Show GOING INTO COMMISSION 1 The Exact Meaning of This Current i j t Naval Phrase j There has been much talk of late about i putting vessels of the navy into commls I Ion The full meaning of the term Is I something of which few haye any Ado i quate conception To put a modern war j ship nto commission involves an enormous enor-mous amount of work which can be fully appreciated only by one who has observed the process from beginning to end When a vessel of ic navy Is laid up In reserve or in ordinary as It is called t it is far from an attractive object and could hardly be recognized as the same ship when in thorough trim with a crew aboard The ship Is anchored at a convenient conve-nient navy yard the stores are sent h elgg engines and guns covered with oil and an antlrustlng paint her decks 01 antrustng are allowed to become dirty her sides dull and stained from rusty chains Thus she lies perhaps for months and then an order comes from the secretary of the navy through the chief of the bureau of navigation directing the commanding officer cer of the yard to get her ready for sea j OVERHAULING THE SHIP I When there Is a crisis on as there has been of late this calls for an activity and I a display or executive ability which puts i the most experienced officer to the tests test-s soon as the order comes the commandant I com-mandant transmits I dt to the officers o1 I charge of different departments and the i complicated machinery of the yard I set V in motion The first thing to be done Is i to bring as many men as possible from the receiving ship which lies hard by and i these with the force of the yard under V the direction of whatever officers are i d h saf available begin at once to put things to i i rights and remove the accumulated dust V i and dirt from the different parts of the i equipment The engineers force goes at V t once to the engine and boiler rooms the t antlrusting paint is removed from the I engine new packing Is put in the valves and joints the pumps are tested the rust and dirt Is knocked from the interiors of anc j I lire boxes and boiler tubes and grate bars I renewed Outwardly everything is now In fair condition V I con-dition but this Is only the beginning I V remains to get up steam in some of the boilers turn over the engines to see If I i they are in proper trim engnes the dynamos i dyna-mos test the electric lights and the pilothouse I I pilot-house signals I turn on the search lights start the fans work the steering gear and I II steering engines set the hoisting 1 I machine ret nf I cn f ry in motion and put the boat cranes in operation Every engine boiler pipe wire tube rivet bolt nut and plate Is carefully inspected and if founO unserviceable nyf viceable from any cause I lun The I tool outfit Is examined and if anything is outt lost or broken requisition Is made on the I naval storekeeper for a duplicate the lire room shovels slice bars rakes and hoes hunted and In j are up put their proper places in the paymasters department I the stores which are taken from the vessel ves-sel when she was placed in ordinary are careful examined and whatever Is found to be damaged is condemned and requisition requisi-tion Is made for new Next the equipment storehouse is visited vis-ited and a full allowance of beef pork beans potatoes coffee sugar l flour meal clothing shoes hammocks blankets blank-ets paint tobaccoIn short the whole miscellaneous assortment of the commissary lnneouH missary department is placed on board > The paymaster l of the ship I Is respon I fol for every article received ggn a I I strict account is kept of each Then the galley or cooking store has to be examined exam-ined to see I fhof is complete In all its finding The outfit of a galley usually usual-ly consists of two copper kettles of 30 gallons each a oOgallon kettle with cast I iron Jacket and copperhinged covers i two steamers for vegltables each with a capacity of 32 gallons two sets of saucepans a tine sat of tools for lifting and firing and the ordinary cooking im j I plcments I i PERFECTING THE EQUIPMENT ThJ line officers look after the condition I condi-tion of the guns the rigging the boats the cables the anchors the flags and signals I the charts the nautical Instruments V meats and other parts of the ships tl tlm V i equipment What this l means can only be appreciated by one who has actually undertaken the task A volume might be written in regard to the signals alone I When all this work has been dom the ship is ready to go into commission and anl I up to this time everything has been l under control of the commandant of V the yard tt M ll l t when the captain of i tho ship arrives and reports hlmself j to the yard commander little remains I for him to attend to In the meantime I men have been brought together to constitute con-stitute the crew Sometimes they arc I i enlisted particularly for the ship which 1 Is about to go Into service at other V times they are withdrawn from other t ships which have just been put out of commission The crew and the marines j i report aboard with bugs and hammocks the captain orders the crew to be drawn 1 up on the spar deck promptly I at noon ntht I upon the day on which the ship Is to be put formally In commission reads to them his orders from the secretary of I the navy detailing him to the comnund hqlsts thp commission pennant to the main truck ant the stars and stripes to ready the gaff or staff at the stern and all is WHAT IX COMMISSION MEANS The ship Is now in commission From this time regular watches are kept day and night at sea and In port an officer I of the line Is constantly on duty on the deck and an officer of the engineer corps Is on duty In the engine room The officer of marines in command of time guard sees to It 1 that there Is an orderly ltgt Ifhgnc derly stationed I at the door of the captains cap-tains cabin at the scuttlebtit to prevent pre-vent a walt of water and usually on the forecastle and at the gangway whllo In port A manofwars crew or as it is termed In the service the ships company com-pany Is divided into two watchcj the starboard and port and sometimes again divided Into the first and second parts of each Theso full or half watches watch-es are on duty four hours at 1 time from eight bells to eight bells tic bell being jspundgd on the half hoursj com mencing at J2JO oclock with one bell I and continuing till 4 oclock eight I bells when the system Is repeated From 4 oclock In the afternoon till 6 and from G to S the watches are of only two hours duration and are culled dogwatches r dog-watches This is done to break the regular reg-ular routine and prsvent one watch I standing the greater part of the night j duty In port from 6 to 12 men are kept i i ht ee 1fdki i on deck at night These are called the anchor watch 1 Everything having been put in running I run-ning order coal taken on board from lighters alongside or from the dock and the ship ready to go to sea she casts I i I oiT from fld navy ro wharf and proceeds I pro-ceeds to thepowdor magazine which Is always situated some distance from the V i yard There she takes on her ammunl j tlon which is I the last act In the outfit I i ting of a war vessel I A shin is not permitted per-mitted by the navy regulations to come to a yard or station with her ammunition I in her magazines j She Is now fully equipped with her 1 complement of officers and crew and t i ready to go at a momEnts notice wherever wher-ever she may be ordered by the authorities I authori-ties in Washington j |