Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1896 — MAN-OF-WAR CALLS. [ARTICLE]

MAN-OF-WAR CALLS.

Ths Bugle Summons the Crew to Quarters and to Man the Cunt. Meanwhile there sounds another call which means “Clean bright work.” Then tarpaulins are spread upon the decks around the guns, rags, oil and brick-dust are produced, and the crew at once becomes busily engaged in cleaning and polishing the glittering brass-work of hand-rails, deck-fltUngs. and gun-mounts, until the call tells that the time for such work has expired, aud they must clean up the deck for quarters and drills. The call to quarters usually begins with the drum beat pud ends with the bugle notes of “As•erubly.” This is the most inspiring, rallying of all the bugle calls. Once when encampted with one hundred men in a jungle on the Isthmus of Panama, surrounded by hostile people, we were so suddeuly surprised in the dead lof night that our men sprang up in panic, overturning their stacks of arms without taking them, und fleeing wildly in all directions in spite of the orders and even threats of their officers. All seemed lost iu a disgraceful rout, when our captain chanced to catch the flying bugler, aud, holding him fast, ordered him to sound the Assembly. Then was seen the magic of that military call, reaching the eur of every puuicstriekeu sailor and marine with Its appeal to their manhood and duty and its strangely inspiring reassurance. The flight into the jungle wns Instantly stayed and turned into a rush to arms, and In less than a minute every man was at Ills post of duty, with arms in hand, fearless aud lieartilv ashamed of his folly.There is one other call to quarters on board ship even more imperative than the assembly, but Its notes are high aud rapid like a (Linger cry. It means: “To the guns! Cast loose and provide,” and is sounded without warning by day or night. No muster is awaiting then; every man flies to his station aud the guns are cleared away and loaded without waiting for uu order, for the call means that the enemy Is at hand. Short bugle-calls then follow in action which relute to the handling of the guns, such ns “Silence;” “Commence Firing;" “Cense Firing;" “Secure." After the guns are secured and everything is mnde snug and tidy, the men stand quietly at their stations until they are dismissed by the call. The call to "General quarters" Is often sounded on a man-of-war in the dead of night for practice. The officers and men spring from their bunks nud hammocks, the men rush with their hammocks liulf lashed, to the'nettings then hasten to their guns, cast them loose, load aud Are a blank charge (powder only); aud nil this can usually be done in less than ten minutes. Another call which must be promptly obeyed is that to man and arm the boats.” When this Is sounded, boats’ crews supply their boats with provisions, water, ammunition and rifles, and the larger boats with Gatling guns aud howitzers, and prepare to mnke n landing on a hostile const, or to attack and take possession of an enemy’s ship. Each boat, too, in a man-of-war, lias Its own bugle call, which, when sounded, calls her crew to man thtat boat Bloue, for ordinary purposes of traffic.