Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1893 — SUNDAY ON A MAN O’-WAR. [ARTICLE]

SUNDAY ON A MAN O’-WAR.

Inspection and General Muster the Bane of a Sailor’s Kxlstence. To the average American bluejacket the function known as Sunday inspection and general muster is a specimen of elaborate nonsense that overtops all others. On board a commissioned man-of-war it takes place tifty-two times a year, and takes precedence over everything else short of shipwreck, fire, or some other disaster. The preparations ihat are made for it would lead an observer who is not familiar with the ways of war vessels to think that it was a sort of state affair that happened once in a hundred years. They are begun Friday night, when grease spots and stains on the deck are coated with lime to render them more susceptible to the influence of the holystone. Saturday morning all hands are called at early daylight and set to scrubbing and holystoning the decks. AVhcn the decks are white and clean, other woodwork, together with ladders, ramrods handspikes, etc., is attacked and scrubbed into an immaculate whiteness. After breakfast attention is given to the brasswork of the deck aud battery, and both are polished until they are as bright as cleaning gear can make them. The day is generally occupied in touching up spots with fresh paint where the old has been worn off, and coating cables, bitts, and ringbolts with coal tar. With the exception of the holystoning the decks, the same performance is gone through with Sunday morning. Alter breakfast the crew array themselves in their best suits of mustering clothes, the marines put an extra coat of pipe clay on their helmets a d belts, and everybody hides everything that belongs to him somewhere out of sight. Woe betide the luckless person who leaves any part of his property lying around. It is promptly confiscated by the sailor's natural enemy, the master at arms, and the owner is reported for the offence. Finally the bugle sounds the call for inspection, and the crew muster in the parts of the ship where they belong. The commanding officer emerges from his cabin and, accompanied by his first lieutenant aud the officers of the deck, starts on a tour of inspection, which generally lasts about an hour. “Quarters” and “general muster" follow. The “Articles of War,” which every one among the crew generally knows by rote, are read by the executive officer. The reading takes half an hour or so, and when it is concluded such general orders as may have been issued by the Navy Department since the last muster are read. The Paymaster next takes the crew in hand and calls the name of every person attached to the ship,who answers with his name and rank. The entire forenoon is occupied with these various matters, and the result is that Sunday to the man-o’-warsman is a day of penance instead of a day or rest.