet of water-heating surface. The working pres- 
 sure will be 265 pounds. The length of grates 
 
Official Description of a Battleship 93 
 
 will be about six feet, nine inches. The steaming 
 capacity will be such that all steam machinery on 
 board can be run at full power with an average air 
 pressure on the fire rooms of not more than two 
 inches of water. 
 
 All the necessary auxiliaries and accessories will 
 be provided for the efficient working of the boilers. 
 
 There will be three smoke pipes, each 100 feet 
 high above the base line. 
 
 Sixty-six tons of fresh water will be carried on 
 trial in the double bottom or in reserve tanks for 
 the use of the water-tube boilers. 
 
 Auxiliary Steam Machinery. The following 
 auxiliary steam machinery of approved make and 
 design, in addition to that pertaining to the main 
 engines and dependencies, is to be installed com- 
 plete. 
 
 Steering engine, windlass engine, ash-hoist en- 
 gines for each fire room, forced-draft blowers, evap- 
 orating plant, to consist of not less than three 
 units, having a total capacity of 16,500 gallons of 
 fresh water per day, a distilling apparatus capable 
 of condensing at least 16,500 gallons of water per 
 day. 
 
 The vessel is to be heated with steam throughout. 
 
 The weight of all machinery and tools, stores 
 and spare parts will be about 1,500 tons. This 
 
94 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 weight must include all articles, except stores sup- 
 plied by the Government, irrespective of name or 
 use, coming under the cognizance of the Bureau of 
 Steam Engineering, including water in boilers, con- 
 densers, piping, etc., but excluding the reserve 
 feed water in the double bottom or tanks. 
 
 Electric Generating Plant and Equipment Require, 
 ments. The vessel shall be lighted throughout by 
 electricity. The electric plant will be of not less 
 than 8oo-kilowatt capacity (no units to be less 
 than ioo-kilowatt capacity), driven either by recip- 
 rocating engines or turbines, all generators to be of 
 125 volts pressure at the terminals and disposed in 
 two separate and independent dynamo rooms. 
 
 There will be fitted all the usual means of interior 
 communications, such as telephones, voice pipes, 
 call bells, buzzers, gongs, annunciators, engine and 
 steering telegraphs, revolution and rudder indica- 
 tors, heeling indicators, fire alarms, warning signals, 
 alarm signals, turret hoist indicators, electric log, 
 etc. 
 
 Electric Auxiliaries. With the exception of the 
 auxiliaries previously mentioned to be operated by 
 steam, all power on board of the vessel will be elec- 
 tric, as, for instance, the refrigerating plant with a 
 cooling effect of four tons of ice per twenty-four 
 
Official Description of a Battleship 95 
 
 hours, boat cranes, deck winches, turret-turning 
 motors, ventilation blower motors, etc. 
 
 All main compartments of the ship below the 
 gun deck, except the coal bunkers, will be provided 
 with forced ventilation, there being not less than 
 twenty-six blowers, with a combined capacity of 
 not less than 100,000 cubic feet per minute. 
 Special attention will be given to spaces subject to 
 habitually high temperatures, such as engine rooms, 
 fire rooms and dynamo rooms. The ventilation 
 system will be designed to cut the minimum num- 
 ber of water-tight bulkheads. All blowers, except 
 forced-draft blowers, will be electrically operated. 
 
 The coal bunkers will be arranged with satisfac- 
 tory reference to the rapid and efficient supply of 
 coal to the fire rooms, and have a maximum capac- 
 ity of about 2,314 tons. There will be provided 
 for coaling not less than six winches, twelve booms, 
 and all necessary fixed chutes, scuttles, hatches, 
 and other openings. 
 
 There will be two bill-boards and two hawse 
 pipes, each hawse pipe to be so designed that 
 stockless anchors may be stowed in it. There will 
 be three heavy anchors, one of navy type and two 
 of stockless type, and the usual small ones. An- 
 chor windlass, with vertical spindle, wildcats, an- 
 chor davits, securing and tripping gear, controllers, 
 
96 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 ring bolts, riding bitts, cleats, pad eyes, and other 
 fittings, will be provided. 
 
 The following boats supplied by the Government 
 will be carried, adequate provision being made for 
 their convenient stowage and handling ; two elec- 
 trically operated boat cranes, the necessary boat 
 davits, adjustable boat chocks, and all necessary 
 fittings being provided for this purpose: 
 
 One 50-foot steam cutter. 
 Two 36-foot steam cutters. 
 One 36-foot launch. 
 Three 33-foot launches. 
 Five 30-foot cutters. 
 Two 30-foot whaleboats. 
 One 30-foot gig whaleboat. 
 One 30-foot barge. 
 Two 20-foot dinghies. 
 One 16-foot dinghy. 
 One 14-foot dinghy. 
 Two life rafts. 
 
 The vessel is designed as a flagship, and the 
 arrangement of quarters provides ample accommo- 
 dations for the following complement, viz. : 
 
 A flag officer. 
 
 A chief of staff. 
 
 A commanding officer. 
 
Official Description of a Battleship 97 
 
 Nineteen wardroom officers. 
 
 Ten junior officers. 
 
 Nine warrant officers. 
 
 Not less than 840 men, including 72 marines. 
 
 Provision will be made for carrying not less than 
 three months' allowance of provisions and six 
 months' allowance of clothing and small stores. 
 
 A complete drainage and flooding system will be 
 provided. 
 
 Plumbing fixtures will be in accordance with the 
 latest approved practice for all bathrooms, lavato- 
 ries, and other spaces. 
 
 There will be a lower bridge both forward and 
 aft and a flying bridge forward, according to the 
 latest practice. On the flying bridge will be fitted 
 a screen of brass. There will also be a brass chart 
 house and emergency cabin suitably located. 
 
 There will be steel masts forward and aft, the 
 foremast having an upper and lower top, the main- 
 mast a lower top only. Masts to be arranged for 
 wireless telegraphy. There will be one signal yard 
 on each mast, also a searchlight platform forward 
 and aft, with a lookout platform on foremast. 
 
 There will be approximately eighteen sliding 
 water-tight doors and six armor hatches which will 
 be worked on an approval system by power. All 
 other doors and hatches throughout the vessel, as 
 
98 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 well as all fittings which can be satisfactorily stand- 
 ardized, will be strictly in accordance with standard 
 plans which have been or may be adopted by the 
 Department. 
 
 The following is the summary of weights to be 
 carried on trial : 
 
 Tons 
 
 Guns, mounts, magazine equipments, etc 1063 
 
 Ammunition, two-thirds cruising supply 405 
 
 Steam engineering complete, with water in boilers, 
 condensers, piping, etc., and stores, etc., ex- 
 cept stores supplied by the Government, not 
 
 to exceed 1500 
 
 Engineering stores supplied by the Government, 
 
 two-thirds full supply 26 
 
 Reserve fresh water for steaming purposes 66 
 
 Coal, normal supply 900 
 
 Boats and outfits 51 
 
 Masts and spars 31 
 
 Equipment complete, including anchors, chains, 
 
 electric plant, etc., and equipment stores. ... 355 
 Miscellaneous stores and water, two-thirds full 
 
 supply 83 
 
 Provisions, clothing, and small stores, two-thirds 
 
 full supply 147 
 
 Officers, crew, and effects 113 
 
 Total protection, including armor, armor backing, 
 
 armor bolts, and splinter bulkheads 39 1 9 
 
Ordnance 99 
 
 ORDNANCE 
 
 The armor and armament, with their many acces- 
 sories, constitute the main fighting strength of the 
 ship. All of Uncle Sam's late warships, built and 
 building, have these important accessories; there- 
 fore they will be considered modern for many years 
 to come. 
 
 The Oregon and her sister ships, the Indiana and 
 Massachusetts, represent our first lot of first-class 
 battleships; these ships were commissioned two 
 years previous to the Spanish-American war. The 
 Oregon has won the Gunnery Trophy twice in suc- 
 cession, and to win this much coveted prize, she 
 competed with all the large type of ships in the 
 navy. This demonstrates the fact that our oldest 
 battleships are yet quite modern in many respects. 
 
 When a new type of gun or projectile is invented, 
 the Navy Department tests the merits of each and 
 should the results prove satisfactory, the gun or 
 other improvement is placed in use. The Gov- 
 ernment never jumps at conclusions, for all im- 
 provements are adopted after a long period of tests 
 and experiments. In this manner our warships are 
 kept up to the highest standard of efficiency. 
 
 After the ship is launched the armor is set in 
 place. In some cases, however, the builders may 
 
ioo The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 install a portion of the armor before launching. 
 On the sides of the ship, a few feet below the water- 
 line, is a shelf-like arrangement on which the armor 
 rests as it is bolted to the sides. This armor is 
 very costly and is made by various processes, some 
 of which are secret. 
 
 All armor is subjected to a rigid test. When one 
 lot of armor is made, certain pieces are selected 
 from it and sent to the proving grounds where it is 
 set up for the large caliber guns to fire at. Should 
 the armor fail to stand the various tests, the entire 
 lot is condemned. The manufacturers know from 
 the blue prints the exact size and shape of each 
 section of armor, also where all bolt holes, etc., 
 should be. 
 
 In making armor, a batch of metal is smelted in 
 the furnace and when ready, the molten metal is 
 poured into a mold which forms the armor ingot. 
 After forming, the ingot is taken to a huge heating 
 furnace where it is heated and brought to a forging 
 press where it is soon worked down to the size de- 
 sired. After forging, the plate is face-hardened by 
 different processes. 
 
 When the armor plate is trimmed, tempered, and 
 all machine work completed, it is taken to a power- 
 ful hydraulic press which soon forms the plate into 
 any shape desired. When the armor has been 
 completed and tested it is then forwarded to the 
 
Main Guns 101 
 
 ship designated where the ship's builders secure it 
 in position. All bolt holes and other machine 
 work on the plate must be accurate, as all joints fit 
 snugly. The thickness and quality of armor vary 
 according to the type of ship. Armor is made to 
 prevent shells from injuring the ship, and the object 
 in face-hardening the armor is to try to give it the 
 resisting power necessary to deflect or break up all 
 shells which may strike it. Only the outer side of 
 the armor is face-hardened which varies in resisting 
 power according to the process to which the plate 
 is subjected. The conning tower, military masts, 
 sighting hoods, ammunition tubes, protective deck 
 and other parts of the ship are also well armored 
 in proportion. 
 
 MAIN GUNS 
 
 The guns of a battleship could be divided into 
 three classes: Main, intermediate, and secondary 
 battery guns. The main battery consists of eight-, 
 ten-, twelve-, or thirteen-inch guns. All main bat- 
 tery guns installed aboard a warship are mounted 
 in pairs, in turrets. The barbette, which is similar 
 to a circular fort, extends up from the handling 
 room to a few feet above the main deck. On top 
 of the barbette is a series of rollers on which the 
 turret revolves ; the two gun mounts and loading 
 mechanism, revolving as one. 
 
102 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Our late type of ships has counterbalanced tur- 
 rets; weights of armor, gun mounts, etc., are so 
 adjusted that the ship will not list were the main 
 guns trained to one side. Training the main guns 
 to either port or starboard, with the old-style tur- 
 rets, would give the ship a heavy list accordingly, 
 thus exposing the lower part of the armor belt to 
 the fire of the enemy. 
 
 Located at the bottom of the turret is the hand- 
 ling room, where the ammunition is trolleyed from 
 the magazines to the ammunition car which brings 
 the ammunition directly in front of the breech end 
 of the gun. 
 
 The guns are mounted in such a manner that 
 they will withstand the terrific strain imposed upon 
 them and their accessories when fired. The gun 
 trunnions (cylindrical projections on each side of a 
 gun which support it on the gun carriage, thus 
 allowing the gun to be elevated or depressed) rest 
 on the saddle, the saddle rests on the slides and is 
 held in place with large steel straps and clips. 
 Attached to the outer end of the saddle are two 
 large pistons which lead into the recoil cylinders. 
 
 There are two types of recoil cylinders; one 
 type is filled with recoil liquid and contains recoil 
 springs ; the other is worked by hydraulic power. 
 In hydraulic power turrets similar to the Oregon 
 type, the recoil cylinders contain a water pressure 
 
Oh 
 
 pq 
 
 '-t-i 
 
 o 
 
 s 
 a 
 
 o 
 u 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 IS 
 
 En 
 
 
 - 
 D 
 
 
 
Main Guns 103 
 
 of about six hundred pounds to the square inch 
 which is supplied by huge hydraulic pumps located 
 below the water-line. When the guns are in action 
 (both guns in a single turret are used individually, 
 as each has its own loading mechanism) these 
 pumps are continually going in order to retain pres- 
 sure for the recoil cylinders and rammers. 
 
 The supply pipes from the pumps are connected 
 at the back end of the recoil cylinders and are 
 equipped with check valves. The front end of the 
 recoil cylinders contains a series of relief valves set 
 at a high pressure. The instant the gun is fired 
 the check valves in the supply pipes close ; were 
 these valves to fail in performing their functions, 
 the pipes and pumps would burst from the sudden 
 pressure created. 
 
 The interior walls of the recoil cylinders contain 
 a series of grooves. The pistons, upon entering 
 the recoil cylinders, force the water past these 
 grooves, gradually checking the recoil. There is 
 no escape for the water displaced by the pistons 
 entering the cylinders except through the relief 
 valves which are forced open by the enormous 
 pressure created. There are several sets of relief 
 valves set at various pressures ; should one set fail 
 to work, the other would, thus relieving the terrific 
 strain. 
 
 When the gun ceases recoiling, the relief valves 
 
104 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 close and the check valves in the supply pipes open, 
 and the pressure formed against the back of the 
 piston heads quickly forces the gun out to battery 
 (loading position). Fresh water is used by the hy- 
 draulic pumps ; the water escaping from the recoil 
 cylinders is piped back to the fresh-water tanks 
 where it is repumped. 
 
 Officers are stationed in the fighting tops to as- 
 certain the range which is signaled down to the 
 men in the turrets. In action, the results of the 
 firing can be better judged when taking observa- 
 tions from an elevated position. The range contin- 
 ually varies when in battle, for the opposing fleets 
 are constantly maneuvering to gain a more advanta- 
 geous position. 
 
 CREW OF A LARGE GUN 
 
 Several hundred men are concerned directly and 
 indirectly, in operating the big guns. Coalpassers 
 trolley the coal to the firemen ; the firemen keep 
 steam in the boilers with which to operate the ma- 
 chinery of the ship ; thus the division of labor con- 
 tinues along the line until we come to the gun's 
 crew proper. 
 
 A large number of men are required to handle 
 the guns and ammunition. Extra men must also 
 be available, for during battle many may be put out 
 
Crew of a Large Gun 105 
 
 of action. The following will give a fair idea of the 
 duties performed by a large gun's crew : 
 
 Turret Officer has complete charge of the turret 
 and gives all orders necessary. The turret contains 
 speaking tubes which enable the turret officer to be 
 kept fully informed regarding the movements of 
 the enemy and how the shots are striking. 
 
 Turret Captain is next in command after the tur- 
 ret officer. Should any accident befall the turret 
 officer, the turret captain then takes charge. 
 
 Trainers keep the gun trained toward the target 
 while it is being loaded and fired. When fired it is 
 placed in loading position ; upon being reloaded the 
 gun is quickly sighted on the mark. 
 
 Gunpointer sights and fires the gun with the as- 
 sistance of the trainers. Much responsibility rests 
 upon the gunpointer, for while the gun is being 
 sighted the firing lanyard is in his hand. Upon 
 sighting the gun properly the gunpointer fires it. 
 A percussion or electric primer is used for igniting 
 the powder charge. 
 
 Gunner s Mate is in charge of the handling room 
 where all ammunition is loaded into the ammuni- 
 
io6 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 tion car, which brings the ammunition directly in 
 front of the breech of the gun when needed. 
 
 Rammer Man operates the rammer which rams 
 the shell home. The rammer forces the shell off 
 the ammunition car into the breech of the gun. 
 All rammers and training of turrets are operated by 
 hydraulic or electrical power. It is quite dangerous 
 to use steam power owing to the heat created. 
 
 Powder Men take the powder from the ammuni- 
 tion car when it arrives at the loading platform. 
 This powder is put up in bags and when the rammer 
 recoils home it is quickly put into the powder 
 chamber. 
 
 Plug Man operates the breech-plug mechanism. 
 When the gun is loaded the plug man quickly 
 closes the breech-plug; this movement locks it into 
 position and the gun is then ready for firing. 
 
 Sight Setter adjusts the sights when ordered by 
 the turret officer. He also watches the sights to 
 ascertain whether they have become deranged from 
 the concussion. 
 
 Handling Room Crew work in the handling room, 
 where all ammunition is trolleyed from the magazines 
 
Intermediate and Secondary Battery Guns 1 07 
 
 to the ammunition car. A large number of men 
 are also detailed to work in the magazines. 
 
 INTERMEDIATE AND SECONDARY BAT- 
 TERY GUNS 
 
 Four-, five-, six-, and seven-inch guns are in- 
 stalled in the intermediate battery and they repre- 
 sent the broadside guns of the ship. Some ships 
 are equipped with five-inch guns in the intermediate 
 battery, while others may be equipped with guns 
 of a larger caliber. 
 
 The guns are mounted on a permanent pedestal 
 mount and they recoil on about the same principle 
 as the hydraulic power guns, excepting that the 
 recoil cylinders of all guns of the intermediate 
 battery are filled with recoil liquid, consisting of 
 glycerine and water. The back end of these recoil 
 cylinders contains powerful steel springs. When 
 the recoil pistons meet these springs, they take up 
 the last of the recoil and quickly force the gun out 
 to battery. On the larger caliber guns, counter re- 
 coil springs are used which take up the jar as the 
 guns return to battery. 
 
 The intermediate guns are operated by hand and 
 are easily manipulated, for the gun and its mecha- 
 nism revolve on top of a series of small rollers, 
 while other parts are connected with cogs or worm- 
 gear. These guns are fired with greater rapidity 
 
io8 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 than the main guns on account of the fixed or 
 semi-fixed ammunition used. When the gun is 
 fired the gunpointers and trainers keep it trained 
 and sighted on the mark while the loading process 
 is going on. Ammunition hoists are placed con- 
 veniently at hand to supply the guns with the nec- 
 essary ammunition. 
 
 Many of our new type of battleships are equipped 
 with a broadside of twelve seven-inch guns, which 
 are independent of the main guns ; the main guns 
 consisting of four twelve-inch, and eight eight-inch 
 guns. 
 
 The guns of the intermediate battery are well 
 protected by the casemates or side armor which 
 extend above the main armor belt. 
 
 The intermediate and main battery guns are 
 sighted with telescopic sights, the outer end of 
 which contains cross wires. When the gunpointer 
 has the cross wires on the mark he fires the gun. 
 The secondary battery guns are equipped with bar 
 sights. 
 
 Secondary battery guns vary in caliber from 
 three-inch down to the smaller caliber machine 
 guns. One-, three-, six-, and fourteen-pounders 
 (a fourteen-pounder and a three-inch gun are prac- 
 tically the same) constitute the secondary bat- 
 tery, and are of great value in repelling torpedo 
 boat attacks, bombarding at close range, etc. 
 
How a Large Gun is Made 109 
 
 These guns work automatically or semi-automatic- 
 ally. When a semi-automatic gun is fired the 
 concussion from each shot is utilized to eject the 
 empty cartridge case. All ammunition used by 
 the secondary battery is known as fixed ammuni- 
 tion ; the powder and shell are made up in a single 
 cartridge case similar to rifle ammunition. 
 
 A machine gun has more than one barrel, each 
 barrel firing individually. By turning a crank or 
 lever the gun will fire several hundred rounds per 
 minute, while the ammunition holds out. The 
 ammunition is supplied from a belt, or drum. By 
 using fixed ammunition the hail of fire is terrific. 
 
 Semi-fixed ammunition is in two parts ; the shell 
 is first loaded into the breech of the gun and the 
 powder charge which is made up in a heavy metallic 
 case is inserted behind the projectile. 
 
 Each ship carries two three-inch field pieces 
 which are mounted on a wheeled truck. These 
 guns, with the machine and automatic guns, are 
 taken ashore with the battalion. A small army of 
 men could be held at bay with these guns. 
 
 HOW A LARGE GUN IS MADE 
 
 The guns installed aboard a warship are so con- 
 structed and mounted that, should an accident occur 
 to the gun, it could be easily replaced with a new 
 one. 
 
1 10 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 The labor, patience and experience involved in 
 the manufacture of a large gun are enormous. In 
 making a large gun, the gun metal is smelted in a 
 huge ladle and then poured into a mold and when 
 the mold is filled the top is securely closed. At 
 the bottom of the mold are hydraulic rams which 
 exert a great pressure on the molten mass and 
 cause it to form compactly, besides forcing clear 
 all air holes. 
 
 When the metal has become cool, it is removed 
 from the mold and the ingot is roughly bored. 
 After boring, the tube is heated in a furnace and 
 forged out on a mandrel, and is then put through 
 several processes of tempering. The tube is now 
 set up in a huge lathe where the outside is turned 
 down to the size desired. This tube is quite thick 
 at the breech end and gradually tapers toward the 
 muzzle. 
 
 Large steel jackets and hoops which are slightly 
 smaller in diameter than the outer diameter of the 
 gun, are heated in a furnace in order to expand 
 them, and are dropped over the gun while hot ; 
 upon cooling they contract, thus greatly reenforcing 
 the gun. After the jackets and hoops have been 
 assembled, the tube is again set up in the lathe and 
 rebored to the size desired. During these various 
 operations the gun is carefully examined to detect 
 any flaws. 
 
he 
 
 3 
 O 
 u, 
 
 bio 
 
 i 
 
How a Large Gun is Made m 
 
 When the gun is rebored it is set in a rifling ma- 
 chine which cuts a series of riflings in the bore. 
 These riflings commence at the inner end of the 
 powder chamber and extend throughout the bore 
 of the gun. The riflings give the projectile a ro- 
 tary motion, which causes it to speed true on its 
 course and prevents it from tumbling or sagging. 
 A groove is cut in the shell to which the rotary 
 band is secured. This band is made of copper and 
 is slightly larger than the bore of the gun, and 
 when the shell is rammed home the band strikes 
 against the rifling. 
 
 At the breech all necessary slots and screw holes 
 are made. The breech-plug mechanism of a large 
 gun appears to be a complicated affair, yet it is 
 quite simple. By operating a single lever the 
 breech-plug unlocks itself and swings open. This 
 breech-plug contains a series of slots; when the 
 plug revolves a certain distance it is then unlocked 
 which allows it to swing open. Upon closing the 
 breech-plug these movements are reversed. 
 
 When the gun is completed it is sent to the 
 proving ground at Indian Head, Md., where it is 
 severely tested. After the gun has passed the va- 
 rious tests, it is either sent to the ship designated or 
 kept in stock until needed. 
 
 Previously, the Government manufactured its own 
 guns, but of late many contracts have been let out 
 
1 1 2 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 to private firms. This has established many gun 
 factories throughout the country, which will be of 
 great value in time of war. 
 
 AMMUNITION 
 
 Smokeless powder is now used throughout the 
 navy. This powder is of great strength, for an 
 ordinary smokeless powder charge of a modern gun 
 requires a much smaller amount than the old kind. 
 When a gun was fired with the old-style powder, 
 the ship became enveloped in a cloud of smoke, 
 and should there be no breeze at the time, the 
 smoke would hover about the ship and interfere 
 with the firing until it had cleared away. This 
 difficulty has been remedied, however, by the use of 
 smokeless powder. 
 
 Three different types of shell are used ; armor 
 piercing, shrapnel and common. These shells are 
 formed in a mold and forged down to the required 
 size. After forging, the shell is trimmed on the 
 lathe, interior hollowed out, and all other necessary 
 machine work is completed. 
 
 Armor piercing shell are especially hardened at 
 the nose to enable them to penetrate the armor of a 
 ship. Secured at the nose of the shell is a lubrica- 
 ting cap filled with a soft metal which acts as a lu- 
 bricant and assists the shell to penetrate the armor 
 more easily. Many armor piercing shells contain a 
 
Ammunition 1 1 3 
 
 bursting charge which explodes similar to common 
 shells. 
 
 Common shells are made on about the same 
 principle as armor piercing shells. The common 
 shell, however, contains a larger bursting charge. 
 Many shells are equipped with time fuses. By 
 knowing the range, resistance of shell leaving the 
 gun, strength and weight of powder charge, the 
 time occupied by the shell in reaching the mark can 
 be easily figured. The time fuse is set accordingly, 
 allowance being made for the shell to penetrate be- 
 fore exploding. 
 
 Shrapnel shell has a large cavity bored out of its 
 interior. This space is filled with many small metal 
 balls and among these balls is a small charge of 
 powder. The time fuse can be set so that the shell 
 will explode as it is about to strike the mark, and 
 the momentum of the burst shell will cause the 
 fragments and small balls to be hurled in many di- 
 rections, thus causing great destruction. The 
 larger size shell is equipped with a base fuse which 
 is set in the center of the bottom of the shell. 
 Upon impact, a plunger springs forward and ex- 
 plodes the primer, which in turn ignites the powder 
 charge contained within the shell. 
 
 All ammunition is carefully stowed in the maga- 
 zines. The powder charges for the larger caliber 
 guns are put up in copper tanks or tubes, each con- 
 
1 14 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 taining one charge. This powder is made up in 
 sections which fit snugly into the powder chamber 
 of the gun. At the base of each section is a small 
 amount of black powder which causes the smokeless 
 powder to ignite more freely when the gun is fired. 
 Each powder charge is indexed, showing the 
 strength, and date of manufacture. 
 
 The shells are stowed in the shell rooms. All 
 powder charges and shells are piled in racks or bins 
 and are well secured to prevent them from breaking 
 adrift when the ship is at sea. The magazines are 
 kept well ventilated, and in case of fire they are 
 quickly flooded, as each contains one or more 
 flood cocks connected with the sea. These flood 
 cocks are operated from the upper decks and upon 
 being opened they let in a great volume of water. 
 
 The ammunition for the smaller caliber guns of 
 the intermediate and secondary batteries is stowed 
 in separate magazines. All guns of these two bat- 
 teries, from five-inch to the automatic guns, use 
 fixed ammunition which is stowed in boxes con- 
 taining one or more rounds according to the caliber 
 of the gun. Much care and precaution is taken 
 with the magazines at all times. Should one ex- 
 plode great destruction would follow. 
 
 The following table gives the weight of project- 
 iles used in the navy. It was the author's inten- 
 tion to also include the weight of powder charge 
 
Ammunition 
 
 ii5 
 
 used in firing each projectile. The data, however, 
 would be unreliable owing to the fact that the 
 weight of powder charges is being constantly altered. 
 This is quite necessary to increase the velocity of the 
 shell. 
 
 WEIGHT OF PROJECTILES 
 
 i-pounder g 
 
 3-pounder 
 
 6-pounder 
 
 3-inch 
 
 4-inch 
 
 5-inch 
 
 6-inch 
 
 7-inch 
 
 8-inch 
 10-inch 
 12-inch 
 13-inch 
 
 un 
 
 ell 1 
 
 lb. 
 
 3 
 
 lb. 
 
 6 1b 
 
 14 
 
 lb 
 
 33 
 
 lb. 
 
 5° 
 
 lb. 
 
 ' 100 
 
 lb 
 
 165 
 
 lb. 
 
 ' 250 
 
 lb 
 
 500 
 
 lb 
 
 ' 850 
 
 lb. 
 
 ' 1 100 
 
 lb. 
 
 SHELL MEASURE 
 
 2 thirteen-inch 1 long ton 
 
 12 seven-inch 1 short ton 
 
 8 eight-inch 1 ton 
 
 2 ten-inch 
 
 1 six-inch 
 
 % five-inch 
 
 1 one-pounder ...,..,...,,,,... 1 lb. 
 
 , -|- ton 
 1 cwt. 
 fcwt 
 
n6 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 TORPEDOES 
 
 A large fleet of torpedo boats is maintained to 
 fight with this deadly weapon — the torpedo. In 
 addition to this craft, the majority of our battle- 
 ships and cruisers are equipped with torpedo tubes 
 and the necessary apparatus required for torpedo 
 work. 
 
 Torpedoes are fired from a tube. There are 
 three general designs of tubes used ; one is sub- 
 merged (or below the water-line), one a lower deck 
 tube and is just above the water-line, and a third 
 an upper deck tube used on the upper deck of tor- 
 pedo boats. All of these tubes may be fired (dis- 
 charged) by powder or compressed air, as may be 
 desired. When the torpedo is locked in the tube 
 and charged with the necessary pressure of com- 
 pressed air it is ready for firing. 
 
 The Whitehead torpedo has been the type in use 
 for several years. The Navy Department has re- 
 cently adopted a new type known as the Bliss- 
 Leavitt turbine torpedo. The power of this torpedo 
 is much greater than that of the Whitehead type. 
 While the Whitehead is capable of making twenty- 
 eight knots speed at a 900-yard range, and twenty- 
 two knots at 1500 yards, the new turbine torpedo 
 makes a guaranteed speed of thirty-six knots at a 
 1200-yard range, and twenty-eight knots at 3500 
 yards. 
 
Torpedoes 1 1 7 
 
 The turbine type is well adapted for use in sub- 
 merged torpedo tubes. This type of tube is much 
 safer than the old-style tube that was located above 
 the water-line. The submerged type is below the 
 water-line, which protects the torpedo room from 
 the fire of the enemy. There are two sizes of tor- 
 pedoes, eighteen-inch and twenty-one-inch. It is 
 claimed that the eighteen-inch torpedo costs $5000, 
 while the twenty-one-inch one costs a proportionate 
 amount greater. This sum is really insignificant 
 when one considers the loss of a battleship costing 
 from five to ten million dollars. A few successful 
 torpedo attacks on a fleet of warships would soon 
 decide the result of a naval engagement. 
 
 A torpedo is divided into three main sections ; 
 the forward (front) end is known as the warhead, 
 and contains 132 pounds of guncotton ; the amid- 
 ship (center) section is known as the air chamber, 
 into which the compressed air is forced ; the after 
 (rear) end contains the turbine engine which oper- 
 jates the propellers. Two propellers are used which 
 ■ revolve in opposite directions at a high rate of 
 speed. Located in these three main sections are 
 other minor compartments, which contain the various 
 devices which guide and regulate the torpedo after 
 it is fired from the ship. 
 
 The torpedo contains horizontal and vertical rud- 
 ders which are so regulated by sensitive devices 
 
1 1 8 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 that they will cause the torpedo to travel true and 
 keep it submerged the desired depth. So sensitive 
 is this steering and depth regulating apparatus, that 
 even though there were heavy swells running at the 
 time the torpedo was fired, the torpedo would rise 
 and fall in proportion with the swell above. The 
 depth of submersion is about eight feet which is 
 sufficient, since it is only intended to strike the 
 enemy below the armor belt. 
 
 Torpedo practice is held frequently. One form of 
 torpedo practice is with a floating target which is 
 towed full speed past the ship, the ship speeding 
 twelve knots or more in the opposite direction. In 
 firing torpedoes from a battleship the methods vary. 
 The range between the ship and the target is regu- 
 lated according to the form of torpedo practice. 
 
 The torpedo is charged with 2225 pounds pres- 
 sure of air which is furnished by powerful air com- 
 pressors. The outer end of the tube moves in a 
 hollow ball-joint; the inboard end travels over a 
 circular track which is marked with a set of figures. 
 When the torpedo is fired, the men stationed in the 
 torpedo room are unable to see what they are firing 
 at. The torpedo room is located behind the armor 
 belt, in which there is an opening only large enough 
 to permit the passage of the torpedo. 
 
 The officer in charge of the torpedo firing ascer- 
 tains the range of the target or enemy by means of 
 
r. 
 
 U 
 
 I 5, 
 
Torpedoes 119 
 
 a sensitive instrument known as the torpedo director. 
 The figures marked on the circular track over which 
 the inner end of the torpedo tube passes, correspond 
 with the figures of the torpedo director; by this 
 means the tube is kept trained, since the figures are 
 being constantly signaled to the men stationed in 
 the torpedo room. 
 
 As the target and ship are moving in opposite 
 directions, the tube is kept trained on the mark un- 
 til the torpedo is ejected from it, or the target is out 
 of range. A sudden release of compressed air ejects 
 the torpedo, and as it leaves the tube the machinery 
 starts in motion. Located in the air chamber is a 
 large alcohol lamp which is lighted automatically as 
 the torpedo leaves the tube. This lamp heats the 
 compressed air in the air chamber, giving it greater 
 expansive power. 
 
 An automatic stop can be so regulated that the 
 torpedo will stop itself after traveling a certain dis- 
 tance. In time of war the torpedo can also be reg- 
 ulated so that in case it failed to strike the enemy it 
 would sink to the bottom of the sea. A floating 
 torpedo with a warhead attached is a menace to nav- 
 igation. A drillhead is used in time of peace which 
 is of the same size and weight as the warhead. 
 
 To prevent premature explosion another ingenious 
 device is used. Located at the nose of the warhead 
 is a miniature propeller, which is made to revolve by 
 
1 20 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 the friction of the water as the torpedo speeds 
 through it, and a small shaft is connected with this 
 propeller which unscrews a locking nut ; the torpedo 
 will not explode until the locking nut works clear. 
 This device allows the torpedo to get clear of the 
 vessel firing it. 
 
 The majority of the enlisted men detailed for tor- 
 pedo work are gunner's mates, who are graduates 
 from the Gunnery School, where torpedo work is 
 made a special study. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 NOMENCLATURE OF THE SHIP — DRAINAGE SYSTEM — 
 
 VENTILATION SYSTEM FRESH AND SALT WATER 
 
 SYSTEMS — DESCRIPTION OF UNITED STATES 
 
 VESSELS — BATTLESHIPS BUILT — ARMORED 
 
 CRUISERS BUILT — MONITORS BUILT 
 
 PROTECTED CRUISERS BUILT HOW 
 
 THE NAVY HAS GROWN IN 
 FOURTEEN YEARS. 
 
 NOMENCLATURE OF THE SHIP 
 
 MILITARY Mast is the name given to the 
 steel masts of the ship and they are armored 
 at the base. The fighting tops are attached 
 to these masts and are used mostly for observation 
 and range finding. 
 
 Cranes are used for hoisting and lowering boats, 
 and have a large tapering arm which revolves. The 
 cranes are also used for coaling ship, taking aboard 
 stores, etc. They are operated by either electrical 
 or steam power. 
 
 Bridge. This is a long, narrow structure built up 
 from the superstructure deck. The pilot-house, 
 
122 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 chart-house, steering-wheel, speaking tubes, speed 
 annunciator, compass and signaling apparatus are 
 located on the forward end of the bridge. 
 
 Emergency Cabin. A small room located at the 
 forward end of the bridge which is used by the cap- 
 tain during a storm of long duration. In time of 
 war, should an engagement be imminent, the captain 
 would occupy the emergency cabin in order to be at 
 hand. 
 
 Signal Yard, Near the top of each military 
 mast is a small signal yard used for hoisting signals 
 from the bridge. Warships are equipped with 
 either one or two military masts. 
 
 Conning Tower is located directly under the for- 
 ward end of the bridge and is made of heavy armor 
 and contains many peep holes. The interior con- 
 tains the necessary apparatus for navigating the 
 ship. The conning tower is used only in time of 
 action. 
 
 Side Lights. When at sea a red light is displayed 
 from the port side, and a green light from the star- 
 board side of the ship. When two or more ships 
 are in close proximity at night, these lights define 
 the course each ship is steaming. 
 
x, 2 
 
Nomenclature of the Ship 123 
 
 Superstructure Deck, This deck is built above 
 the broad portion of the main deck. Hammock 
 nettings, galley, and engine room hatches, ventila- 
 tors, cranes and the main portion of the secondary 
 battery are located on this deck. 
 
 Main Deck. This deck extends from stem to 
 stern. The forward end is known as the forecastle ; 
 the after end as the quarter-deck. The main caliber 
 guns are located on the center line of the main deck. 
 
 Hawse Pipes. A heavy casting through which 
 the anchor chain passes on its way to the sea. 
 
 Bitt. A heavy piece of metal securely bolted to 
 the deck. A bitt has two upright arms to which 
 lines or cables are fastened. 
 
 Sea Ladder. This consists of a series of small 
 metal steps which are secured permanently against 
 the ship's side. A portable ladder which can be 
 folded up is known as a Jacob's ladder. 
 
 Scuppers. Heavy pipes or tubes which drain the 
 water from the waterways to the sea. The water- 
 ways are channels on the outer edge of the deck 
 which lead the water to the scuppers. 
 
 Davits are heavy metal arms which extend over 
 
124 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 the side of the ship and are used for hoisting boats 
 and stores. 
 
 Tackle. A set of blocks and a rope used for 
 hoisting purposes. The more sheaves in the blocks, 
 the greater the power. 
 
 Lower Booms are extended from the ship's sides. 
 When the anchor is dropped these booms are rigged 
 out and all boats in the water, not in use, are made 
 fast to them. 
 
 Air Ports. On the lower decks are many air 
 ports used for ventilating and lighting purposes. 
 They are made of heavy glass and can be opened or 
 closed at will. 
 
 Battle Ports are attached over the air ports, and 
 are lowered and secured when the big guns are in 
 action. 
 
 Grappling. A small anchor with several claws 
 which is used by the small boats. 
 
 Harness Cask. An oval-shaped cask used for 
 stowing salted meats. 
 
 Scuttle Butt. A tank where the crew get their 
 
Nomenclature of the Ship 125 
 
 drinking water. A cooling pipe, which is connected 
 with the ice machine, is located inside the scuttle 
 butt keeping the water cool at all times. 
 
 Binnacle. A casing around the compass. On 
 each side of the binnacle is a small lamp which 
 lights the interior and enables one to read the com- 
 pass card at night. 
 
 Hatch Coamings. The parts of a hatch which ex- 
 tend above the deck and prevent the water from 
 getting below. A hatch is an opening in the decks 
 used for traffic or cargo. 
 
 Well. A certain part of the main compartments 
 where all water gathers. A sounding tube leads to 
 the upper deck, through which the sounding rod is 
 lowered to ascertain whether the ship is leaking. 
 The suction pipes from the pumps are also located 
 in the well. 
 
 Wildcat. A heavy slotted casting on the anchor 
 engine into which the links of the anchor chain fit 
 snugly as the anchor is being hoisted or dropped. 
 
 Stopper. A heavy hook with a long shank, one 
 end of which is hooked into a ring bolt and the 
 balance lashed against the anchor chain, thus help- 
 ing to secure it. 
 
126 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 The Lead is a heavy lead weight with a small line 
 attached which has the fathoms marked on it. At 
 the bottom of the lead is a hole filled with tallow 
 to ascertain the nature of the bottom of the sea. 
 Were the bottom muddy, mud would stick to the 
 tallow. 
 
 Armory. A room or compartment where cut- 
 lases, rifles and pistols are stowed. A gunner's 
 mate is in charge of the armory. 
 
 Double Bottom. The ship has practically two 
 bottoms which are independent of each other. The 
 space between is called the double bottom. Fresh 
 water can be carried in the double bottom if neces- 
 sary. 
 
 Trimming Tanks are located at the extreme ends 
 of the ship. When the ship is about to be docked 
 these tanks are sometimes filled with sea water in 
 order to cause the ship to float level. 
 
 Berth Deck. This deck extends the entire length 
 of the ship and is used for living quarters. On 
 this deck are many mess tables and hammock 
 hooks. The berth deck is also known as the ar- 
 mored or protective deck. 
 
 Battle Hatches are made of heavy steel plates 
 
Nomenclature of the Ship 127 
 
 which are set over the hatch coamings and securely 
 fastened. Certain hatches are cut out of the ar- 
 mored deck which are quite heavy and are operated 
 by tackles or mechanical power. 
 
 Orlop Deck is located below the berth deck. 
 Ammunition hoists and the auxiliary magazines are 
 located there. Ammunition hatches for the inter- 
 mediate and secondary battery guns open on this 
 deck. This deck is below the water-line and is 
 well protected by the heavy side belts of armor and 
 by the armored deck overhead. 
 
 Bulkheads are steel walls dividing the ship into 
 compartments and storerooms. All bulkhead doors 
 and hatches fit snugly against a rubber gasket, 
 making them absolutely water-tight. 
 
 Main Engines are those used for propelling the 
 ship. The general type of engine in use is the 
 triple expansion upright type* 
 
 Twin Screws pertain to a vessel with two screws 
 or propellers. This type of ships has two sepa- 
 rate engines which are located in water-tight com- 
 partments below the water-line. All warships, 
 with a few exceptions, are equipped with twin 
 screws. 
 
128 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Throttle Valve is the valve of a steam engine 
 which regulates the amount of steam entering the 
 steam chest. 
 
 Reversing Engine is a small engine used to move 
 the reversing links of the main engine into different 
 positions. When the main engine is to be reversed 
 the steam is shut off and the position of the revers- 
 ing links changed. This alters the position of the 
 cut-off in the steam chest which causes the engine 
 to revolve in the opposite direction when the 
 throttle valve is opened. 
 
 Fire Rooms are located in separate compartments. 
 The steam pipes from the main boilers connect with 
 the main steam pipe which leads the steam to the 
 main engines. 
 
 Boilers of the ship are located well below the 
 water-line. The old-style marine boilers contain 
 many tubes through which the heat from the fires 
 passes to heat the water. The new type is known 
 as the water-tube boiler, for the water is inside the 
 tubes ; thus steam is created more easily and is of a 
 higher pressure. 
 
 Main Shaft is made in sections with solid flanges 
 securely bolted together. This shaft is connected 
 
Nomenclature of the Ship 129 
 
 with the crank shaft of the main engine and ex- 
 tends out through the stern of the ship. The last 
 section, to which the propeller is attached, is 
 known as the tail shaft. 
 
 Thrust Bearing. The first section of the main 
 shaft from the engine has several large collars which 
 fit snugly into the thrust bearing, which prevent 
 the shaft from working in or out while the engine 
 is in motion. 
 
 Jacking Engine is a small engine that can be con- 
 nected to the main shaft by cog gear. When in 
 port the jacking engine is used to turn over the 
 main engine for repairs. 
 
 Auxiliary Machinery includes the machinery of 
 the ship such as evaporators, ice machines, winches, 
 blower engines, and dynamo engines. When in 
 port only one set of boilers is fired which supplies 
 steam for the auxiliary machinery. 
 
 Steering Engine Room is located at the after end 
 of the ship well below the water-line. At sea a 
 watch is stationed in the steering engine room and 
 should anything go wrong it is immediately reported 
 to the officer-of-the-deck. The steering engine is 
 operated by moving the steering wheel on the 
 bridge. 
 
1 30 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Wardroom is located aft on the berth deck and 
 is a spacious compartment where the senior officers 
 dine. The admiral and captain also have their 
 quarters located at the extreme after end of the 
 berth deck. 
 
 Chain Lockers are located directly under the an- 
 chor engine. When the anchors are being hoisted 
 men are stationed in the lockers to stow away the 
 chain, and when they are to be dropped the men 
 are ordered to keep clear of the chain lockers and 
 anchor chains. 
 
 Sand Locker is a compartment used for stowing 
 sand. The wooden decks, gratings and boat gear 
 are frequently scrubbed with sand and canvas. 
 
 Cat-falls is a large set of tackle used to hoist and 
 secure the anchors. Many ships use a patent an- 
 chor, the stock of which is housed in the hawse 
 pipe. 
 
 Mooring Swivel. When both anchors are in use 
 the anchor chains are secured to the mooring 
 swivel, which prevents the chains from becoming 
 entangled as the ship swings with the tide. 
 
 Chain Plates are wide plates secured to the decks 
 
Nomenclature of the Ship 131 
 
 where the anchor chains pass over, thus protecting 
 the decks. The upper decks are of wood, which is 
 bolted to the steel plating underneath. 
 
 Turn Buckle is a metallic device with threads at 
 both ends used to set taut cables and rods. 
 
 Boatswain s Chair is a short board with a line 
 fastened at the ends. This chair is used to hoist a 
 person to overhaul the rigging. 
 
 Palm is a leather band which fits over the palm 
 of the hand and is used for sewing canvas. A 
 small metal disc is secured to the center of this 
 palm. The head of the sewing needle rests against 
 the disc as the needle is forced through the canvas. 
 
 Siren is one of the ship's steam whistles, and 
 when blown it creates a screeching noise. 
 
 Keelson is a heavy plating built over the ship's 
 main keel on the inside of the ship's bottom, thus 
 strengthening the keel and bottom of the ship. 
 
 Uptake is a section of the boiler which leads the 
 smoke to the smokestack. Many large ships have 
 smokestacks one hundred feet in height from their 
 base. 
 
132 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Snatch Block is a block hinged on one side. 
 This style of block saves much labor, for by open- 
 ing the block any part of a rope can be set in. 
 With the old-style block the rope's end had to be 
 reeved through. 
 
 Shackle is a link with two eyes at one end. A 
 pin is inserted through these eyes, thus forming a 
 link. Shackles are used to connect chains or 
 cables. 
 
 Sextant is an instrument used by the navigator 
 to measure angular distances to ascertain the longi- 
 tude and latitude. These define the exact location 
 of a ship when at sea. 
 
 Stud is a short brace in the center of each anchor- 
 chain link and is used on large chains. The studs 
 give the chain great strength. 
 
 Swab consists of canvas threads secured to a han- 
 dle and is used to mop or dry the decks. 
 
 Figurehead is a design fastened to the stem of 
 the ship. The styles of figureheads vary ; some 
 consist of a shield, others of the seal of the State 
 after which the ship is named. 
 
 Stern Post is an upright piece of metal at the 
 
Drainage System i33 
 
 stern of the ship. The rudder is hinged to the 
 stern post. The extreme opposite end of the ship 
 is known as the stem or bow. 
 
 Frames are the steel frames which commence at 
 the keel and curve upward to the extreme heights 
 of the ship. At the different decks, deck beams 
 cross athwartship and are well secured to the 
 frames. 
 
 Starboard. In facing toward the bow of the 
 ship, the right-hand side is called the starboard ; 
 the left-hand side is known as the port side. 
 Amidship pertains to the middle section of the 
 ship ; athwartship signifies across. 
 
 DRAINAGE SYSTEM 
 
 The ship is one mass of compartments and store- 
 rooms. All minor compartments contain drains 
 which lead the water to the main compartments 
 where it can be pumped out, for the main compart- 
 ments contain the suction pipes. When water is 
 found in any compartment it is reported to the 
 engine room and is then pumped out. When in 
 tropical waters the ship's lower hull sweats consid- 
 erably which causes water to form. In the engine 
 and fire rooms are several large pumps with many 
 
134 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 suction pipes which lead to these various compart- 
 ments. 
 
 By opening the main sluice gates the water can 
 be led to any compartment desired. The sluice 
 gates and drain valves are operated from the en- 
 closed decks, the stem of each being connected 
 with a long shaft. All these valves are made of 
 heavy brass and are tested regularly. A socket 
 wrench fits over the shaft head, and a dial plate 
 gives the position of the valve, whether open or 
 shut. 
 
 The hand pumps can also be connected for pump- 
 ing out compartments. These pumps are operated 
 by cog gear, and are manned by the crew. They 
 can also be used for pumping sea water for fire 
 extinguishing purposes. There are several hundred 
 drains and sluice valves aboard ship, and to over- 
 haul and test them requires several days* time. 
 
 When the ship is being inspected by the admiral 
 and his staff, every nook and corner is thoroughly 
 examined and a report is forwarded to the Navy 
 Department. 
 
 VENTILATION SYSTEM 
 
 This system is so perfect that all compartments, 
 storerooms and magazines are kept cool and com- 
 fortable at all times. In certain parts of the ship 
 
Ct = 
 
Ventilation System 135 
 
 two systems are used ; one supplies fresh air and 
 the other takes away the foul air. 
 
 Located in different parts of the ship are large 
 blowers which are operated by steam or electrical 
 power, each blower supplying certain sections of 
 the ship with fresh air. Should a compartment or 
 magazine become flooded with water it could not 
 back through the ventilating pipes. Outside the 
 bulkhead is a pocket containing a hollow ball which 
 rises when the pocket fills with water. The pres- 
 sure from the flooded compartment forces the ball 
 against the aperture in the ventilating pipe, thus 
 preventing water from entering. 
 
 In time of action all battle hatches are secured 
 and the large amount of fresh air forced into the 
 lower parts of the ship makes it quite comfortable 
 for the men stationed below decks. 
 
 The fire rooms and engine rooms have several 
 large ventilators extending above the upper decks. 
 At the top of each ventilator is a large revolving 
 hood which is kept faced into the wind, causing the 
 heat to be lessened in the engine and fire rooms. 
 When at sea these ventilator hoods are attended to 
 by the watch on deck whenever the course of the 
 ship or wind changes. Should there be no breeze, 
 the hoods are faced forward for the speed of the ship 
 creates quite a draft. 
 
136 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 FRESH AND SALT WATER SYSTEMS 
 
 A complete distilling plant is installed aboard the 
 ship. Most of the fresh water used is made by the 
 evaporators. Located in different parts of the ship 
 are many fresh water tanks which supply the various 
 pipe lines. 
 
 Salt water, which is pumped into the evaporators, 
 comes out sweet and pure for all foreign substances 
 are destroyed by the process of distillation. The 
 fresh water tanks are cleaned and cemented regu- 
 larly. Several thousand gallons of water is used daily, 
 particularly when at sea. 
 
 All exhaust steam from the machinery of the ship 
 discharges into the condensers which contain several 
 hundred small tubes through which salt water in its 
 cold state is circulated and by this means the ex- 
 haust steam is condensed. All water thus con- 
 densed is filtered and used again for feed water for 
 the boilers. Were it not for this condensing pro- 
 cess ships would be unable to make long voyages as 
 the water supply would soon become exhausted. 
 
 The salt water that has been used for cooling pur- 
 poses by the ice machines and evaporators empties 
 into the sanitary tank which is located on the super- 
 structure deck and is used for flushing purposes. 
 
 The piping system of the ship is a complicated 
 
Description of United States Vessels 137 
 
 affair. Connections are so made that by regulating 
 certain valves the supply can be taken from any sys- 
 tem desired. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF UNITED STATES VESSELS 
 
 The following six tables give a good description of 
 all vessels of 3,000 tons displacement or over. Only 
 vessels built for warships are included; auxiliary 
 cruisers, supply ships, and colliers being omitted. In 
 time of war battleships and armored cruisers are looked 
 upon as the most important factors, for these craft 
 are capable of steaming any reasonable distance to 
 give battle. Colliers, supply ships and other craft ren- 
 der valuable service by providing coal, ammunition and 
 provisions for the fighting vessels, or performing other 
 important duties. 
 
 In time of war, each nation must rely on its own 
 resources to furnish their ships with coal and other 
 supplies. The international neutrality laws forbid war- 
 ships of either belligerent to remain in a neutral port 
 over forty-eight hours and during this period the ships 
 are allowed to take aboard only enough supplies to en- 
 able them to reach the nearest home port. 
 
 As the monitors are of slow speed, poor sea boats, 
 and incapable of steaming a long distance with their 
 limited coal supply, they are intended and used for 
 
1 38 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 harbor and coast defense exclusively. No more moni- 
 tors are being built, for the powerful battleships and 
 armored cruisers have taken their place. 
 
 These tables were compiled from the data obtained 
 from the "Annual Report of the Chief of Bureau of 
 Construction and Repair," and have been revised and 
 declared "practically correct in all essentials," by the 
 Bureau. 
 
 The data of vessels mentioned may vary from prior 
 data, for they change in minor details from various 
 causes. For example, the contract speed of the arm- 
 ored cruiser Pennsylvania called for twenty-two knots, 
 and the horse-power to be developed at the trial trip 
 was not to be less than 23,000. This vessel made an 
 actual speed of 22.44 knots, and her machinery devel- 
 oped 28,600 horse-power, which greatly exceeded that 
 specified in the contract. The speed and horse-power 
 of a few of the large type of ships pertain to the terms 
 specified ion the contract. The length and breadth of 
 the ship, also thickness and dispostion of the armor, 
 and many other details remain the same at all times. 
 
 The length of the ships is quoted in even feet. For 
 instance, the exact length over all, of the Oregon is 
 351 ft, 2 in., the Indiana, a sister ship, is 350 ft., 11 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 139 
 
 in. Both of these vessels are quoted as being 351 ft. 
 in length. 
 
 The column marked "Single Discharge" signifies the 
 total weight, in pounds, of the projectiles fired from the 
 main battery of each ship, each gun firing one round. 
 The fighting qualities of a ship, however, cannot be 
 judged by the weight of the projectiles alone, although 
 this represents a very important factor. 
 
 A twelve-inch shell weighs 250 lbs. less than a thir- 
 teen-inch one ; a twelve-inch gun, however, is as power- 
 ful and destructive as a thirteen-inch gun. For this 
 reason ships of the new type are equipped with twelve- 
 inch guns. The total number of guns in the secondary 
 battery is given, which also includes the small portable 
 guns that are used by the batalion. 
 
 The table entitled "Summary of Vessels Built and 
 Building" gives a good idea of the total strength of 
 the navy. Gunboats under 500 tons displacement and 
 other smaller craft are omitted from this table. Were 
 they included, their data would greatly increase the 
 totals. 
 
 Not all the ships mentioned in the following tables 
 are actually in commission at one time. A few may be 
 out of commission temporarily at the various navy 
 
140 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 yards where they are being overhauled. Others may 
 be assigned to the reserve fleet, but most always can 
 be utilized quickly, since the skeleton crews, which con- 
 sist of a small portion of their regular complement, are 
 kept aboard to keep the ships in order. When a crisis 
 approaches, or at the declaration of war, all available 
 fighting craft assemble as rapidly as possible and form 
 into fleets, squadrons and divisions. 
 
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 Wm. Cramp & Sons, 
 
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 Newport News S. B. Co. 
 
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 Union Iron Works, 
 
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 New York S. B. Co,, 
 
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Growth of the Navy in 14 Years 147 
 
 HOW THE NAVY HAS GROWN IN FOURTEEN YEARS. 
 
 The following tables demonstrate the growth of the 
 navy covering a period of fourteen years. The first 
 table, dated December 31, 1894, includes all the armored 
 cruisers, monitors, and protected cruisers that were 
 completed up to and including that date. Only vessels 
 of 3,000 tons displacement, or over, are included in 
 these tables. Auxiliary cruisers, gunboats and other 
 less important craft are omitted. 
 
 By referring to the weight of projectiles fired from 
 the Delaware type of battleship, it will be seen that it 
 is 6,200 lbs. (or more than three times as much) more 
 than the six protected cuisers of the Cleveland type can 
 fire from their main batteries. The battleship also has 
 many other points of advantage besides that of firing 
 projectiles. 
 
 In comparing the expense of operating these six pro- 
 tected cruisers with that of a battleship, it will show a 
 balance greatly in favor of the latter. This fact de- 
 monstrates that the battleship is not only the most val- 
 uable in war, but is also cheaper in the end. 
 
 The aggregate tonnage of these six protected cruis- 
 ers mentioned in the table "Protected Cruisers, Built," 
 is 19,200 tons; the number of officers required 114; 
 men required 1,922. The tonnage of the Delaware is 
 20,000. This ship carries a complement of 55 officers 
 and 878 men. 
 
148 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Prior to 1894, no battleships were in commission. 
 When the second-class battleships Texas and the Maine 
 (old Maine), and the first-class battleships Oregon, 
 Indiana and Massachusetts were commissioned they 
 were regarded a great fighting craft. The fighting 
 qualities of our latest type of battleships, however, 
 greatly exceed the older type in many respects. 
 
 The following changes have been made in the tables : 
 The data pertaining to the Maine (old Maine) is in- 
 cluded in the tables up to 1898 ; after this date the data 
 is omitted, for the Maine was lost in the early part of 
 the year of 1898, in the harbor of Havana. The data of 
 the protected cruiser Charleston (old Charleston) is in- 
 cluded up to 1900. The Charleston was lost in the Phil- 
 ippines during the year of 1899. The protected cruiser 
 Philadelphia is also included in the tables up to 1902 ; 
 after this date the data is omitted as the Philadelphia is 
 used as a receiving ship. 
 
 Since only vessels on the "Active List" are included 
 in these tables, it would be misleading to include the 
 data of vessels which were lost, or not carried on the 
 "Active List." The older type of ships was rated in a 
 higher class a few years ago. At the present time 
 only battleships and armored cruisers are classed as 
 vessels of the first rate. 
 
GroTvth of the Navy in 14 Years 149 
 
 (Dec. 31, 1894.) 
 
 Number and Type of Ships 
 
 Displace- 
 ment 
 (tons) 
 Normal 
 
 Officers 
 
 Men 
 
 Single 
 Discharge 
 
 (lbs.) 
 MainBattery 
 
 1 Armored Cruiser 
 
 2 Monitors 
 
 11 Protected Cruisers 
 
 8,150 
 
 8,074 
 
 48,558 
 
 34 
 30 
 
 288 
 
 525 
 
 374 
 
 3,812 
 
 1,500 
 4,700 
 
 11,288 
 
 Total, 14 ships 
 
 64,782 
 
 352 
 
 4,7H 
 
 17,488 
 
 (Dec. 31, 1896.) 
 
 Number and Type of Ships 
 
 Displace- 
 ment 
 (tons) 
 
 Normal 
 
 Officers 
 
 Men 
 
 Single 
 
 Discharge 
 
 (lbs.) 
 
 Main Battery 
 
 3 First-class Battleships 
 2 Second-class Battleships 
 2 Armored Cruisers 
 6 Monitors 
 13 Protected Cruisers 
 
 30,864 
 12,997 
 
 17,365 
 26,104 
 
 58,153 
 
 87 
 61 
 
 75 
 103 
 
 325 
 
 1,730 
 
 821 
 
 1,065 
 
 1, ill 
 
 4,38o 
 
 20,400 
 
 4,900 
 
 4,IOO 
 
 14,562 
 
 13,828 
 
 Total, 26 ships 
 
 145,483 
 
 651 
 
 9,107 
 
 57,790 
 
 (Dec. 31,1898.) 
 
 Number and Type of Ships 
 
 Displace- 
 ment 
 (tons) 
 Normal 
 
 Officers 
 
 Men 
 
 Single 
 
 Discharge 
 
 (lbs.) 
 
 Main Battery 
 
 4 First-class Battleships 
 2 Second-class Battleships 
 2 Armored Cruisers 
 6 Monitors 
 14 Protected Cruisers 
 
 42,2IO 
 12,997 
 
 17,365 
 26, 104 
 
 61,583 
 
 122 
 6l 
 
 75 
 103 
 
 344 
 
 2,349 
 821 
 1,065 
 1, in 
 4,709 
 
 25,932 
 
 4,900 
 
 4,IOO 
 
 14,562 
 
 14,328 
 
 Total, 28 ships 
 
 160,259 
 
 705 
 
 10,055 
 
 63,822 
 
 (Dec. 31, 1900.) 
 
 Number and Type of Ships 
 
 Displace- 
 ment 
 (tons) 
 Normal 
 
 Officers 
 
 Men 
 
 Single 
 Discharge 
 
 (lbs) 
 MainBattery 
 
 7 First-class Battleships 
 
 1 Second-class Battleship 
 
 2 Armored Cruisers 
 6 Monitors 
 
 15 Protected Cruisers 
 
 76,802 
 
 6,315 
 17,365 
 26,104 
 
 65,OI3 
 
 230 
 30 
 
 75 
 103 
 
 363 
 
 4,328 
 478 
 1,065 
 I, III 
 5,°43 
 
 43,932 
 
 2,300 
 
 4,IOO 
 
 14,562 
 
 14,828 
 
 Total, 31 ships 
 
 191,599 
 
 801 
 
 12,025 
 
 79,722 
 
150 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 (Dec. 31, 1902.) 
 
 Number and Type of Ships 
 
 Displace- 
 ment 
 (tons) 
 Normal 
 
 Officers 
 
 Men 
 
 Single 
 Discharge 
 
 (lbs.) 
 Main Battery 
 
 10 First-class Battleships 
 
 1 Second-class Battleship 
 
 2 Armored Cruisers 
 8 Monitors 
 
 14 Protected Cruisers 
 
 112,406 
 
 6,315 
 17,365 
 32,554 
 61,283 
 
 339 
 30 
 
 75 
 129 
 
 343 
 
 6,412 
 
 478 
 1,065 
 
 1,529 
 
 4,757 
 
 60,532 
 2,300 
 4,IOO 
 
 18,226 
 
 13,788 
 
 Total, 35 ships 
 
 229,923 
 
 916 
 
 14,241 
 
 98,946 
 
 (Dec. 31, 1904.) 
 
 Number and Type of Ships 
 
 Displace- 
 ment 
 (tons) 
 Normal 
 
 Officers 
 
 Men 
 
 Single 
 Discharge 
 
 (lbs.) 
 Main Battery 
 
 12 First-class Battleships 
 
 1 Second-class Battleship 
 
 2 Armored Cruisers 
 10 Monitors 
 
 18 Protected Cruisers 
 
 137,406 
 
 6,315 
 
 17,365 
 39,004 
 
 72,870 
 
 420 
 30 
 
 75 
 i55 
 408 
 
 7,910 
 
 478 
 
 1,065 
 
 1,947 
 5,998 
 
 70,532 
 
 2,300 
 
 4,IOO 
 
 21,890 
 
 15,028 
 
 Total, 43 ships 
 
 272,960 
 
 1,088 
 
 17,398 
 
 U3,850 
 
 (Dec. 31, 1906.) 
 
 
 Displace- 
 
 
 
 Single 
 
 Number and Type of Ships 
 
 ment 
 (tons) 
 
 Normal 
 
 ^Officers 
 
 Men 
 
 Discharge 
 
 (lbs.) 
 
 Main Battery 
 
 18 First-class Battleships 
 
 229,198 
 
 662 
 
 12,693 
 
 111,692 
 
 1 Second-class Battleship 
 
 6,315 
 
 30 
 
 478 
 
 2,300 
 
 8 Armored Cruisers 
 
 101,085 
 
 319 
 
 6,250 
 
 20,900 
 
 10 Monitors 
 
 39,004 
 
 155 
 
 i,947 
 
 21,890 
 
 22 Protected Cruisers 
 
 105,170 
 
 535 
 
 8,304 
 
 19,728 
 
 Total, 59 ships 
 
 480,772 j 
 
 1,701 
 
 29,672 
 
 176,510 
 
 (Dec. 31, 1908 ) 
 
 Number and Type of Ships 
 
 Displace- 
 ment 
 (tons) 
 Normal 
 
 Officers 
 
 Men 
 
 Single 
 Discharge 
 
 (lbs.) 
 Main Battery 
 
 25 First-class Battleships 
 I Second-class Battleship 
 
 12 Armored Cruisers 
 
 10 Monitors 
 
 22 Protected Cruisers 
 3 Scout Cruisers 
 
 334,146 
 
 6,315 
 
 157,445 
 
 39,004 
 105,170 
 
 11,250 
 
 934 
 30 
 
 481 
 
 155 
 
 535 
 
 48 
 
 18,109 
 
 478 
 9,410 
 
 i,947 
 8,304 
 1,020 
 
 161,252 
 
 2,300 
 
 32,900 
 
 21,890 
 
 19,728 
 
 552 
 
 Total, 73 ships 
 
 653,330 
 
 2,183 
 
 39,268 
 
 238,622 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
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CHAPTER VI 
 
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF WARSHIPS — TWO YEARS ON 
 
 THE OREGON — HOW A BATTLESHIP IS DOCKED 
 
 — ADMIRAL DEWEY'S FLEET AT MANILA 
 
 BAY COMPARED WITH A MODERN 
 
 BATTLESHIP — HOW THE CREW 
 
 IS DIVIDED — NAVAL NOTES 
 
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF WARSHIPS (145) 
 
 IT is a difficult task to define any set rules re- 
 garding the size and type of the different war- 
 ships. 
 A man-o'-war is quite deceiving in regard to size 
 and strength. Take, for example, the smaller pro- 
 tected cruisers; gazing at one from a distance, or 
 looking at the photograph of one, she looms up like 
 a battleship or an armored cruiser. 
 
 By knowing the displacement, caliber of the guns, 
 and weight of projectiles, one can easily ascertain 
 the ship's power and type. By referring to the 
 "Description of United States Vessels" in this 
 book, the power and type of any ship can be ascer- 
 tained. This applies only to warships of three thou- 
 
154 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 sand tons or over. The smaller type of vessels is 
 not included, owing to the large number of them. 
 In referring to any type of warship as being ten 
 thousand tons, or any other figures, it signifies 
 that it represents the normal displacement. 
 
 In time of battle, battleships and armored 
 cruisers bear the brunt of the engagement; the 
 smaller ships being protected by the larger ones 
 when possible. 
 
 The figures, as shown in the description of the 
 different types of warships, apply only to our navy. 
 Many foreign nations, of course, rate ships of a 
 similar size and type in a higher class. 
 
 Battleships are from ten thousand tons up, and 
 they, with the armored cruisers, represent the 
 backbone of the navy. Extending the entire 
 length of the ship is a belt of armor which protects 
 her sides. The thickest portion of this belt is 
 along amidships ; it then tapers down toward the 
 stem and stern. 
 
 The battleship's largest guns are twelve- or thir- 
 teen-inch, mounted in turrets, located forward and 
 aft on the center line of the main deck. These 
 guns are mounted in pairs ; the turret revolves on 
 top of the barbette, which extends down through the 
 lower decks to the handling room below. 
 
 The intermediate guns are four-, five-, six-, or 
 
Different Types of Warships 155 
 
 sevenMnch and are mounted in broadsides, and are 
 operated by hand. 
 
 The ship has an armored deck which extends her 
 entire length. This deck is three inches thick in 
 some places and protects the ship's vitals. Ships 
 with the best armor, armament, speed, and greatest 
 steaming radius are the most valuable. When one 
 considers the power required to force a sixteen-thou- 
 sand-ton ship through the water at a speed of 
 eighteen to twenty-one knots or more, an hour, one 
 may wonder how it is possible. 
 
 Armored Cruisers average about fourteen thou- 
 sand tons. Their largest caliber guns are eight- or 
 ten-inch, which are mounted in turrets similar to 
 those of a battleship. 
 
 The armor and armament of an armored cruiser 
 are considerably less than that of a battleship. This 
 is due to the fact that the armored cruiser is of 
 great speed and also has a large steaming radius. 
 Armored cruisers are practically battleships except in 
 name. 
 
 Monitors are built for coast defense purposes and 
 are kept around home ports. They are seldom 
 sent to sea for long voyages, although the Monterey 
 and Monadnock made a successful voyage from San 
 Francisco to Manila, a distance of about six thou- 
 sand miles. 
 
156 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 A monitor has very little freeboard, that is, the 
 ship's sides, above the water-line, do not extend 
 very high out of the water. The freeboard is 
 about sixteen inches, and in time of action the 
 flooding tanks can be filled with sea water so that 
 only the turrets and upper works would be exposed 
 to fire. 
 
 The largest caliber guns on a monitor are ten- or 
 twelve-inch, which are mounted in pairs, in turrets. 
 Some of the smaller monitors have but a single tur- 
 ret in which two twelve-inch guns are mounted. 
 The speed of a monitor varies from eleven to 
 fourteen knots. A monitor represents half a bat- 
 tleship in appearance, for should another deck be 
 built on top of the monitor's main deck, and be 
 armored on the sides, the vessel would be a regular 
 battleship. 
 
 Protected Cruisers can be divided into two classes. 
 Second rate cruisers vary between four and nine 
 thousand tons; third rate cruisers vary between 
 three and four thousand tons. Protected cruisers 
 have less protection and armament than armored 
 cruisers. Their largest caliber guns are eight-inch, 
 some of which are mounted in turrets on the larger 
 type. 
 
 This type of ships is of great value for they per- 
 form a great deal of scout duty, commerce-destroy- 
 
Different Types of Warships 157 
 
 ing, etc. They have a protective deck, both sides of 
 which slant in order to divert the course of a shell 
 should one strike it. A protective deck performs 
 the same functions as an armored deck ; of course, 
 the protective deck is much smaller. The average 
 speed of the protected cruiser is about twenty 
 knots, although several exceed this speed. 
 
 Three scout cruisers, the Chester, Birmingham, and 
 Salem, are about to be commissioned. These vessels 
 are capable of making twenty- four knots' speed or over. 
 They also carry a large supply of coal which gives 
 them a large steaming radius. 
 
 Two of these vessels are equipped with turbin en- 
 gines; the Chester is equipped with the Parson type; 
 the Salem with the Curtis type of turbine, while the 
 Birmingham is equipped with the regular reciprocating 
 engines. 
 
 These cruisers are of the same type and size and 
 when completed, great interest will be taken in their 
 trial trips. Should the turbin engines prove superior 
 to the old style reciprocating engines, which have been 
 in use for years, the propelling machinery of warships 
 will be changed. Many private steamships, which are 
 equipped with turbine machinery have proved to be 
 quite successful. 
 
 Converted Cruisers are steamers which have been 
 engaged in the merchant-marine service. These 
 
158 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 vessels were purchased prior to the war with Spain. 
 Their tonnage varies according to size, but they 
 will average six thousand tons. Their largest caliber 
 guns are six-inch. These vessels serve for various 
 purposes, as they can be used for supply boats, 
 transporting troops, etc. 
 
 Some of the foreign nations compel the ship- 
 owners to build their vessels in such a manner that 
 a battery of large caliber guns can be quickly in- 
 stalled. This necessitates extra strengthening of 
 the ship. In time of war these vessels could be 
 quickly converted into cruisers, making a valuable 
 addition to any fleet. 
 
 Gunboats vary from one hundred tons to two 
 thousand tons. The expense attached to operating 
 a gunboat is insignificant when compared with that 
 of a 1? -, ship. Gunboats and protected cruisers 
 relieve me larger ships from much steaming about. 
 Should trouble be brewing anywhere, these small ves- 
 sels, or protected cruisers, are sent to investigate, and 
 should the trouble prove to be of a serious nature the 
 entire fleet would soon be in readiness. 
 
 Their largest caliber guns are six-inch, which have 
 an armored shield over and around them. Many 
 gunboats have coffer-dams which are hollow com- 
 partments filled with cellulose. Should a shell 
 penetrate the ship below the water-line, the water 
 

Different Types of Warships 159 
 
 would cause the cellulose to swell, thus closing the 
 hole. The coal bunkers being filled with coal also act 
 as a protection. Gunboats are of great use in shallow- 
 water on account of their light draught. 
 
 Torpedo Boats are in two classes. Torpedo boat 
 destroyers are long, narrow vessels about two hun- 
 dred and fifty feet in length ; the regular torpedo 
 boats being about half the size and strength of the 
 destroyers. The construction of all torpedo boats 
 is very light, and their interior contains an enor- 
 mous amount of machinery. 
 
 The destroyers make twenty-eight knots or more, 
 and their tonnage varies between four and five hun- 
 dred tons. Their horse-power is as high as eight 
 thousand, which is, of course, enormous when com- 
 pared with their small tonnage. The armament 
 consists of a few three-inch, and six-pounder guns. 
 They are also equipped with several torpedo tubes 
 from which the torpedoes are fired. The destroyers 
 make excellent despatch and patrol boats on account 
 of their great speed. 
 
 The secondary battery of all warships is used to 
 repel torpedo boat attacks. When a torpedo boat 
 attempts to torpedo a ship, its movements must be 
 rapid. 
 
160 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 TWO YEARS ON THE OREGON 
 
 When a battleship is commissioned and ready 
 for service she is then attached to some fleet or 
 squadron. 
 
 Many opportunities are given the enlisted men to go 
 ashore and view the various sights that are to be en- 
 countered, particularly in a foreign port. 
 
 At the time the Oregon was built, she was known 
 as a coast-defense battleship, owing to the fact that 
 she had a small freeboard. In 1898, when the 
 Oregon made her famous trip from San Francisco 
 to Cuba, a voyage of about fourteen thousand 
 miles, her reputation as a sea-going ship was firmly 
 established. 
 
 The Oregon set forth from San Francisco on No- 
 vember 1, 1902, en route to the Asiatic station to 
 join Rear-Admiral Evans's fleet. After leaving 
 Honolulu for Yokohama, the ship encountered a 
 terrific typhoon, which carried away several of her 
 boats and caused considerable damage about the 
 upper decks. 
 
 About midnight of November 27, 1902, when 
 the storm was at its worst, an enormous sea swept 
 over the entire ship and crushed in the starboard 
 side of the pilot house. Good seamanship and a 
 good ship came out ahead, for the Oregon escaped 
 with a safe hull, for none of the main parts of the 
 ship were seriously damaged. 
 
Two Years on the Oregon 161 
 
 Upon reaching Yokohama, the ship was ordered 
 to a Japanese shipyard where repairs were made. 
 Upon completion of these repairs, the Oregon joined 
 Rear-Admiral Evans's fleet. 
 
 The Russian- Japanese war caused all warships to 
 leave and remain away from the ports of both belliger- 
 ents until peace was declared. It is strictly against the 
 neutrality laws for a warship of any nation to visit or 
 remain in any port of either belligerent while a 
 state of war exists. The Oregon would have vis- 
 ited many other ports but for this war. 
 
 The following is a complete list, taken from the 
 author's log, of the ports visited by the Oregon, 
 covering a period of two years : 
 
 ITINERARY CRUISE OF THE OREGON 
 
 Departed from 
 
 San Francisco, Cal. 
 Honolulu, H. I. 
 Yokohama, Japan 
 Uraga, Japan 
 Yokohama, Japan 
 Woosung, China 
 Hong Kong, China 
 Amoy, China 
 Yangtse River, China 
 Nagasaki, Japan 
 Yokohama, Japan 
 Kobe, Japan 
 Inland Sea, Japan 
 
 Date of sailing 
 
 Nov. i, 1902 
 Nov. 23, 1902 
 Dec. 13, 1902 
 Feb. 17, 1903 
 Feb. 18, 1903 
 Mar. 14, 1903 
 Apr. 4, 1903 
 Apr. 7, 1903 
 Apr. 12, 1903 
 Apr. 17, 1903 
 May 29, 1903 
 May 31, 1903 
 June 2, 1903 
 
 Length of stay 
 I month, n days 
 13 days 
 8 days 
 
 1 month, 17 days 
 11 days 
 
 17 days 
 17 days 
 
 2 days 
 
 3 days 
 3 days 
 
 1 month, 9 days 
 Hove to for pilot 
 I day en route 
 
62 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Departed from 
 
 Cheefoo, China 
 
 Taku, China 
 
 Cheefoo, China 
 
 Tsnigtau, China 
 
 Nagasaki, Japan 
 
 Kobe, Japan 
 
 Yokohama, Japan 
 
 Yokosuka, Japan 
 
 Yokohama, Japan 
 
 Honolulu, H. I. 
 
 Wake Island 
 
 Guam, L. I. 
 
 Cavite, P. I. 
 
 Olongapo, P. I. 
 
 Target Range, Manila Bay 
 
 Cavite, P. I. 
 
 Hong Kong, China 
 
 Cavite, P. I. 
 
 Woosung, China 
 
 Date of sailing 
 June II, 1903 
 June 17, 1903 
 Sept. 20, 1903 
 Sept. 26, 1903 
 Oct. 20, 1903 
 Oct. 27, 1903 
 Nov. 13, 1903 
 Nov. 18, 1903 
 Dec. 5, 1903 
 Dec. 29, 1903 
 Jan. 6, 1904 
 Jan. 13, 1904 
 Jan. 20, 1904 
 Feb. 8, 1904 
 Feb. 27, 1904 
 May 20, 1904 
 June 15, 1904 
 June 22, 1904 
 Oct. 27, 1904 
 
 Length of stay 
 6 days 
 5 days 
 
 3 months, 2 days 
 5 days 
 
 22 days 
 5 days 
 
 16 days 
 5 days 
 
 17 days 
 13 days 
 iday 
 
 3 days 
 2 days 
 19 days 
 19 days 
 
 2 months,23 days 
 
 23 days 
 5 days 
 
 4 months 
 
 HOW A BATTLESHIP IS DOCKED 
 
 Located at the different navy yards are one or 
 more dry docks large enough to accommodate the 
 largest warships. 
 
 When practicable, battleships are docked every 
 six months, and as a rule they are never allowed to 
 go without docking longer than nine months. The 
 naval constructor of the navy yard has charge of 
 the docking. The captain is in charge until the 
 bow of his ship crosses the sill of the dock, then 
 the naval constructor takes charge. 
 
How a Battleship is Docked 163 
 
 All ships carry a set of docking plans which give 
 the exact dimensions of the ship. The dock people 
 set up the blocking according to these plans. 
 
 The majority of our battleships are over twelve 
 thousand tons displacement and when one considers 
 the many difficulties to be overcome, he quickly 
 realizes the magnitude of the task of docking. 
 Should one set of blocking be misplaced it would 
 perhaps ruin the ship. 
 
 A dry dock is a large excavation in the ground 
 with one end bordering on the sea. The sides and 
 bottom of the dock are built of huge blocks of 
 stone closely fitted and cemented together. The 
 sea end of the dock is called the sill, and is built 
 quite strongly, as the dock gate fits firmly against 
 it. In the center line of the bottom of the dock is 
 a continuous row of blocking, which is of uniform 
 height and is known as the keel blocking, because 
 the keel of the ship rests on it. 
 
 Extending out to the sides of the dock are many 
 large timbers well blocked underneath. The bilge 
 blocking is slid over these timbers after the ship 
 has settled on the keel blocking. These bilge 
 blockings are slid under the ship's bilges, thus help- 
 ing to support the vessel. The bilges pertain to 
 the flat portion of the ship's bottom. Bilge block- 
 ing is made in various shapes and sizes, for the 
 bottoms of ships differ in form. 
 
1 64 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 The dock gate resembles a small barge and when 
 placed in position it is filled with water which sinks 
 it and allows the water to be pumped out of the 
 dock. The dock gate contains several gate-valves. 
 Upon opening the valves the water enters the dock 
 and floods it. When the dock is filled, the water 
 in the dock gate is pumped out until the gate floats 
 clear of the sill, and it is then removed to one side 
 in order to allow the ship to enter or leave the dock. 
 
 Docking is done at high tide. When the ship's 
 bow enters the dock she is warped into position 
 with the assistance of many hawsers. After the 
 ship enters the dock, the gate is placed in position 
 and submerged. This gate has a large rubber gas- 
 ket on the inner side and the pressure of the sea 
 without keeps the gate in position, thus forming a 
 water-tight joint. When the gate has been set, 
 and the ship properly placed, the naval constructor 
 signals the pump house to start the pumps. 
 
 The pump house contains centrifugal pumps ca- 
 pable of pumping an enormous amount of water. 
 As the water lowers in the dock the ship lowers ac- 
 cordingly until she finally rests on the keel blocks. 
 
 Great caution is exercised in placing the ship in 
 the exact position designated, for should she be 
 misplaced in the slightest degree, the blocking would 
 not fit. When the ship rests well on the keel blocks 
 the pumps are temporarily stopped. 
 
How a Battleship is Docked 165 
 
 The ship is now well shored, and when completed, 
 the pumps are again started. As the water lowers 
 in the dock a small army of men are scraping the 
 sea-growth from the ship's bottom. This marine 
 growth (barnacles, etc.) is removed more easily 
 while wet. 
 
 As the water in the dock is lowering, the bilge 
 blocking is slipped under the ship's bilges. After 
 the dock has been pumped out, all necessary repairs 
 are made; sea- valves, suction pipes, rudder, and 
 propellers are thoroughly overhauled. 
 
 When the bottom is well cleaned it is then given 
 several coats of paint. The last coat is applied as 
 the dock is being flooded. This last coat of special- 
 ly prepared paint gives better results when left to 
 harden under water. The invention of a paint 
 which would keep a ship's bottom free of marine 
 growth would bring a fortune to the inventor. 
 
 When the ship is ready to be undocked, the valves 
 in the dock gate are opened and the dock is slowly 
 flooded. When a sufficient amount of water has 
 entered, the horizontal shores are knocked adrift, 
 and when the dock fills, the ship floats clear of all 
 blocking on which she was resting. The water in 
 the dock gate is now pumped out until the gate 
 floats clear of the sill, and it is then removed to one 
 side and the ship taken out of the dock. 
 
 The vessel is warped out of the dock with large 
 
1 66 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 hawsers. Tugs are at hand to tow the ship to her 
 berth ; or the ship may have steam up in her main 
 boilers, which would dispense with the services of 
 the tugs. 
 
 As the ship leaves the dock the dock gate is again 
 placed in position and sunk, and the dock pumped 
 out. All blocking is then rearranged for the next 
 vessel on the docking list. 
 
 Often two or more small-size ships are docked to- 
 gether. At the navy yards, a large traveling crane 
 travels around the edge of the dock and is of great 
 use in dismounting guns, etc. 
 
 The navy has a large floating dock in the Philip- 
 pine Islands for use by the ships on duty in that 
 vicinity. This dock is of great capacity and is ca- 
 pable of docking the largest cruiser or battleship. 
 This dock is worked on the pontoon principle : the 
 dock is submerged deep enough to allow a ship to 
 enter the docking space ; when the ship is in position 
 the flooded pontoons are pumped out until the ship 
 is gradually raised clear of the water, and she is 
 then cleaned and repaired. By reflooding the pon- 
 toons the dock quickly settles, and when sunk suffi- 
 ciently, the ship floats clear. 
 
 This dock is so constructed that it is capable of 
 docking itself. The connecting-bolts, which con- 
 nect the various sections, can be adjusted so that 
 one set of pontoons will raise another set clear of 
 
Admiral Dewey 's Fleet at Manila Bay 167 
 
 the water. Upon being cleaned or repaired, these 
 same pontoons are lowered, and utilized to raise 
 others for the same purpose. 
 
 The various nations often allow a warship of oth- 
 er nations to be docked in their navy yards. This 
 is done as an act of courtesy, for at times it is incon- 
 venient to dock at a private dockyard, owing to the 
 large number of other ships that may be on the 
 docking list awaiting their turn to be docked. 
 
 ADMIRAL DEWEY'S FLEET AT MANILA BAY 
 
 COMPARED WITH A 20,000-TON 
 
 BATTLESHIP 
 
 The following comparison will give a good idea of 
 the fighting strength of a 20,000-ton battleship com- 
 pared with an average fleet of smaller size vessels. 
 All of the warships which participated in the battle 
 of Manila Bay have been placed out of commission 
 and were thoroughly overhauled, and a different 
 type and caliber of guns installed. 
 
 The data pertaining to Admiral Dewey's fleet re- 
 fer to 1898. The column marked ' ' single discharge" 
 signifies the total weight of projectiles fired from 
 each ship, each gun of the main battery firing one 
 round. The secondary battery is omitted, as the 
 total weight of projectiles fired would be insignifi- 
 cant. Six-pounder guns are the largest caliber guns 
 in the secondary battery of medium-size ships. Ten 
 
1 68 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 guns of this caliber would discharge only sixty 
 pounds of metal. 
 
 
 
 
 Displace- 
 ment 
 (Tons) 
 
 
 »rt CO 
 
 1l 
 
 Q. O 
 
 21.69 
 
 20.IO 
 
 19.00 
 
 15.6 
 16.8 
 
 11. 8 
 
 G U 
 
 0$ 4-» 
 S3 
 
 Single 
 
 Discharge 
 
 (Lbs.)* 
 
 Olympia 
 
 Baltimore 
 
 Raleigh 
 
 Boston 
 
 Concord 
 Petrel 
 
 Protected Cruiser 
 Protected Cruiser 
 Protected Cruiser 
 
 Protected Cruiser 
 
 Gunboat 
 Gunboat 
 
 5,865 
 4,413 
 3,i83 
 
 3,000 
 
 1,620 
 892 
 
 17,080 
 8,778 
 8,500 
 
 4,300 
 
 3,359 
 1,008 
 
 j four 8" ) 
 1 ten 5" J 
 j four 8" ) 
 } six 6" \ 
 i ten 5" J. 
 ( one 6" \ 
 S two 8" I 
 ) six 6" \ 
 six 6" 
 four 6" 
 
 1,500 
 
 1,600 
 
 600 
 
 l,IOO 
 
 600 
 400 
 
 
 Total, 6 Ships 
 
 18,973 
 
 
 
 
 5,8oo 
 
 U. S. S. CONNECTICUT 
 
 s 
 
 csj 
 
 
 
 Displace 
 
 ment 
 
 (Tons) 
 
 
 C0^ 
 
 .G 0) 
 
 Single 
 
 Discharge 
 
 (Lbs.)* 
 
 Delaware 
 
 Battleship 
 
 20,000 
 
 25,000 
 
 18.10 
 
 ( ten 12" ) 
 
 j fourt'n 8" V 
 
 7,380 
 
 *Main Battery, 
 
 Admiral Dewey's fleet has a displacement of 1,027 
 tons less than the battleship Delaware. The Delaware 
 discharges 3,400 pounds more metal in a single dis- 
 charge than Admiral Dewey's entire fleet. 
 
How the Crew is Divided 169 
 
 HOW THE CREW IS DIVIDED 
 
 A glance through the various periodicals and 
 newspapers published throughout the country will 
 demonstrate that naval news is always interesting. 
 All of the statements which appear in print, how- 
 ever, are not quite true. For instance : a periodical 
 may refer to some magistrate who has given some 
 incorrigible the choice of joining the navy or being 
 sent to the reform school. An incident of this na- 
 ture casts reflection on the enlisted personnel of the 
 service; it also creates an unfavorable impression 
 with the general public. 
 
 The navy never has been, and never will be, a 
 dumping ground for men who should be in the pen- 
 itentiary. The reader can judge the truth of this 
 statement by referring to a quotation from "The 
 Bluejacket/* a naval magazine published by an en- 
 listed man. The remark in question is as follows: 
 " Every good man brought into the navy is an in- 
 vitation for an undesirable one to get out." 
 
 Occasionally an undesirable person may manage 
 to enlist, but when his true character is discovered 
 he is dishonorably discharged. The naval regula- 
 tions contain several clauses relating to the discharge 
 of any person who may turn out to be worthless. 
 When a person of this character is * ' beached " (man- 
 o'-war lingo, meaning dishonorable discharge) he is 
 
170 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 discharged for inaptitude, which, in plain English, 
 means worthlessness. In this manner the navy has 
 but little trouble in ridding the service of all unde- 
 sirables. 
 
 The term " sixteen-dollar-a-month- Jackie M may 
 also appear in print. Regarding this title, there is 
 not a bluejacket in the navy to-day who cares to be 
 called a Jackie, for the term seems repulsive in 
 every respect. There are many other terms used in 
 referring to the enlisted men, such as Jack, sailors, 
 bluejackets, or Jack Tar. Any of these titles is 
 quite appropriate, but the term " Jackie " is entirely 
 out of place. 
 
 In regard to the " sixteen-dollar-a-month- Jack- 
 ie/' the author has had the following table compiled 
 which shows in plain figures the average pay of the 
 enlisted men. This list is taken from the U. S. S. 
 Maryland, one of our armored cruisers. The month- 
 ly pay is figured singly, and collectively. The wage 
 scale is underestimated more than overestimated, 
 because the pay of the extra rates is omitted. 
 
 When a person reenlists his pay is greatly in- 
 creased. Take, for instance, the chief master-at- 
 arms of the Maryland : his pay is $73. 50 per month ; 
 upon reenlisting he will be granted four months' pay 
 gratis, and $4.36 per month additional pay, which 
 would cause his pay to average $83.96 per month 
 throughout the enlistment. 
 
How the Crew is Divided 171 
 
 In averaging the pay of the crew it will be seen 
 that each man averages $30.00 per month. This 
 could refer to the entire navy, as all ships rate a 
 certain allowance of men of each rate, which is reg- 
 ulated by the size and type of the ship. 
 
 It should also be taken into consideration that an 
 enlisted man is fed and quartered, all medical at- 
 tendance is free, and he is furnished with his first 
 outfit of clothing gratis. 
 
 The complement of a ship may vary slightly. 
 One ship may have three plumbers aboard, when in 
 reality only two are allowed. The extra plumber 
 would eventually be transferred to some other ship 
 which required a plumber in her complement. 
 
1 72 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 U. S. S. MARYLAND 
 
 Seaman Branch: Pay £ch mo - SUSfr* 
 
 1 Chief Master-at-Arms $73-5° $73-5° 
 
 1 Chief Boatswain's Mate 73-5° 73-5° 
 
 1 Chief Gunner's Mate 75*5° 75-5° 
 
 2 Chief Quartermasters 73-5° 147.00 
 
 2 Masters-at-Arms, 1st class 42.11 84.22 
 
 4 Boatswain's Mates, 1st class 42.11 168.44 
 
 4 Gunner's Mates, 1st class 44. 11 176.44 
 
 2 Turret Captains 65.00 130.00 
 
 1 Quartermaster, 1st class 42.11 42.11 
 
 2 Masters-at-Arms, 2d class 35. 00 70.00 
 
 6 Boatswain's Mates, 2d class 35. 00 210.00 
 
 4 Gunner's Mates, 2d class 35. 00 140.00 
 
 1 Quartermaster, 2d class 35. 00 35. 00 
 
 3 Masters-at-Arms, 3d class Z*$6 94.08 
 
 15 Coxswains 3^>3^ 545-4° 
 
 5 Gunner's Mates, 3d class 33-36 166.80 
 
 2 Quartermasters, 3d class S 1 ^^ 62.72 
 
 119 Seamen 26.11 3107.09 
 
 180 Ordinary Seamen 19.00 3420.00 
 
 355 Men Average monthly pay, $24.81 $8821.80 
 
 Engine-room Force: 
 
 6 Chief Machinist's Mates $72. 11 $432.66 
 
 4 Chief Watertenders 72. 11 288.44 
 
 6 Machinist's Mates, 1st class 57. n 342.66 
 
 2 Boilermakers . . 67. 1 1 134. 22 
 
 3 Blacksmiths 51-36 154.08 
 
 2 Coppersmiths 56.36 112.72 
 
 14 Watertenders, 1 st class ..41.36 579.04 
 
 8 Machinist's Mates, 2d class 4 2 -75 342.00 
 
 14 Oilers 39.11 547-54 
 
 48 Firemen, 1st class 36.36 1745.28 
 
 48 Firemen, 2d class 30.00 1440.00 
 
 107 Coalpassers 22.00 2354.00 
 
 262 Men Average monthly pay, $32.38 $8472.64 
 
How the Crew is Divided 173 
 
 Artificers' Branch: Pay !£ h mo - &S&3S 
 
 2 Chief Electricians (i wireless). . . .$72.11 $144.22 
 
 1 Chief Carpenter's Mate 72.11 72.11 
 
 9 Electricians, 1st class (1 wireless) . 52.11 468.99 
 
 1 Carpenter's Mate, 1st class 42.11 42.11 
 
 1 Shipfltter, 1st class 56.36 56.36 
 
 1 Painter, 1st class 43-36 43. 36 
 
 1 Sailmaker's Mate 41.36 4 x -36 
 
 2 Plumbers and Fitters 48.36 96.72 
 
 5 Electricians, 2d class (1 wireless) . 41.36 206.80 
 
 1 Carpenter's Mate, 2d class 36.36 36.36 
 
 1 Shipfltter, 2d class 40.00 40.00 
 
 1 Painter, 2d class 35-°° 35- °° 
 
 5 Electricians, 3d class (1 wireless). 32.00 160.00 
 
 1 Carpenter's Mate, 3d class 32.00 32.00 
 
 1 Painter, 3d class 32.00 32.00 
 
 2 Shipwrights 25.00 50.00 
 
 35 Men Average monthly pay, $44.50 $1557.39 
 Special Branch: 
 
 5 Chief Yeomen $75-47 $377-35 
 
 1 Chief Commissary Steward 75-47 75-47 
 
 1 Hospital Steward 61.36 61.36 
 
 1 Bandmaster 53-36 53.36 
 
 2 Yeomen, 1st class 43-36 86.72 
 
 1 First Musician 37-36 37-36 
 
 2 Yeomen, 2d class 37.00 74.00 
 
 3 Yeomen, 3d class 32.00 96.00 
 
 1 Printer 36.36 36.36 
 
 2 Hospital Apprentices, 1st class . . . 31.36 62.72 
 2 Hospital Apprentices, 2d class . . . 20.00 40.00 
 
 6 Musicians, 1st class 32.00 192.00 
 
 8 Musicians, 2d class 30.00 240.00 
 
 2 Buglers 30. 00 60. 00 
 
 37 Men Average monthly pay, $44.50 $1492.70 
 
1 74 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Messmen Branch: P * y & m °- SXSSvdy 
 
 i Cabin Steward $52.11 $52.11 
 
 1 Cabin Cook 47. 11 47.11 
 
 1 Wardroom Steward 52.11 52.11 
 
 1 Wardroom Cook 47. 1 1 47. 1 1 
 
 1 Steerage Steward 37. n 37. n 
 
 1 Steerage Cook 32.11 32.11 
 
 1 Warrant Officers' Steward 37. 11 37. 11 
 
 1 Warrant Officers' Cook 32.11 32.11 
 
 1 Ship's Cook, 1st class 57. 11 57. 11 
 
 2 Ship's Cooks, 2d class 42. 11 84. 22 
 
 4 Ship's Cooks, 3d class 32.11 128.44 
 
 5 Ship's Cooks, 4th class 25.00 125.00 
 
 1 Baker, 1st class 47. 1 1 47. 1 1 
 
 3 Bakers, 2d class 35-oo 105.00 
 
 18 Mess Attendants 25.00 450.00 
 
 42 Men Average monthly pay, $31.75 $1333.76 
 
 GRAND TOTAL 
 
 Total number of enlisted men 731 
 
 The crew's wages for a month $21,678.29 
 
 The crew's wages for a year $260, 139.48 
 
 Average monthly pay per man $29.65 
 
 Monthly ration money, at $9.00 per man . . . .$6,579.00 
 
 NAVAL NOTES 
 
 When at anchor, particularly in home ports, 
 warships are accessible to visitors when practicable. 
 Sunday afternoon is generally visiting day, and the 
 visitors flock aboard by the thousands. The visit- 
 ors are not satisfied until they have explored every 
 nook and corner of the ship. Some would even 
 
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 <u 
 
 - 
 
 zr. 
 
 P 
 
 Z 
 

 
Naval Notes 175 
 
 walk into the captain's cabin to see what kind of 
 breakfast food he used if the orderly did not stop 
 them. 
 
 The interior of the ship is all metal, and when it 
 is first painted, a final coat of sticky paint is used. 
 Before this coat dries ground bits of cork are 
 sprayed over it, which prevents the parts so treated 
 from sweating. Only the living quarters are treated 
 with this process. All pipes about the ship are 
 covered with felt or asbestos. 
 
 If a recruit was ordered to take the jackasses out 
 of the manger he would think some one was jolly- 
 ing him. Some ships have sections of rubber that 
 fit over the anchor chain links ; one end is tapered 
 and when drawn into the hawse pipe they form a 
 tight joint which keeps out the sea water. These 
 sections of rubber are called jackasses. Some of the 
 older type of ships have a partition extending across 
 the hawse pipes ; the space in front of this partition is 
 called the manger, and when the order is given "take the 
 jackasses out of the manger," it is strictly regula- 
 tion. 
 
 Among the many illustrations in this book is one 
 of the Naval Y. M. C. A. building at Brooklyn, 
 N. Y. This building cost half a million dollars 
 
1 76 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 and is for the exclusive use of navy men. Here 
 Jack can "drop anchor" when ashore and feel that 
 he is at home. This building contains several hun- 
 dred rooms, bowling alleys, roof garden, restaurant, 
 shooting gallery, library, and swimming pool. The 
 place is well patronized and highly appreciated by 
 the enlisted men. There are a number of these 
 institutions throughout this country, and the good 
 they accomplish can hardly be estimated. 
 
 Located about the lower decks are several leak- 
 stopper boxes which contain a set of canvas cov- 
 ered plugs of assorted sizes. In time of battle, 
 should a shell penetrate the ship's side, a plug 
 would be quickly inserted and secured with a special 
 clamping device. These stoppers are filled with 
 cellulose, and when wet the cellulose swells, thus 
 closing the hole. 
 
 When the ship has reached her anchorage spot 
 the engines are reversed, and when she commences 
 to move astern the anchor is ordered dropped. 
 The leadsman allows the lead to rest on the bot- 
 tom, and as the ship moves astern, the lead line 
 drags through his hand, and he then cries out to 
 the officer-of-the-deck, "Ship moving astern, sir!" 
 This same method is used during stormy weather 
 to ascertain whether the ship is dragging her 
 anchor. 
 
Naval Notes l 77 
 
 The temperatures of the magazines are taken daily. 
 All magazines contain thermostats, which are elec- 
 trical devices for ringing an alarm when the tempera- 
 ture is rising. The alarm bell rings on deck, and 
 by referring to the dial board the exact location can 
 be ascertained. Coal bunkers are also equipped with 
 thermostats. 
 
 Officers use the starboard gangway in going to and 
 from the ship; the crew use the port gangway. In 
 returning aboard after taps, in a shore boat, an officer 
 would reply "aye, aye," when hailed from the ship; 
 an enlisted man would reply "hello ;" should it be the 
 captain, he would answer the name of the ship. All 
 boats approaching the ship after taps are hailed by the 
 sentries or quartermaster on watch. 
 
 When in fleet formation each ship has a speed 
 cone displayed from the signal yard. When hauled 
 all the way up it signifies " engines are going full 
 speed ahead ;" when half way, •' half speed ;" when 
 quarter way, "quarter speed." Should the cone 
 not be displayed, the engines are stopped. Should 
 the engines be reversing, the cone is reversed and 
 hoisted as above. This system enables the admirals 
 and captains of the fleet to keep posted regarding 
 the movements of the ships. Two cones are used 
 
1 78 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 for twin screw vessels, each indicating the move- 
 ments of one engine. 
 
 Warships carry one or two barbers who hold the 
 rate of ordinary seamen. They charge each mem- 
 ber of the crew about fifty cents per month for all 
 tonsorial work needed during that period. The 
 majority of the "hot air " aboard ship originates 
 from the vicinity of the barber shop. 
 
 During a big storm oil is sometimes used with 
 good effect to deaden the seas. An oil bag, which 
 is secured with a stout line, is filled with oil and 
 thrown overboard. The continual swashing about 
 causes the oil to ooze out, and when it comes in 
 contact with the water it quickly spreads over a 
 large area, thus helping to deaden the seas. 
 
 Members of the crew take great pride in showing 
 visitors about the ship. Nothing offends a blue- 
 jacket more than to have a visitor whom he has 
 been conducting about the ship insist on offering 
 money for his services. Some may accept a cigar 
 as an act of courtesy, but nothing more. Should a 
 bluejacket accept any money, and his shipmates 
 learn of the fact, he would get a strong rebuke. 
 
 The rate of apprentice is now abolished. First- 
 class apprentices in the service at the time, were 
 
 
Naval Notes 1 79 
 
 rated seamen, and given a three dollar increase in 
 pay ; second-class apprentices were rated ordinary 
 seamen, and given a four dollar increase; third-class 
 apprentices were rated apprentice seamen, and 
 given a seven dollar increase. At the same time, 
 the rate of landsmen was abolished. Landsmen 
 are now enlisted and known as apprentice seamen. 
 
 The crew mess at swinging tables. After meals 
 all mess gear is cleaned and restowed, and the 
 tables and benches are secured overhead. At night 
 the hammocks swing under these tables; hence 
 Jack sleeps over where he eats and eats under where 
 he sleeps. 
 
 Naval officers, from captain to ensign, wear the 
 following gold stripes on their sleeves: captain, 
 four stripes ; commander, three stripes ; lieutenant- 
 commander, two and one-half stripes; lieutenant, 
 senior grade, two stripes; lieutenant, junior grade, 
 one and one-half stripes; ensign, one stripe. 
 
 When an ex-bluejacket, with an honorable dis- 
 charge, registers at any navy yard for employment, 
 his name is entered on the eligible list ahead of all 
 others. In taking a Civil Service examination a 
 certain percentage is allowed for an honorable dis- 
 charge. 
 
i8o The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Should a shipmate die, his^ bag of clothes is sold 
 at auction. Were his folks poor and the crew- 
 aware of the fact, the clothes would often net sev- 
 eral hundred dollars, and the money derived from 
 the sale is sent to the parents of the deceased. 
 
 Uncle Sam's warships are always welcomed in 
 foreign ports. This is due principally to the fact 
 that Jack is well paid and is of a liberal disposition, 
 and spends much money. Merchants of all classes 
 receive a share of it. 
 
 When Jack begins to imagine that he is getting 
 tired of sea life he commences to talk about farm- 
 ing, a " chicken ranch" being the favorite theme. 
 Some do start one, but this kind of life soon gets 
 monotonous, and they sell out for whatever price 
 they can get and go to sea again. 
 
 The ship's bell is struck every half hour. At 
 four, eight, and twelve o'clock, eight bells are 
 struck. Every half hour after these three periods, 
 the bell is struck, commencing with one bell, until 
 eight bells are reached, it then being four, eight, or 
 twelve o'clock, as the case may be. 
 
 During war time the ships are painted a war 
 color, which is a dark green or slate. It is quite 
 
Naval Notes 181 
 
 difficult to discern from a distance a ship painted 
 war color. 
 
 Should a member of the crew urgently need 
 money before the regular pay day, it can be ob- 
 tained by applying for a special money requisition, 
 which must be approved by the captain before the 
 money can be drawn. 
 
 When a man-o'-war arrives in a foreign port there 
 is a great scramble among the "bumboat" men to come 
 aboard with their wares to sell to the crew. A great 
 mixture of languages is used in buying and selling; 
 should a Chinaman be selling, he would talk "pidgin" 
 English ; Jack would reply likewise. 
 
 Several of the ship's boats have a gun-mount 
 platform at the bow. In case a landing or board- 
 ing party is sent away from the ship, the machine guns 
 are mounted on these platforms. 
 
 The larger type of ships is equipped with the wire- 
 less telegraph. Electricians are especially trained at 
 the electrical school to make them proficient with the 
 wireless system. This system was of great value during 
 the Russian- Japanese war. 
 
1 82 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 A hang fire pertains to a loaded gun which has 
 failed to go off after the firing lanyard or trigger 
 has been pulled. Great caution is exercised in 
 opening the breech-plug. On the large caliber 
 guns the breech-plug is not allowed to be opened 
 until several minutes have elapsed. 
 
 Smokeless powder is tested regularly, for the 
 gun sights are regulated according to weight and 
 strength of the powder charge used. This powder 
 is sometimes returned to the powder works, where 
 it is reduced, for smokeless powder increases in 
 strength as it grows older. 
 
 The lower decks are of steel. Extra heavy lino- 
 leum, which is kept well shellaced at all times, is 
 laid on these decks. 
 
 Bag inspection is often held. Jack " breaks 
 out" his bag of clothes and takes them to quarters, 
 where his division officer inspects them. All 
 clothes must be strictly regulation, and each mem- 
 ber of the crew must have a certain amount of 
 wearing apparel. 
 
 The little gunboat Petrel, which was with Ad- 
 miral Dewey's fleet at Manila Bay, is called the 
 "baby battleship. 1 ' She is under nine hundred 
 
Naval Notes 183 
 
 tons displacement. Her main battery consists of 
 four six-inch guns. 
 
 Officers and enlisted men salute as they step 
 aboard a warship. Should the officer-of-the-deck 
 be at hand he returns the salute ; otherwise Old 
 Glory silently approves. 
 
 All " gingerbread work" about the ship, such as 
 the bridge and pilot-house, could be shot away in 
 time of battle and its loss would not impair the 
 ship's usefulness as long as the machinery, maga- 
 zines, and steering-gear remain intact. Several 
 spare sets of steering-gear are located in different 
 parts of the ship. 
 
 Target practice is sometimes held at night. The 
 search lights are trained on the target as the ships 
 speed past it, and the gunpointers aim and fire the 
 guns as though it were day. 
 
 When a man deserts from the navy, his nearest 
 of kin are generally notified ; also the authorities of 
 his home town. A deserter forfeits his rights of 
 citizenship. 
 
 All ships throughout the world carry a set of in- 
 ternational signals, which enable them to communi- 
 cate with each other. 
 
1 84 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 When a good conduct medal is presented to an 
 enlisted man, he is called to the front at muster, and 
 generally the captain pins it on the owner's breast 
 accompanied by an appropriate remark. 
 
 Some of the foreign navies have torpedo booms 
 attached to their ships. These booms consist of a 
 series of poles that can be extended from the sides. 
 A large steel net is attached to the outer ends and 
 protects the ship from torpedo attacks while at 
 anchor. None are in use on our ships, as their use- 
 fulness is in doubt. 
 
 Warships carry a complete diving outfit to enable 
 divers to examine the rudder, propellers, and 
 strainers. Gunner's mates do the diving, and they 
 are allowed extra pay for this work. 
 
 Each ship has a bulletin board, where all informa- 
 tion concerning the crew is posted. 
 
 When powder is being handled the powder flag 
 is hoisted at the foremast. No one aboard is 
 allowed to smoke during this time. 
 
 Many of the large ships carry chaplains, and 
 while services are being held the church flag is 
 hoisted in a conspicuous place. 
 
Naval Notes 185 
 
 A mascot in the form of some tame animal is 
 usually carried. The Kentucky had a large bear, 
 which would growl when poked in the ribs. When 
 visiting bluejackets came aboard it was great fun to 
 see them pet the bear. Suddenly, one of the crew 
 would poke Bruin in the ribs and he would give an 
 awful roar, and the stranger petting him would run 
 for the rigging. 
 
 The use of sulphur matches is forbidden, only 
 safety matches in small boxes being used. Gasoline 
 is also forbidden to be carried aboard ship. 
 
 The decks are swept regularly each day. When 
 at sea one would wonder where the dust comes 
 from. 
 
 Many foreign navies have a conscript law, which 
 compels their subjects to serve in the navy. All 
 men in the different services of the United States 
 enlist of their own volition, and their pay, clothing, 
 etc., are unequaled. 
 
 When a warship enters a foreign port, she fires a 
 salute in honor of the nation to which the port 
 belongs. The salute is returned by the nation 
 saluted. Should a fleet enter the port together, 
 the senior ship does the saluting. 
 
1 86 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Should an enlisted man die at sea, his body is 
 sewed in canvas by the sailmaker's mate, and at 
 the feet a heavy weight of iron is attached. The 
 ship is hove to during the burial, and the colors 
 lowered at half mast. Burial services are conducted 
 by the captain or chaplain, and at the conclusion 
 of the services the body is committed to the deep. 
 The firing squad fires three volleys in honor of their 
 departed comrade, and the ship then proceeds on her 
 journey. 
 
 The engineer on watch seldom leaves the vicinity 
 of the throttle valve. Should the propeller drop 
 off, or any other accident happen to the machinery, 
 the steam must be shut off promptly in order to 
 prevent a more serious accident. 
 
 Slabs of zinc are placed inside the boilers regu- 
 larly. The corrosive elements of the water attack 
 the zinc first, thus protecting the interior of the 
 boilers. Rudder pivots and strainers on the outer 
 bottom also have small pieces of zinc placed around 
 them to prevent corrosion. 
 
 When the feed-water supply for the boilers is 
 getting short it is sometimes mixed with salt water. 
 This is seldom necessary, however, for there are 
 many facilities for making and stowing fresh water. 
 
Naval Notes 187 
 
 While forced draft is being used the fire rooms 
 are tightly closed. The blowers discharge the air 
 into the fire rooms, where it makes its exit through 
 the ash pits, up through the furnaces, and out 
 through the smokestacks. This gives the fires an 
 intense draft. 
 
 Should a ship with twin screws have her rudder 
 disabled at sea, she could steam into port by steer- 
 ing with her propellers. One screw revolving faster 
 than the other would swing the ship's bow accord- 
 ingly. 
 
 The term fi indicated horse-power M signifies the 
 actual horse-power developed at the trial trip. In 
 most instances the horse-power developed exceeds 
 the amount specified in the contract, for an excess 
 of horse-power insures more speed. 
 
 Engines and fire rooms are kept neat at all times. 
 Each member of the engineer's department has a 
 station to keep clean. Visitors always admire the 
 neatness displayed in this department. 
 
 The ship has reserve coal bunkers which contain 
 a few hundred tons of reserve coal which is not car- 
 ried on the regular coal account. Should anything 
 happen to the regular supply, the reserve coal 
 would come in handy. 
 
1 88 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Each ship is equipped with a powerful anchor en- 
 gine, which is quite essential, for should the ship run 
 aground or the anchor get stuck in the mud, reserve 
 power would be required for heaving purposes. 
 
 Most of the main bearings of the engines contain 
 hollow compartments, which are connected with a sys- 
 tem of water pipes. When the engines are in motion 
 running water circulates around these bearings, thus 
 preventing them from becoming too hot. Salt water 
 is used for circulating. 
 
 The engineers of a twin screw ship, on watch, try 
 to have both engines make the same number of revolu- 
 tions. Should one engine revolve faster than the other, 
 it causes the ship's bow to swing in the opposite direc- 
 tion, which makes extra work for the helmsman. This 
 retards the speed of the ship and also works the ship 
 slightly off her course, making it quite dangerous when 
 near shoals, etc. 
 
 A midnight lunch is served to the men on watch 
 in the engineer's department. Oatmeal is often put in 
 the ice water, to prevent the men from getting cramps. 
 
 An accurate account is kept of all shots fired 
 
Naval Notes 189 
 
 from each gun. A rough limit regarding the num- 
 ber of rounds that may be fired from a large caliber 
 gun is placed on each type of gun. When the gun 
 is well built and cared for, this limit is greatly ex- 
 ceeded. 
 
 When the ship is about to proceed to sea the 
 large guns are drawn in the full length of their 
 recoil and blocked. The turrets are also keyed to 
 prevent them from rolling. 
 
 When a bluejacket is transferred to another ship 
 he is given a station billet, which has marked on it 
 the owner's number and station at drills. 
 
 In port an anchor watch, consisting of a few men, 
 is detailed each night to be on duty in case their 
 services are required. Should there be duties to 
 perform in the night the rest of the crew would not 
 be disturbed. 
 
 Each warship and officer has a certain number. 
 When signaling or corresponding, this number sys- 
 tem facilitates matters. 
 
 The ship's compass is near the steering-wheel on 
 the bridge. The helmsman is always careful to 
 have no metallic articles, such as keys or a knife, in 
 
190 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 his pocket, as they would act as magnets and cause 
 the compass to deviate. 
 
 Old rags are seldom cast overboard, for they are 
 useful in shining bright work. 
 
 The reading out of the mail aboard ship is quite an 
 important event. 
 
 Admiral George Dewey has seen over fifty-three 
 years of naval service. 
 
 
 


 MAN-O'-WAR YARNS 
 

SYNOPSIS 
 
 The Wreck of the Yosemite. — Tomorrow is the Day 
 After. — A Sinking Ship. — A Fowl Move. — A Perpetual 
 Reward. — Ingenuity. — A Dry Ship. — Frenzied Finance. 
 — Ah Choy. — Hiram's Letter. — Lost ; A Wardroom Cake. 
 — Seagoing Smiles. — How to Tell the Weight of a 
 Porker. — Tell It to a Marine. — A Personal Story. — An 
 Old Salt's Salty Saltings. — A Valuable Curio. — Full 
 Rations. — A Few Salty Riddles. — A Bear Story. 
 
MAN-O'-WAR YARNS 
 
 IN traveling about, particularly in foreign ports, 
 one may observe many odd incidents, comical 
 and otherwise. Much knowledge is obtained 
 in various ways, for there is nothing that educates 
 one more than travel. A good idea of human 
 nature is also obtained, because one observes life in 
 its various and complicated phases. In many ports 
 when the ship is at anchor, there are several squalid 
 boats hovering around the ship to pick up the refuse 
 thrown overboard. 
 
 Should a whole slice of bread be cast overboard, 
 it is carefully scooped up and laid out to dry. 
 This slice of bread, with others, is taken ashore and 
 sold to people who are unaccustomed to such 
 luxuries. By having personal acquaintance with 
 incidents of this nature, it reminds one of the value 
 of home, and the day when a piece of bread and 
 butter was resented unless it had a quarter-of-an- 
 inch layer of " ma's jam M spread on it. 
 
 During the period of my connection with the 
 
1 96 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 navy (at present, eight years), I have gained much 
 knowledge of the world, which has always proved of 
 great value to me. 
 
 The sea is full of mystery, and the longer one fol- 
 lows it, either as a means of livelihood or pleasure, 
 the greater is his knowledge. Life on a man-o'- 
 war is quite safe, owing to the fact that every pre- 
 caution is taken to prevent accidents. 
 
 I consider it quite appropriate to begin my yarns 
 with the story of a shipwreck, which story is only 
 too true. Were it not for the loss of my five ship- 
 mates, I would take more pleasure in relating it. 
 
 THE WRECK OF THE U. S. S. YOSEMITE 
 
 At the time of this wreck, Guam was a lonesome 
 place, as vessels called there irregularly, and but 
 little was known of the island on account of its 
 location. Transports and other vessels now call 
 there regularly. 
 
 Guam is the main island of the Marianas, or 
 Ladrone group, which formerly belonged to Spain. 
 When Magellan, the great explorer, discovered 
 these islands, he landed at Guam to replenish his 
 food and water supply. While there the natives 
 purloined all the iron work they could lay their 
 hands on. For this reason Magellan named the 
 islands the Ladrones. 
 
 The island is about thirty miles long and twelve 
 
Man-o'-War Yarns 197 
 
 miles wide. Since the United States has had con- 
 trol it has made great progress. 
 
 In 1898, when the Charleston was ordered to 
 Manila, Captain Glass, commanding officer of the 
 Charleston, was ordered to capture Guam while en 
 route. On entering the harbor the Charleston 
 cleared ship for action. Subsequent events, how- 
 ever, proved that the victory was to be a bloodless 
 one. The inhabitants were ignorant of the fact 
 that war existed between the two countries. 
 
 Rumor has it that the Charleston fired a few 
 shots, and the Governor of Guam, thinking it was 
 a salute, paid an official visit to the ship and ten- 
 dered his apologies for not being able to return the 
 salute because he was out of powder. When in- 
 formed that Guam was to be taken in the name of 
 the United States he was greatly dismayed. Final 
 arrangements, however, were made for the sur- 
 render. All the Spanish subjects were taken to 
 Manila and furnished transportation to Spain. 
 Meanwhile, one of the natives who could speak 
 English fluently was appointed temporary gov- 
 ernor until Captain R. P. Leary arrived. The 
 cruiser Yosemite brought Captain Leary to Guam 
 and the ship was ordered to be detained there as 
 station ship. 
 
 The Yosemite was a converted cruiser of 6000 
 tons displacement, 3800 horse-power, and her 
 
198 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 battery consisted of six five-inch guns and six six- 
 pounders. 
 
 San Luis de Apra is the main harbor, where the 
 ships anchor. Agana, the capital, is seven miles 
 distant. About two-thirds of the population live 
 at Agana, where the palace and marine barracks are 
 located. Running parallel with the harbor is a long 
 continuous reef which acts as a natural breakwater. 
 
 On the morning of November 13th, 1900, while 
 the Yosemite was at anchor in this harbor, a terrific 
 typhoon arose with such suddenness that the ship 
 was unable to get steam in the main boilers and put 
 to sea. Several of the ship's boats were away 
 at the time and were signaled to return at once. 
 These boats were hoisted and secured with the ex- 
 ception of the steam launch. The wind and sea 
 were now so strong that the launch was unable to 
 approach the ship, and the officer-of-the-deck cried 
 through the megaphone, " Beach the launch any- 
 where and save your lives." The launch and her 
 crew of five men were lost, for it was ground to 
 pieces by the sharp coral beds. 
 
 Our troubles were now beginning in earnest. 
 The ship began to drag over the coral reefs toward 
 Sumay, a small town facing the harbor. By this 
 time steam was up in the main boilers, both anchors 
 were out, and the main engine (she was a single- 
 screw vessel) was going full speed ahead, yet the 
 
Man-o'-Waf Yarns 199 
 
 ship kept on dragging, and there were several holes 
 soon made in her bottom. 
 
 A life-boat was lowered aud manned by a volun- 
 teer crew ; this boat attempted to tow a small line 
 to the beach with which a large hawser was to be 
 hauled ashore. This would enable the crew to rig 
 up a breeches-buoy, thus making it possible to 
 abandon the ship, but the sharp coral reefs soon cut 
 the line and the life-boat was ground to pieces as 
 it neared the beach. Luckily the boat's crew es- 
 caped with but slight injuries. 
 
 The storm, which still increased in velocity, sud- 
 denly shifted its course and caught the Yosemite 
 off the starboard beam, forcing the ship out into 
 deep water. 
 
 The sick-bay was located on the forward berth 
 deck. Upon reaching deep water the ship settled 
 so rapidly that it was with great difficulty that the 
 patients were removed in time to the wardroom. 
 The ship's mascot, a black goat, happened to be in 
 the sick-bay, but when the last man was removed 
 the water rose with such rapidity that it was im- 
 possible to rescue the goat. While the sick were 
 being removed other members of the crew were 
 closing the water-tight doors. Subsequent events 
 proved that the closing of these doors saved the 
 lives of the crew, for they confined the water, 
 thus keeping the ship afloat. 
 
200 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Before reaching the open sea, the Yosemite struck 
 a rock stern first which carried away the rudder, 
 snapped two blades off the propeller, and bent the 
 rudder-shoe (into which the rudder rests) so badly 
 that when the propeller revolved, the good blades 
 would strike so that it could turn no farther. 
 
 The ship was finally blown out of the harbor, 
 and how she cleared the narrow entrance and 
 reached the open sea will never be known. Should 
 she have struck the main reef, the ship and her 
 entire crew would have been lost. The wind and 
 sea were terrible to behold ; the atmosphere was a 
 mass of spray, and it was impossible to see more 
 than fifty feet ahead. The life boats, vegetable 
 lockers and other gear about the upper decks which 
 had been well secured, were blown bodily off the ship. 
 
 At this time there was but little water in the 
 main and after holds, so the ship's stern was high 
 in the air. Bulkheads were braced, bucket lines 
 formed, and in fact everything was done to try and 
 outlive the storm. 
 
 No one aboard will ever forget that first night. 
 At times the ship would flounder in the trough of 
 the sea and roll on her very beam ends ; then she 
 would stagger as if in doubt whether to come back 
 on an even keel or not. Toward morning both 
 main pumps broke down and the water began to 
 gain rapidly in the main and after holds. 
 
 
Man-o'- War Yarns 2 o 1 
 
 It was a difficult task to overhaul those huge 
 pumps, because the engine room was in a horrible 
 mess. On the upper gratings, over the engine 
 room, were several oil tanks which were bolted to 
 the bulkheads. During the early stages of the 
 storm these tanks broke adrift and their contents 
 were spilled over the pumps, machinery, and ladders 
 below, making it dangerous to move about. 
 
 After several hours of toil, the pumps were put 
 in working order again and the water was lowered 
 in the main and after holds. The Yosemite, being 
 a converted cruiser, was equipped with only three 
 traverse water-tight bulkheads which were of a 
 flimsy nature. Nothing could be done with the 
 forward hold, as one might as well attempt to pump 
 the ocean dry. 
 
 When daylight came we were in a sad predica- 
 ment ; no rudder, the propeller useless, nearly all 
 of the boats blown away, and the ship's back was 
 gradually breaking. To make matters worse there 
 were a large number of man-eating sharks hovering 
 around the ship. 
 
 At the foremast a large American flag was dis- 
 played with the stars downward. In the navy, 
 when the flag is thus reversed, it signifies distress, 
 while in the merchant-marine service it is a signal 
 for police assistance from shore. Throughout the 
 night, rockets were fired with hopes of attracting help. 
 
202 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 All hands worked with that dogged determina- 
 tion that is never found lacking in the navy, and 
 later events demonstrated that the good work of 
 both officers and crew kept the ship afloat long 
 enough for all hands to be rescued. 
 
 During the afternoon of the fourth day one of 
 the lookout cried li Smoke-ho," and all hands 
 rushed on deck in a body to see " Where away?" 
 Sure enough, there was a small steamer hull down 
 on the horizon ; she was steaming in the opposite 
 direction, so all of our guns were loaded and fired 
 simultaneously to attract her attention. Our ap- 
 peal was answered for the steamer shifted her course 
 and came to our rescue. What a welcome sight as 
 she hove to off our starboard beam ! 
 
 The steamer proved to be the naval collier Jus- 
 tin, which was stationed at Guam with the Yosemite. 
 At the time of the storm she was well laden with 
 coal, thus only a small portion of the ship was ex- 
 posed to the wind ; as it was, she dragged a long 
 distance and narrowly escaped destruction. Cap- 
 tain Seaton Shroeder, who was governor of Guam 
 at the time, ordered the Justin to put to sea and 
 look for us. 
 
 The Justin now lowered her boats, and tow lines 
 were run from ship to ship, but when a strain was 
 put on them they snapped like twine. The Yose- 
 mite by this time was settling low in the water. 
 
Man-o'-War Yarns 203 
 
 When it commenced to get dark the word was 
 passed " All hands abandon ship;" this time it was 
 not a drill, it was a reality. The pay clerk, who 
 was acting paymaster, stood at the boat davits and 
 mustered the crew into the boats, and as each man's 
 name was called he stepped forward and slid down 
 the boat falls into the boats. When the boats were 
 filled they were rowed over to the Justin where the 
 men were transferred aboard. 
 
 When the crew went aboard the Justin they lay 
 about the iron decks, with a ring bolt or an anchor- 
 chain link for a pillow and slept like children, for 
 they realized that their troubles were over. The 
 crew abandoned the ship with nothing but the 
 clothes on their backs; 
 
 The Yosemite remained afloat that night so the 
 
 Justin stood by. Next morning the pay clerk went 
 
 aboard and saved several thousand Mexican dollars. 
 
 At three o'clock that afternoon the good ship 
 
 Yosemite went down. 
 
 She had been our home and all who witnessed her 
 death struggle will say " It was a sad and solemn 
 sight/' The ship began to stagger as though she 
 was going to turn turtle; suddenly she steadied 
 herself, then made three plunges ; at the third 
 plunge she failed to recover and kept sinking by the 
 bow until an angle of about forty-five degrees was 
 reached, and then sank. 
 
204 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 The Justin returned to Guam, and the next day we 
 entered the harbor and dropped anchor. A shore boat 
 came off to the ship, bearing the sad news that the 
 steam launch and her crew had been lost. 
 
 The day before the storm Guam was a beautiful pic- 
 ture of nature; but now all of the foliage had been 
 turned to a yellowish color by the salt water which 
 had blown ever it. Governor Schroeder had much to 
 attend to ashore; several hundred native houses had 
 been blown down, all the Government buildings were 
 more or less damaged and many natives were drowned. 
 All the food crops of the natives were destroyed, and 
 the Government issued rations to them until new crops 
 were planted and harvested and they were again able 
 to care for themselves. 
 
 When the Navy Department received the official re- 
 ports of the wreck they were so pleased and gratified 
 with the bravery and heroism displayed, that an official 
 letter complimenting the officers and crew was for- 
 warded to Guam. Upon its receipt Governor Schroeder 
 read it to the members of the crew who were detained 
 for shore duty. 
 
 When a warship is lost through unavoidable circum- 
 stances the Navy Department is always gratified to 
 know that the crew is safe. The ship can be replaced 
 with a newer and better one; this cannot be said of 
 the men who lose their lives. 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 205 
 
 Had the Yosemite been out in the open sea, un- 
 crippled, she would have conquered the typhoon. 
 
 TOMORROW IS THE DAY AFTER. 
 
 In December, 1903, the battleship and cruiser squad- 
 ron of the Asiatic Fleet, with Admiral Evans in com- 
 mand, left Yokohama for Honolulu. The fleet was 
 composed of three battleships and four cruisers, the 
 cruisers proceeding in a separate squadron. When we 
 crossed the line (180th meridian) a comical incident 
 occurred. Should you cross the line on Tuesday, en- 
 route from Honolulu to Yokohama, the next day would 
 be Thursday. In returning it is the reverse, for should 
 you cross it on Friday the next day would be Friday 
 also. A full day of twenty-four hours is not gained ; 
 the amount of time gained is regulated by the distance 
 traveled. The day of the week is altered to cause the 
 date to fall on the same day of the week on both sides 
 of the line. 
 
 I was serving aboard the Oregon at the time, and 
 in front of us were the battleships Wisconsin and 
 Kentucky. The Kentucky, being the flagship, was in 
 the lead. When the squadron crossed the line it was 
 Sunday; naturally the next day was also Sunday. 
 There was considerable work to be done aboard the 
 Oregon at the time, so it was figured out (according 
 to information furnished the crew) that we would not 
 cross the line until Monday, which meant two working 
 
206 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 days. There were two Mondays all right, but only 
 aboard the Oregon, for when we arrived at Honolulu 
 we learned that the other ships had enjoyed two Sun- 
 days. We were not out anything, however, as we had 
 the regular Sunday. 
 
 A SINKING SHIP. 
 
 A few years ago when one of our small ships was 
 on duty in Alaskan waters, a peculiar accident hap- 
 pened to one of the coalpassers on watch. 
 
 The floors of the coal bunkers of this ship were made 
 of wood and being snugly fitted together were water- 
 tight. The ship leaked a little, so the small space be- 
 tween the flooring and the inner bottom of the ship 
 gradually filled with water. 
 
 A coalpasser went into the bunker to get out coal 
 for the fires and in trying to break up a large lump of 
 coal with a heavy bar he missed his aim and the bar 
 crashed through the planking, causing the water to 
 spurt up. He thought the bar had gone through the 
 ship's bottom, so he rushed on deck to the Chief En- 
 gineer's office and reported the ship sinking. The mat- 
 ter was quickly investigated and it was found that only 
 the confined water had come up through the aperture. 
 
 A FOWL MOVE 
 
 In 1899, during the Phillippine uprising, the gun- 
 
< -' 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 207 
 
 boats of the navy were cruising continually, helping to 
 prevent filibustering and assisting the army in landing 
 troops. I was serving aboard the Bennington the 
 greater part of that year. During the latter part of 
 '99 we were ordered to proceed to Lingayen Gulf (lo- 
 cated on the West coast of the Island of Luzon) for 
 patrol duty. Lingayen Gulf was more popularly 
 known as "Hungry Man's Gulf" on account of the 
 hard living during this period. 
 
 Dagupan, a city located but a short distance from 
 this Gulf, was in the possession of the insurgents, as 
 was the main portion of the rolling stock of the Manila 
 and Dagupan Railroad. 
 
 Our orders were to steam two days a week in this 
 vicinity. After being there awhile all delicacies such 
 as sugar, flour and canned vegetables, began to run 
 short, so the principal article left was the regulation 
 hardtack. All ships rate a large drag net and ours was 
 used by the crew in earnest as the fresh-meat boat did 
 no visiting in those days. But few fish were caught 
 because the place was infested with sharks which scare 
 away the small fish. Every one aboard who could pro- 
 duce a fishing line did so, but it seemed to be "If the 
 fish don't bite you don't eat." 
 
 During one of our periodical trips in the vicinity we 
 hove to off a small island. It was noticed that several 
 canoes were headed for the ship. When they came 
 
2o8 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 near we saw that they were loaded with chickens and 
 fruit, and the owners were eagerly requested to come 
 aboard and sell their goods. The wardroom steward 
 was "on deck" first and purchased all the chickens. 
 The queerest part of this transaction was that the poor 
 natives desired old clothes instead of money for their 
 goods and when this fact was learned there was a 
 great scurrying about to scare up old clothes with 
 which to make purchases from the natives. The ward- 
 room officers decided to keep the chickens alive until 
 Sunday, so a temporary chicken coop was rigged on 
 deck and the fowls put into it. 
 
 In the forward fire room of the Bennington a con- 
 spiracy was formed by the firemen and coalpassers on 
 watch. One dark night about 2 :oo A. M., a successful 
 raid was made on the coop. It was only a few min- 
 utes work to scald, clean and prepare the ex-wardroom 
 chickens for the grill. A coal shovel was wiped clean 
 and the chickens were carefully laid on it with navy 
 butter spread over them ; the shovel was held over the 
 hot coals by willing hands and soon there was a royal 
 chicken feast deep down in the bowels of the ship. 
 
 When the wardroom officers discovered their loss 
 they held a preliminary court of inquiry. The verdict 
 was "The chickens yet left in the coop were worth 
 treble the absentees." 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 209 
 
 A PERPETUAL REWARD. 
 
 A certain marine officer when on shore duty in charge 
 of a body of marines had quite an ingenious system for 
 studying human nature. Office hours are held about 
 ten o'clock every morning and all marines on the report 
 for offences committed are brought before the com- 
 manding officer to have their cases investigated. As 
 a rule these offences are of a petty nature and when 
 the offenders are brought before the commanding offi- 
 cer they put up the most ingenious defenses ever 
 known. The punishment is generally fatigue duty, 
 which means that the offender must perform extra 
 work about the barracks while the rest of the marines 
 are at leisure. Many old-time marines claim that work 
 is a lost art with them, so extra duty is not welcomed. 
 
 The first thing this commanding officer did upon en- 
 tering his office in the morning was to take out of his 
 pocket book a crisp five dollar bill, straighten out the 
 kinks and lay it on the edge of his desk. One-half of 
 the bill hung over the edge of the desk so that the "V" 
 could be plainly seen and a heavy paper weight was 
 used to secure it. 
 
 The court was then in session and as each offender 
 was brought in, the commanding officer pointed to the 
 five dollar bill hanging so conspicuously on his desk 
 and said to the offender, "You see that five dollar bill 
 
210 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 on my desk? Well, that's for the man who can tell 
 me a story I never heard before." 
 
 Many a marine had spent a sleepless night scheming 
 up some new yarn, yet the bill remained a permanent 
 fixture. When the commanding officer was told a 
 story that he had never heard he would laugh and ex- 
 claim, "Why my good man ! I heard that story twenty- 
 five years ago." If the story was an original one the 
 off ender generally escaped punishment. 
 
 Bill Johnson, the leading boaster of the barracks, 
 often boasted to his chums that he would win the prize. 
 Shortly after pay day Bill became tangled up with 
 some tanglefoot and was locked in the guard house for 
 safe keeping. The next morning, Bill was brought 
 before the commanding officer at the regular time. 
 After being introduced to the "V" and charged with 
 being top heavy, Bill, who was quite a sea-lawyer, put 
 up the following defense : 
 
 "We got paid yesterday, sir, and when I came off 
 guard last night I started down town to see the moon- 
 light ascension of Professor Aguadientes' airship. It 
 seems my watch was wrong, sir, as I arrived too late. I 
 then decided to return home, when all of a sudden I 
 was knocked down and I looked up to see what had 
 struck me and there was the airship passing over my 
 head. It seems that some one in the airship was dis- 
 tributing bags of sand on the heads of pedestrians in 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 2 1 r 
 
 order to lighten it. It was my misfortune to be struck 
 iwith two of them and the second one put me out of 
 commission, for I remembered no more until I woke 
 up this morning in the guard house." 
 
 The commanding officer, who had never heard such 
 a plausible story before, gave a few outbursts of 
 laughter and exclaimed, "Why my good man ! I heard 
 that story twenty-five years ago; I'll let you go this 
 time but don't do it again." 
 
 Bill was in great distress as he thought he had won 
 the prize. Suddenly he was seized with an idea ; look- 
 ing straight into the eyes of the commanding officer 
 he exclaimed, "Airships were not in commission twen- 
 ty-five years ago." 
 
 Bill is the hero of the camp — he won the prize. 
 
 INGENUITY 
 
 The collier Brutus was manned by a naval crew for 
 a long period. The Brutus, being a collier, did not 
 rate a steam launch. Often the ship lay far off shore 
 and when any one went ashore there was a hard pull 
 ahead for the dinghey's crew. The members of the en- 
 gineers department converted the ship's dinghey into 
 a steam launch. On board the Brutus was an old 
 Whitehead torpedo engine, and with the help of a large 
 sheet of steel, piping, and other necessary material, a 
 serviceable boiler was manufactured, also a propeller. 
 
212 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 The dinghey was fitted up to receive the machinery and 
 when completed the trial trip took place. 
 
 A dinghey is the smallest boat carried aboard ship 
 so the launch's capacity was somewhat limited. At the 
 trial trip the launch could make five knots under forced 
 draft, four knots being the maximum speed under nor- 
 mal conditions. 
 
 The launch proved a success since she saved the crew 
 much manual labor. The coxswain of the boat was a 
 ship's company by himself; he was captain, engineer, 
 fireman, and deck hand. 
 
 A torpedo engine runs in only one direction, so all 
 eccentrics, valves and reversing levers were missing. 
 When the coxswain, etc., etc., wished to get under way, 
 steam was turned on, the coxswain then leaned over 
 the stern and gave the propeller a turn to start the 
 engine in motion. Upon making a landing great sea- 
 manship was displayed because the engine had to be 
 stopped at a certain distance from the landing as it 
 could not be reversed. A small hand pump was used 
 to supply the boiler with feed water. 
 
 A DRY SHIP 
 
 Characters 
 Admiral Twostars. 
 Captain Save'm. 
 Cabin Steward. 
 Cabin Boy. 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 2 1 3 
 
 Captain: "Steward, the Admiral is coming to visit 
 me today and as there is no champagne in stock (he 
 never did have any), I've gotten up this little scheme. 
 When I invite the Admiral into the cabin I'll ring the 
 bell and order a nice quart of Mumm's put on ice, you 
 will take the order and return in a couple minutes and 
 reply 'Captain, I'm very sorry to report that we are all 
 out of champagne, there's some nice Pabst beer left.' 
 In reply, I will reprimand you (make believe) for be- 
 ing negligent." 
 
 Admiral (who has just arrived aboard) : "How-do- 
 you-do, Captain, your ship is looking spick and span. 
 It is quite warm today. Yes, it must be cooler in your 
 cabin." 
 
 Captain (invites the Admiral into the cabin) : "It is 
 the warmest day I have experienced on this station, 
 Admiral. Why, even the pitch in the deck seams is 
 melting. (Captain rings bell and Steward enters). 
 Steward, put a quart of Mumm's on ice right away, the 
 Admiral's stay is limited." 
 
 Steward (entering a couple minutes later) : "Cap- 
 tain, I'm very sorry to report that we are just out of 
 champagne ; I ordered some yesterday, sir, and it has 
 not arrived aboard yet. There's some nice Pabst beer 
 on ice." 
 
 Captain (making a grand stand) : "No more cham- 
 pagne left? What became of that case I purchased 
 
214 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 two weeks ago? I'm going to disrate you for incom- 
 petency ; here I have a distinguished guest for company 
 and you make such a report as that? Get out of here 
 and send the cabin boy in." 
 
 Admiral (who doesn't tumble) : "Oh, that's all 
 right Captain, I would just as soon have a glass of 
 beer, mistakes will happen you know. That reminds 
 me of a little story: When my dad went fishing he 
 always took along a little jug that was marked 'Bait'. 
 One day when dad went to town, I played 'hookey' 
 and went fishing. I took dad's jug along and when I 
 went to bait my hook I found that the jug contained 
 hard cider." 
 
 Captain (boy enters as Captain is laughing at joke) : 
 "Boy, bring in a couple bottles of beer right away." 
 
 (As the Admiral leaves the ship, Captain sighs and 
 murmurs, "I've just saved three dollars.") 
 
 FRENZIED FINANCE 
 
 I mentioned in the article entitled Naval Notes that 
 when a sailor begins to imagine he is getting tired of 
 the sea he talks about starting a chicken ranch or a 
 farm. Having had some experience in that line I shall 
 proceed to relate it. 
 
 After being shipwrecked on the cruiser Yosemite I 
 was detained ashore at Guam for shore duty. One of 
 the bluejackets there owned a piece of land on a small 
 
fc >> 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 2 1 5 
 
 hill which overlooked the town, and as this bluejacket 
 was going home soon he sold the land to me for a 
 nominal sum. I purchased the land with the intention 
 of starting a chicken ranch which I did to my sorrow. 
 
 I put the chicken ranch in commission with a com- 
 plement of sixty chickens and my troubles and misfor- 
 tunes then commenced in earnest. St. Patrick must 
 have visited Guam, for there are no snakes there, but 
 there are many lizards about three feet in length which 
 are capable of swallowing a young chicken without the 
 least inconvenience. 
 
 The lizards acquired the habit of visiting my hen 
 house regularly and sucking every egg they could find. 
 As I was unable to procure glass eggs I had to put up 
 with the lizards. 
 
 The hens would become greatly frightened at the 
 appearance of these lizards and ere long they com- 
 menced to lay in the brush, which made matters worse. 
 Whenever an egg was laid the rats would eat it, and I 
 thought the hens had quit laying. One of my shipmates 
 advised me to feed them cooked meat which was a 
 great egg producer, so I therefore changed the diet of 
 the chickens. 
 
 The paymaster's store rooms wear near my place 
 and whenever any tinned meats were condemned I 
 managed to get some of it to feed my fowls. When the 
 chickens were fed on tinned meats the results were 
 
216 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 magical ; the hens even laid while they were roosting 
 In the trees at night. Yet the early bird got the worm, 
 for should I be on hand before the lizards or rats I 
 would get my share of the eggs. This state of affairs 
 was too good to last as some kind of chicken disease 
 broke out among my flock and many died. Those that 
 survived quit laying, so I sold the remainder for what 
 I could get and later on, when I returned home, I re- 
 enlisted aboard the Oregon. 
 
 About two years after the failure of the chicken 
 ranch, Guam was visited by a terrific earthquake which 
 did considerable damage to the island. Many claim 
 the island rose six inches out of the water as a result 
 of the earthquake. 
 
 My shipmates aboard the Oregon used to make fun 
 of the land I owned in Guam by saying that they 
 "would not give seven dollars for the whole Island." 
 I, in return, would demonstrate to them how my land 
 had gone up (in inches) during my absence. 
 
 ah CHOY 
 
 Ah Choy, mess attendant first-class, had often heard 
 how easy it was to be placed on the sick-list and thereby 
 be excused from all work. One day Ah Choy decided 
 to take a trial. Promptly at 8:30 next morning he 
 reported to the doctor and exclaimed "Me cachee lum- 
 eytism in left legee ; alle samee hurtee velly muchee." 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 2 1 7 
 
 The patient was put on the sick-list to enable the 
 doctor to get the run of his case. Ah Choy was in his 
 glory, as three meals a day, with nothing to do, just 
 suited him, so he decided to remain on the sick-list until 
 his enlistment expired. 
 
 After enjoying the rest cure for about a week at 
 Uncle Sam's expense, the doctor began to get suspi- 
 cious, so a close watch was kept on Ah Choy. One day 
 Ah Choy forgot himself and limped on the wrong leg. 
 The next miorning the doctor had Ah Choy laid out 
 on the operating table and "broke out" his amputating 
 instruments. 
 
 Upon sighting the highly polished knives and saws, 
 Ah Choy turned deathly pale for he felt sure that they 
 were going to amputate his leg. He could stand the 
 suspense no longer so he jumped off the operating 
 table and rushed on deck, crying "You no can cuttee 
 legee." Ah Choy is now a cured man. 
 
 hiram's letter 
 
 Unkle Sam's Battulship Independence, 
 Oct. 9, nineteen hundred ort ate. 
 Deer Ma and Pa: 
 
 Well I do be a reel sailor at las. Ther doctur at ther 
 reckrutin orfice looked me over right peart an said I 
 wuz cut out to be a sailur. Thoze suspenders that 
 Aunt Mirandy sint me be of no ust as weuns do not be 
 alowed to ust them as we ust buttons insted. I askt a 
 
218 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 feller hear whut be ther best fer me to study up fer, 
 an Admiral or Kaptin. He sez that a wize un like me 
 oughter learn to be Kaptin of ther poop deck. 
 
 This boat be four storys hi an ther floors are not 
 painted. Gee ! Ma, its hard wurk scrubbin thoze floors 
 with san an kanvas. I wuz much scairt las nite fer 
 when I wint to git in mi hammuck I felled out. A feller 
 sez git a hammuck ladder which I did. When I wint 
 to sleap I dreamt Pa's mule wuz chasin me an I felled 
 out an waked up. Ther cook sez if I'll help peal spuds 
 he'll give me sum pie checks. 
 
 I nerely broked mi neck yist'dy as I wuz goin up 
 stairs I slipt an I don't ketch ther banister in time so I 
 hit ther floor with a whing. I wuz out in a reel boat 
 the other da an I dident git sea sick one bit. Oh, ma, 
 tell me ther best way to git dirt out uv durty close 
 [without washin em ; mine gits durty orful eazy. 
 
 When I gits to sea I'm gorn to shoot them big guns 
 you hearn tell about. Gee whilikens ! youz oughter see 
 one of 'em ripsnorters they be as big as Henry Haw- 
 kin's winmill. We don't hev any lamp lites hear like 
 we hev at hoam, all lites hear tun on an orf. I tried 
 to blow one out but a feller sez turn it out an I did. 
 Don't tell enny one I'm gorn to be Kaptin uv ther poop 
 deck as I wanter cum hoam an surprize em. 
 
 I'll klose fer this time, reckonin you all be ther same. 
 Your lovin son, 
 
 Hiram. 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 2 1 g 
 
 P. S. Ask Mary Brown if she thinks sum moar uv me 
 when I gits to be Kaptin. H. 
 
 LOST — A WARDROOM CAKE. 
 
 When the armored cruiser New York was on a cer- 
 tain cruise, the wardroom steward made a delicious 
 cake. The ship had been at sea several days so cake 
 was quite a treat. As the cook was somewhat late in 
 making the cake, it was set in the pantry air port to cool. 
 
 One of the ship's electricians happened to be repair- 
 ing a fan in the pantry at the time and the instant he 
 set his eyes on the cake his appetite got the best of his 
 conscience. Repairing the fan as quickly as possible, 
 he went on deck and hunted up his chum who was an 
 A. B. (seaman). 
 
 A conspiracy was soon formed with the innocent 
 cake as the "key" to the plot. The wardroom officers 
 do not dine until about 7 :oo P. M., so it was quite dark 
 on deck. The two conspirators procured a short line 
 and headed for that part of the ship directly over the 
 pantry air port where the cake was cooling. 
 
 A bow T line was soon rigged and the A. B. was low- 
 ered over the ship's side. As luck would have it, the 
 pantry force was busy with the first course of the even- 
 ing meal, so it took only a fraction of a minute to cap- 
 ture the cake. Should the line have slipped or broken, 
 the cry of "man overboard" would have been heard. 
 
220 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 A wardroom cake is not to be had every day so the 
 thought of danger was not considered as long as the 
 raid proved a success. 
 
 The A. B. took both cake and pan forward and hid 
 them and the conspirators agreed to meet when the 
 mid-watch was called, and eat the cake. When the 
 steward went to get the cake for the dessert it was not 
 to be found. He was so sure that no one had entered 
 the pantry that he at once decided it had rolled over- 
 board. All the steward got for his pains was a rebuke 
 from the wardroom mess officers for being careless in 
 not "securing the cake for sea." 
 
 SEAGOING SMILES. 
 
 SEAMAN, SIR 
 
 Pat (heaving the lead for the first time) : "He-e-e-e- 
 haw, h — a — w — he." 
 
 Officer (from the bridge) : "What's the matter 
 there? Don't you know how to read the lead line 
 yet?" 
 
 Pat: "Oi knows the tune of it, sir; bye and bye 
 Oi'll lurn the wurrds." 
 
 A NEW HAND 
 
 Recruit : "Well, I reckon you can tell me where the 
 ship's cook be at." 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 22 1 
 
 Old-timer: "Sure, Johnny, you'll find him down in 
 the forward magazine frying fish." 
 
 CHEAP 
 
 Bill : "Gee ! I'd like to be a pilot, they get three hun- 
 dred a month. ,, 
 
 Pete : "Funny world, this, I always pays a nickel to 
 pilot a schooner across the bar." 
 
 DREAMING 
 
 Master-at-Arms (waking over-sleeping bluejacket) : 
 "Hey there ! Wake up, it's after reveille." 
 
 Bluejacket (who is dreaming) : "I don't want any 
 breakfast, ma." 
 
 WELL POSTED 
 
 Recruiting officer : "So you would like to enlist as a 
 bandsman ?" 
 
 Italian Musician : "Yes, sir, me lika." 
 
 Recruiting officer: "Who is the greatest man in 
 America ?" 
 
 Italian Musician : "Gorga da Wash." 
 
 Recruiting Officer: "You'll do." 
 
 OUT OF COMMISSION 
 
 Stormy : "Say, Mike, what must a man be to rate a 
 military funeral?" 
 
 Mike : "You got me, I don't know." 
 Stormy: "He must be dead." 
 
222 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 CANNIBALS 
 
 Little Child (who has been visiting a warship with 
 its mamma at meal-time) : "Oh, mamma!" 
 
 Mamma: "What is it dear?" 
 
 Little Child : "Ain't it funny, the sailors eat just like 
 we do." 
 
 EXTRA STARS 
 
 Recruit (to paymaster of flagship) : "Why are 
 there fifteen buttons on my trousers?" 
 
 Paymaster: "Don't you know Americas first flag 
 contained thirteen stars?" 
 
 Recruit: "Where do the extra two come in at?" 
 
 Paymaster: "Oh, they represent the stars in the 
 Admiral's flag." 
 
 CANTEEN RESTORED 
 
 Jack: "Say Bill, what do you think? There's a 
 doctor in Germany who got up a pill that will turn a 
 glass of water into beer." 
 
 Bill (greatly excited) : "What's his address?" 
 
 A DEEP DRAUGHT 
 
 Captain (joking Naval Constructor) : "I draw 
 twice as much water as you do." 
 
 Naval Constructor: "If I put you in dry dock you 
 won't draw any." 
 
Race-boat and Crew, U. S. S. Illinois. Note the graceful lines of the boat, and 
 
 the muscles of her crew. 
 
 Copyright. 1905, by Enrique }Ju]U-r. 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 223 
 
 ON DUTY 
 
 Foreign Monarch (admiring thirteen-inch guns) : 
 "How do those big guns work, Admiral?" 
 
 Admiral: "I could show you better when they are 
 in action." 
 
 STORMS AHEAD 
 
 Jack (to "Tattooed Jimmy," who is a "short timer" 
 and intends to get married) : "Going to reenlist, 
 Jimmy?" 
 
 Tattooed Jimmy: "Sure, Jack, on the matrimony 
 
 sea." 
 
 RELIGIOUS 
 
 Chaplain: "Your face is not familiar at church my 
 good man." 
 
 Unreformed Sailor : "I practice my religion every 
 moning before breakfast." 
 
 Chaplain: "I do not understand your meaning." 
 
 Unreformed Sailor: "It's me that works the holy- 
 stone on deck." 
 
 A LEG BAROMETER 
 
 Naval Doctor: "You should not be so anxious for 
 a discharge; your rheumatism is improving wonder- 
 fully of late." 
 
 Rheumatic Patient : "I've been offered a good billet 
 
224 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 in a weather bureau, sir, and my leg will help me to 
 keep the job." 
 
 Naval Doctor: "Very well, I'll recommend you for 
 
 a discharge." 
 
 LIQUID REFRESHMENTS 
 
 Old Lady (pointing to Jack's canteen) : "What do 
 
 you carry in that thing?" 
 Jack : "We carry water in the canteen, ma'am." 
 Old Lady : "Well I do declare ! That must be the 
 
 canteen question I hear so much about." 
 
 MONEYMAKER 
 
 Hickey: "Next enlistment, Windy, I'm going to 
 ship over as a baker." 
 
 Windy: "You are foolish, you can draw more 
 money than a baker." 
 
 Hickey : "A baker makes more dough." 
 
 POOR SOUP 
 
 Officer (sampling contents of pot) : "How dare you 
 issue such soup as that to the crew ?" 
 
 Ship's Cook (who was about to dump contents into 
 ash-chute) : "This is not soup, sir, it is the dish wa- 
 ter." 
 
 AIRY SAILORS 
 
 Submarine Jack: "Say, Willie, Uncle Sam's going 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 225 
 
 to put submarine and torpedo boat sailors on that new 
 airship that's about to be commissioned/' 
 
 Torpedo Boat Willie: "I knew that a month ago; 
 I'm studying for a good billet on her." 
 
 Submarine Jack : "What you going to be, a ballast 
 shifter?" 
 
 Torpedo Boat Willie : "Why, no, Fm studying up 
 to be a sky pilot." 
 
 LIGHTNING CALCULATOR 
 
 Division Officer (to recruit) : "What weight pro- 
 jectile does a six-pounded gun fire?" 
 
 Rookie (who is in doubt) : "I believe eleven 
 pounds, sir." 
 
 Division Officer : "You are wrong. What's the dif- 
 ference between a pound of feathers and a pound of 
 lead?" 
 
 Rookie (who tumbles) : "A six-pounder gun fires 
 a six-pound shell." 
 
 NO TEETH, NO MUSIC 
 
 On a certain ship we had an elderly bugler who was 
 very fond of his tea and when on shore leave it was a 
 matter of conjecture as to whether he would return on 
 time. As this ship rated but one bugler his services 
 were in regular demand. To make matters worse, 
 Jack had a set of false teeth and when on liberty, he 
 was in the habit of leaving them ashore and the re- 
 
226 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 suit was that we had no music until the teeth were 
 found or a new set purchased. 
 
 Finally things came to such a pass that Jack left his 
 teeth aboard before going ashore, for he figured that a 
 set of teeth in the mouth was worth twenty at the den- 
 tist's. 
 
 A CONTRABAND VISITOR 
 
 Shortly after the battle of Manila Bay the cruiser 
 Baltimore came to Hong Kong to dock and give the 
 crew shore leave, after several months of strenuous 
 duty. Most of the crew were "short timers," so they 
 purchased many curios for the purpose of taking them 
 home. One of the bluejackets returned aboard with a 
 small Chinese dog under his arm. As he stepped 
 aboard, the officer-of-the-deck stopped him, as the 
 regulations do not allow dogs of any kind aboard 
 without special permission. 
 
 The sailor did not know what to do, for he was or- 
 dered to send the dog ashore. Suddenly he picked up 
 the puppy and took it down the gangway as if he were 
 going to give it to the shore boat-man who had brought 
 him off to the ship. When he was out of the officer's 
 sight he opened his blouse, dropped the puppy in, step- 
 ped aboard the ship and walked forward. When he 
 got forward he hid the puppy; a few weeks later we 
 returned to Manila — the puppy went too. 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 227 
 
 SHOW ME 
 
 While one of our battleships was in dry dock a 
 farmer happened to pass by, and having never seen a 
 warship before, he asked a bluejacket what those two 
 [windmills (meaning the propellers) were for. 
 
 Jack answered, "Why them's fans which keep the 
 rudder cool." 
 
 The farmer did not seem quite satisfied with the ex- 
 planation, so he asked what moved the ship. 
 
 "The rudder, of course," replied Jack. 
 
 "stand by the pic." 
 
 While the Oregon lay at anchor off Yokohama, 
 Japan, a few months before the Russian-Japanese 
 war, we had a drill known as abandon ship. When 
 the word is passed "All hands abandon ship," each 
 member of the crew performs his allotted duty. Pro- 
 visions, water, etc., are brought to the boats and the 
 men detailed to them muster in front of their respect- 
 ive boat. 
 
 There was an Italian bandsman aboard named Joe, 
 who played the piccolo, and during the drill he seemed 
 bewildered, as he wandered about with the piccolo in 
 his hand. His division officer noticed him and in- 
 quired what his duties were when abandoning ship. 
 Joe seemed to understand his duties quite well for he 
 answered, "Me stand by the pic." 
 
228 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 HOW TO TELL THE WEIGHT OF A PORKER 
 
 After the wreck of the Yosemite the crew, which 
 were saved, were brought back to Guam and sent to 
 Agana, the capitol. Shortly afterward the Solace came 
 in and took them to Manila, where they were distrib- 
 uted among the ships of the Asiatic Fleet, a few men, 
 however, were retained at Agana for shore duty, I 
 being one of them. The natives of Guam are called 
 Chamorros and they are a very kind and docile race. 
 They speak a dialect of their own and have many 
 quaint customs and ideas, one of which I will mention. 
 
 Great ceremonies are performed in advance of the 
 killing of a porker. The porker is first brought forth 
 and sized up mentally or with a tape measure, and it is 
 then figured how many singers he will rate, as there 
 are a certain number of children invited to participate 
 in the festivities. The children congregate and sing 
 each evening for a period of about two weeks. 
 
 Meanwhile, the porker is fastened to a post under 
 the house with a thirteen-inch cord. When he is killed 
 all hands who have participated in the ceremonies re- 
 ceive a piece pro rata. Great care is exercised in the 
 measuring, because if too many singers are invited 
 there would not be enough pork to go around. 
 
 Many Americans who have been on duty at Guam 
 for a long period claim they can tell the tweight of the 
 pig by listening to the chorus. 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 229 
 
 TELL IT TO A MARINE 
 
 A marine is at the bottom of this story, therefore 
 there is some reason to doubt it. I do not wish to in- 
 sinuate anything against the marines, I simply state 
 that the story is doubtful from the fact that one might 
 say, "Aw, go tell it to a marine." 
 
 The story in question made such a strong impression 
 among the bluejackets of Admiral Evans's fleet that it 
 may perhaps interest others. During the summer of 
 1903, the Asiatic Fleet, with Admiral Evans in com- 
 mand, made Chefoo its headquarters iwhile target prac- 
 tice was being held. At the time, there were several 
 Chinese cruisers lying at anchor in the harbor. 
 
 On a certain ship a marine devised a great scheme 
 which he carried out to perfection. The full dress 
 uniform of a marine is a gorgeous affair as it consists 
 of many bright trimmings. This marine smuggled his 
 full dress uniform ashore, and later on, while on shore 
 leave, he donned it, hired a respectable looking shore 
 boat and paid a visit to one of the Chinese cruisers 
 which lay at anchor some distance from the American 
 fleet. 
 
 Mr. Marine was received with full honors, as he 
 presented himself as "Colonel Somebody, of the Uni- 
 ted States Marine Corps." As it was only a friendly 
 visit the "Colonel" was invited into the cabin where the 
 corkscrews began to get busy. The "Colonel" not be- 
 
230 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 
 ing accustomed to such a high grade of goods, soon 
 began to feel the effects, and ere long imagined he was 
 a real colonel. The result was he soon showed the 
 effects, and the officers of the Chinese cruiser, thinking 
 him ill, ordered him to be taken back to the ship to 
 which he had said he belonged. In returning aboard the 
 "Colonel" did not rate any side boys. (When an offi- 
 cer returns from an official visit, two or more side 
 boys, members of the seaman branch, line up at the 
 starboard gangway and salute as he steps aboard. This 
 comes under the heading of Naval Honors.) 
 
 A PERSONAL STORY 
 
 This story is my pride and means more to me than 
 this book though it were made of gold. Many will 
 doubt or be skeptical regarding its truth, but I can only 
 say it is quite true. I vehemently deny in advance any 
 thought of mentioning it for sympathy. The story 
 demonstrates happiness instead of sorrow. My mother 
 has been so good to me, that in looking back to the 
 days or her darkness, I take great pride in alloting her 
 this small space. 
 
 Many naval officers and enlisted men are married 
 and when convenient their wives follow the ships from 
 port to port. 
 
 An enlisted man's folks take great pride in knowing 
 that their boy is in the navy and his letters are always 
 read with great interest. Of course, women are not as 
 

Man-o'-war Yarns 23 1 
 
 much interested as men in the good points of a twelve- 
 or thirteen-inch gun ; they are apt to say "war is aw- 
 ful" and they do not stop to consider that by having 
 both quality and quantity of twelve- or thirteen-inch 
 guns the prospects of having war are like the North 
 Pole, hard to find. 
 
 Several years ago my mother went to a small coun- 
 try party where the guests had to remain over night. 
 A pillow which was on my mother's bed had been used 
 by a child suffering from eye trouble, the result being 
 that my mother contracted the disease which caused 
 her to gradually loose her sight. 
 
 Scores of remedies, operations and medicines were 
 tried but they were of no avail. The lot of a blind 
 person is a hard one, still my mother made the best 
 of it and seemed to become reconciled. 
 
 When I enlisted in 1898, I came home often before 
 being sent to sea. The first day I came home in uni- 
 form mother had to feel me all over to tell how I 
 looked. Sewed on my sleeve was my rating badge, 
 at the top of which is a white eagle made of raised 
 work, with the wings spread out. She was able to 
 tell that it was a bird by the sensitiveness of touch, for 
 she exclaimed "Isn't that a pretty bird?" 
 
 During my absence my mother's sight returned nat- 
 urally, and when I returned home she could stand a few 
 feet away and recognize me. Since that period her 
 sight has steadily improved and the day is not far 
 
232 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 distant when she will be able to read this book. For 
 this I can only say "Praise be to the One who can make 
 the lame walk and the blind see." 
 
 AN OLD SALT'S SALTY SALTINGS. 
 
 When signin' quarterly accounts say nothin if yer 
 got more money on the books than yer thought. If 
 short er nickel or more sey er whole lot. 
 
 If yer have dirty clothes wash 'em ter-day; ter- 
 morrow may be cloudy. 
 
 Never buy any terbacker, its too much trouble to 
 carry it. Shipmate Bill spells his name E-A-Z-E-Y. 
 
 Spare not ther elbow grease, Uncle Sam don't care 
 for expenses. 
 
 After yer hunger is satisfied then's yer time ter tell 
 'bout ther fifteen dollars per week that yer made on 
 ther outside. 
 
 If yer could only sen' yer hammock ashore ter the 
 wash yer wouldn't have to scrub it. 
 
 Don't holler 'bout not re-enlisting, ther louder yer 
 holler ther quicker yer come back. 
 
 Don't tell ther fellers how yer did it, let others do 
 it f er yer. 
 
 Yer needn't get tattooed ter be a sailor, there's 
 others who like salt horse. 
 
 Write often ter yer mother, she don't f ergit yer even 
 if yer are twenty-two. 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 233 
 
 Don't tell 'bout ther rich uncles yer got what's 
 workin' on ther poor farm. 
 
 Never be afraid of er big man, er turpeder boat kin 
 outrun er battleship. 
 
 When work's on han' cut out their eddicut, 'taint 
 "Good mornin' Bill, have yer used Pear's soap?" Its 
 "Hey there ! grab that scrubbin' brush." 
 
 Er enlistment is like ther tide, it runs out. 
 
 Taint alwus ther man behin' ther gun that does ther 
 work, all guns has sights on their sides. 
 
 Don't throw water on anyone ter make them think 
 it's rainin.' 
 
 When yer git home don't tell 'bout ther sea-sarpints 
 yer saw. 
 
 Alwus respect yer superior officer, yer may be one 
 yerself some day. 
 
 Many when breakin' their liberty say "Oh, I don't 
 care," but after the'r punished they often look at ther 
 bulletin board ter see when they kin go ashore again. 
 
 Er man thet makes five shots an' five hits wid er 
 twelve-inch, outranks er feller makin' eight shots an' 
 four misses. 
 
 Don't pour oil on troubled waters, it's bad fer ther 
 eyes. 
 
 Many wonder why er sailor likes ther sea, why does 
 er duck swim? 
 
 Put yer money in ther ship's bank if yer 'tends ter 
 get married when yer gits home. 
 
234 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Have ambishun, don't be a sea-ladder fer those what 
 has it. 
 
 An idear's like er dollar bill at er fair, it's easy 
 changed. 
 
 Uncle Sam ain't greedy, he often calls twice six er 
 baker's dozen. 
 
 Ther's many er slip 'tween cup an' lip, so steady 
 comin' up ther port gangway. 
 
 Some call er sailor er flatfoot, people in Oregon 
 are called web footers. 
 
 Money's made round ter go round, but we travel 
 round fer ours. 
 
 Uncle Sam's ther opposite from whale huntin', he 
 don't pay jaw-bone. 
 
 Don't tell how yer would do it, but do it. 
 
 Never think ther ship can't git erlong widout yer, 
 if yer does, don't think aloud. 
 
 Mermaids are like sea-sarpints — doubtful. 
 
 Don't say can't, 'taint regulation. 
 
 Stocks are like er ship, they rise an' fall. 
 
 When yer git promoted don't think yer a whole 
 schoolhouse, ther's other pupils 'board ship. 
 
 Don't judge people by ther gunboats on ther feet, 
 they may hev corns. 
 
 When yer unable to go ashore, work ther toothache 
 racket. Call early at ther sick-bay an' hev' one 
 ther main chewers out uv whack. 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 23 5 
 
 Ther day uf shiver yer timbers is past, we now got 
 iron ships wid petrified wood trimmin's. 
 
 Some people only drinks licker when in agony, lots 
 has pains all ther time. 
 
 'Taint all gold thet glitters, ther's nuff bright work 
 'board ship ter start er brass foundry. 
 
 GOOD MORNING. 
 
 In Japan the word "ohio" (spelled ohayo) means 
 good morning, so when the crew of a warship are 
 ashore on liberty they are greeted with many polite 
 bows and "ohios." 
 
 On board the battleship Wisconsin were two chums 
 who were born and raised in the State of Ohio, so 
 when the ship entered the harbor of Yokohama both of 
 the young men were anxious to go ashore and see the 
 country of which they had heard so much. 
 
 Shore leave was soon granted and the young men 
 went ashore and wandered about the city and saw 
 much of beautiful Japan. In the morning when they 
 prepared to return to the ship they were greeted with 
 many polite bows and "ohios." After hearing the 
 word "ohio" for about the thousandth time, Bill in- 
 quired of Jim, "I wonder how they knew we are from 
 Ohio?" 
 
 presto! change! 
 
 One morning while drinking my coffee aboard the 
 
236 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Oregon I sat near a chest on which Bill and Jack were 
 seated. Bill jumped up, went to his mess locker and 
 returned with a tin of condensed milk; he dipped out a 
 spoonful, put it into his coffee, and as he started to 
 return the milk, Jack inquired "How's chances ?" Bill 
 replied "It ain't mine." In the meantime, while Bill is 
 returning the tin of milk, Jack calmly took the spoon 
 out of Bill's cup and scraped off the condensed milk 
 into his own and then returned the spoon. When Bill 
 returned he stirred his coffee without any results and 
 finally concluded that the milk was of a poor quality; 
 Jack agreed with him. 
 
 WASH DAY. 
 
 When the Yosemite was first stationed at Guam the 
 food question was a difficult one to solve because Guam 
 is located in such an isolated place. The transports 
 were few and far between. There is now a cold stor- 
 age plant at Guam and vessels call there more regu- 
 larly. 
 
 The principal item on the bill-of-fare at that time 
 was the old stand-by, beans. There was one lot of 
 beans that had no doubt made several voyages around 
 the Horn before we got them, for it required three 
 days of steady cooking to make them eatable. 
 
 There are large coppers in the galley where beans 
 are cooked by steam. Whenever a batch of beans was 
 put into the coppers, which was often, a persuader in 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 237 
 
 the form of soda was also added. The supply of soda 
 became exhausted and as we were unable to replenish 
 our supply for some time salt-water soap was used in- 
 stead. There is but little difference between the two 
 for the soap is quite strong. 
 
 I was somewhat skeptical when the cook mentioned 
 that he used soap to soften the beans. One day I 
 happened to pass by the gallery and the cook called me 
 in and lifted up the lid of the copper and said "See 
 those beans in there?" He took a bar of "paymas- 
 ter's boquet" (nickname for this kind of soap) and 
 calmly shaved it into the copper. He then stirred the 
 beans with a large paddle, causing a heavy seafoam to 
 gather. When the soap had become dissolved he in- 
 formed me that the beans would be ready for breakfast 
 next morning. 
 
 two "old timers" growling. 
 
 Time: Summer, 1908. 
 
 Place : On board the U. S. S. Oregon at anchor off 
 Chefoo, China. 
 
 Characters: William Brown, alias Stormy, on ac- 
 count of being quite windy. James Murphy, alias 
 Spud. There are many spuds, but this is the original 
 one. 
 
 Enlistment Record: James Murphy, boatswain's 
 mate first-class, age, forty-five ; standard height ; voca- 
 tion previous to joining navy, policeman; full-rigged 
 
238 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 ship tattooed on breast; deep voice; was born in 
 Shamrockville ; has served twenty years honorably; 
 disposition cheerful; a competent man; well liked by 
 officers and crew. Spud is the boatswain's mate of 
 the first division of the Oregon and has lately re-en- 
 listed. 
 
 William Brown, chief gunner's mate; age, thirty- 
 five; vocation previous to joining navy, gasman; seven- 
 teen years honorable service; height, six feet; large 
 displacement ; also large beam ; born in Missouri ; dis- 
 position cheerful. Stormy has been a shipmate with 
 Spud on three previous occasions. 
 
 Stormy has just arrived aboard the Oregon and is 
 ignorant of the fact that Spud is also aboard. After 
 stowing away his luggage he strolls about the ship 
 meeting old shipmates. As he steps out on the fore- 
 castle he meets Spud, who is sitting on a chest filling 
 his woodstock pipe with navy plug: 
 
 Stormy : "Hello Spud old boy ! (they shake hands) 
 I thought you said you wasn't going to ship over 
 again. I knew the meal pennant would fetch you 
 back, and you done right as there is hard times ashore." 
 
 Spud: "Well I'll be torpedoed! Where did you 
 come from? I did intend to remain ashore as I 
 bought a chicken farm and kept it in commission for 
 threee months. The chickens wouldn't lay so I sold 
 the whole outfit and shipped over. No more farming 
 for me, Stormy. I thought it would take an Act of 
 
Naval Y. M. C. A. Building, Brooklyn, N. Y. This building is for the exclusive 
 use of the enlisted men when ashore. 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 23 9 
 
 Congress to take the political job away from you that 
 you had on the Philadelphia." 
 
 Stormy : "Haw! haw! haw! You old fogie! You 
 must have looked pretty piping the chickens to muster. 
 I lost my job when the Philadelphia was put out of 
 commission so they sent me out here on the Solace and 
 I caught the Oregon. You remember the Jimmy Legs 
 that used to be with us on the Philadelphia at Panama? 
 Well, he deserted and they caught him in Frisco and 
 gave him six months/' 
 
 Spud: "I heard about Jimmy, but I thought he 
 only got busted. Say Stormy, the ship's a regular 
 home and we live like a king as the commissary stew- 
 ard is a peach. Who do you think is our executive 
 officer? It's Mr. Carrol who used to be with us on the 
 old Mohican in eighty-nine." 
 
 Stormy : "I met Mr. Carrol at the gangway as I 
 came aboard and shook hands with him. They are 
 going to make another dozen warrant gunners and Fm 
 going up for it, do you think I'll make it. Spud?" 
 
 Spud: "Sure, Mike, you'll make it if you'll learn 
 about spontaneous combustion and all that rigamarole 
 stuff, you got a great head on you and had a good 
 learning and I hope you'll make it. I'm going out 
 with a pay day this time; I'm stowing it away on 
 edges in the ship's bank as I intend to get "hitched up" 
 when I get back for I've got a dandy girl." 
 
 Stormy : "Hee kw ! Hee haw ! Is the gal's name 
 
240 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 Maud? You certainly would look sea-going coming 
 down the street with Missus Spud on your port beam. 
 Come out of it man ! As soon as she got your pay day 
 she would leave you and you would have to re-enlist. 
 Better look out, you may fail as you did with the 
 chicken farm." 
 
 Spud : "There ain't no use in guying me, Stormy, 
 I haven't forgot the time you got tangled up with that 
 mermaid in Oakland. She got your whole pay day 
 and you didn't see the inside of a church either, so you 
 had better keep quiet." 
 
 A VALUABLE CURIO. 
 
 While stationed at Guam, the Yosemite made peri- 
 odical trips to Japan. On one of these trips many of 
 the crew purchased tea sets to take home to the dear 
 ones. You have to be quite smart to get the best of a 
 Japanese in buying a tea set. They say it is number- 
 one kind and praise its merits in various other ways, 
 incidentally asking a price much higher than it is really 
 iworth. 
 
 The Yosemite had a donkey boiler which has been 
 used to supply steam for the auxiliary machinery 
 while lying in port. This boiler was located on the 
 upper gratings directly over the main boilers and was 
 not in use at the time the tea sets were purchased, so 
 they were stored in and around it. Of course, while 
 lying at Yokohama only one of the main boilers was 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 241 
 
 fired so that everything around the donkey boiler was 
 quite cool. When the main boilers were fired and the 
 ship put to sea the heat about the donkey boiler was 
 terrific, particularly when we neared Guam and 
 struck the tropical climate. Many of the men on 
 watch in the fire room were wondering ,where those 
 little pieces of dough were coming from which were 
 dropping regularly through the gratings. One of the 
 men picked up a piece and found it was decorated in 
 bright colors and at once concluded that the tea sets 
 were being melted by the intense heat. Several of 
 them went to the donkey boiler to look after their tea 
 sets — it was laughable to see — where there once had 
 been beautiful, dainty, sixty-two piece tea sets there 
 now existed a trust, conglomerated and consolidated. 
 Since the tea sets were worth only about seventy-five 
 cents each, the individual losses were not great. 
 
 FULL RATIONS. 
 
 Two bluejackets were arguing one day over the 
 wages paid for help in a certain State. As the argu- 
 ment became quite bitter they decided to allow a third 
 person settle it. Upon being asked for his opinion the 
 referee expressed himself as follows: "When we lay 
 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the old Lancaster, a 
 draft of recruits came aboard and among them were 
 
 two brothers who came from the State of . 
 
 Later, I became well acquainted with one of them who 
 
242 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 told me why they had enlisted. He said that he and 
 his brother had worked five years for a farmer in the 
 
 State of and they had never received a cent, 
 
 so one Fourth of July they asked for two dollars in 
 order to go to town and see the circus. They were 
 refused the money so they left him and joined the 
 navy." 
 
 A FEW SALTY RIDDLES. 
 
 In Manila Bay, May, '98. What was the ques- 
 tion not a question ? 
 
 Do we did it? 
 
 What parts of a ship are farmlike ? 
 
 Jackasses, hawsers and crow's nest. 
 
 Why are there no labor strikes or walking delegates 
 in the navy? 
 
 All have to belong to the same Union before Uncle 
 Sam will enlist them. 
 
 Why do battleships make better watch dogs than 
 cruisers ? 
 
 They bark louder and their skin is thicker. 
 
 Why are women folks so anxious to get a sailor cap 
 ribbon ? 
 
 Because a ship is called "she." 
 
 What part of Jack's uniform reminds you of an ad- 
 miral ? 
 
 His blue collar, it has two stars thereon. 
 
 What well known nation has no navy? 
 
 Why, Carrie. 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 243 
 
 Where is the dryest place aboard ship? 
 
 The brig ; there are bars all around but not a drinJE. 
 
 What would make the best wife for an old salt? 
 
 A mermaid, she couldn't kick. 
 
 Who could outsleep Rip Van Winkle if only given 
 the opportunity? 
 
 A marine. 
 
 Why did the Oregon make that famous trip in '98? 
 
 To get to the other side. 
 
 When does a bluejacket think number thirteen un- 
 lucky ? 
 
 When there are thirteen men at his table and only 
 twelve pieces of pie. 
 
 Why is a submarine boat like a salted mine? 
 
 It takes water to float them both. 
 
 What parts of a battleship are like the army ? 
 
 Her masts, they are both military. 
 
 What is the difference between a greyhound (ocean 
 steamer) and a bulldog (the Oregon) ? 
 
 The greyhound knows how to run; the bulldog 
 knows how to fight. 
 
 Why is the sword mightier than the pen in the 
 navy? 
 
 Officers draw more salary than yeomen. 
 
 When does an old salt get salted? 
 
 When he gets married. 
 
 Why is a man-o'-war like a placer mine? 
 
 She gets cleaned up often. 
 
244 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 When a ship is at sea what does her rudder remind 
 you of? 
 
 A poor man; it is always working. 
 
 Where are Uncle Sam's initials the most conspicu- 
 ous? 
 
 On the sailor's caps. 
 
 What is the difference between an admiral and a 
 policeman ? 
 
 The policeman carries his one star while the admiral 
 has a big ship to carry his two. 
 
 Why are ships, clergymen, sailors and lovers in the 
 same boat? 
 
 They all make knots. 
 
 What parts of the machinery remind a married man 
 of his mother-in-law? 
 
 Crank, cross-head and jacking-over engine. 
 
 What is like a ship without a rudder ? 
 
 A saloon without a side door. 
 
 A BEAR STORY 
 
 Among the many illustrations in this book is one of 
 a bluejacket and a big bear sleeping peacefully to- 
 gether. This bear is known as Brunski and was 
 brought aboard ship when a cub. 
 
 The pets aboard ship (known as mascots) become 
 greatly attached to the crew and much amusement is 
 derived from them. The naval photographer (En- 
 rique Muller) who took this picture was not on good 
 
Man-o'-war Yarns 245 
 
 terms with Brunski owing to the fact that the bear ob- 
 jected quite seriously to having his picture taken. 
 
 When Mr. Muller went aboard the cruiser Chicago 
 to take some pictures, he thought it would be interest- 
 ing to take Brunski's also. The bear happened to be 
 sitting on the railing when the photographer came 
 aboard so the camera was set up and preparations 
 made. 
 
 Brunski was taking great interest in the proceed- 
 ings. When the photographer placed the cloth over 
 his head to get a focus on the bear Brunski decided to 
 take a hand. He jumped down from the railing and 
 made a rush for the camera. The photographer saw 
 him coming and being quite frightened he made for 
 the gangway and ran ashore (the ship was tied up to 
 the dock.) 
 
 One of the crew took the bear away from the cam- 
 era and the photographer returned aboard, packed up 
 his camera and went home. A few days later the 
 photographer's son had some pictures to take aboard 
 the Chicago so his dad told him to take a picture of the 
 bear also. 
 
 The son being unaware of the trouble his father 
 had with the bear, went aboard and found Brunski in 
 a good position for taking a picture. The camera was 
 soon set up and when the cloth was placed over the 
 photographer's head, Brunski became angry and made 
 a rush for the camera. The son saw the bear coming 
 toward him and got out of the way in time. Brunski 
 
246 The American Battleship in Commission 
 
 struck the camera a blow with his paw and demolished 
 it. 
 
 When the bear was led away, the son returned 
 aboard, cleared up the wreckage and going home, told 
 his father of the trouble, which caused him to smile. 
 
 One day the photographer caught Brunski and a 
 bluejacket sleeping soundly together so he decided to 
 take another chance. The results were quite satis- 
 factory as the illustration reproduced in this book 
 shows. 
 
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 KB 46 1. 
 
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