CHAPTER VII.

THE HARRISBURG.

It was fortunate for Jack Somers, that, when the crew were mustered to enable the officer to make his selection, he was prepared by the lesson of Tom Longstone for his interview with Mr. Bankhead. As the old man-of-war’s man had suspected, our sailor had fully anticipated a very cordial greeting from his friend, the first-lieutenant of the Harrisburg; and, without the explanation he had received upon the gun-deck, he would have been very much hurt by the cold and stiff manners of that gentleman. As it was, he expected nothing in the nature of a courteous acknowledgment of their former acquaintance. But in this he was happily disappointed; for though Mr. Bankhead did not indulge in anything like familiarity with him, and did not even shake hands with him, he was greeted with a pleasant smile, which was sufficiently significant to him.

“I am glad to see you again, Jack,” said he, in addition to the condescending smile which made our sailor-boy the envy of a score of blue-jackets who noticed it. “Of course you will go with me.”

“Thank you, sir,” promptly replied Jack, as he touched his cap to the lieutenant with a degree of respect which exhibited the remarkable progress he had made in discipline.

“Where are your friends, Jack?” added Mr. Bankhead.

“This is Tom Longstone, your honor,” answered Jack, giving an extra flourish of discipline to his reply.

Tom was accepted, and so were Blinks and Rushington, very much to the satisfaction of all these worthies; for the Harrisburg was a crack ship, and to be drafted into her was a stroke of good fortune worthy the highest appreciation of the gallant tars. That evening, those who were selected by Mr. Bankhead were sent to Philadelphia in charge of an officer, where they arrived on the following day. Jack wrote a letter to his mother before his departure; but he had no opportunity to see her. His friends, including Captain Barney, had been to see him once on the regular visiting-day; and he had hoped that they would come again before his departure. He was disappointed in not being permitted to look once more upon the face of his mother, though he rejoiced in the prospect of soon engaging in active duty. The affectionate letter which Jack wrote to her no doubt assured her that he was still the same loving son; that the new life upon which he was entering had not blotted from his remembrance the hallowed associations of home.

Jack had but little chance to see either New York or Philadelphia on his journey: but he was more desirous of fighting for his country than he was of seeing its great cities; more inclined to think of the active career before him, than of the vanities and pleasures of a large town. The draft of seamen was duly transferred to the receiving-ship at the navy-yard, and our hero again found himself subjected to the discipline of the “guardo.”

Fortunately for his peace of mind, he was not long condemned to this idle and distasteful life. The Harrisburg lay at anchor near the receiving-ship,--a beautiful vessel, exhibiting every element of strength and endurance; and, as Jack occasionally glanced through the open port at his future home, he admired her fair lines, and longed for the time when he should be transferred to her. The welcome order came in due time, and the crew of the gallant ship were sent on board.

Jack and his friends were disposed to give three cheers when they reached the deck of the Harrisburg; but, as this would have been a breach of discipline, it was not attempted. Our hero soon had enough to think of; for the executive officer immediately mustered the men, to give them their stations, and assign them to their messes.

On board a man-of-war, everything is arranged with the nicest precision. A thorough system pervades the ship, and everything is done by rule. The Harrisburg had a hundred and twenty men crowded upon her spar-deck at this muster: but in a short time, under the efficient and methodical arrangement of Mr. Bankhead, order came out of chaos; and, when he had finished his work, every man knew where he belonged during each hour of the day and night; where he was to go when the ship went into action; when she was to tack or wear; when the sails were to be set, furled, or reefed; where he was to take position if the ship caught fire, or was boarded by an enemy. Every one knew where he was to eat and sleep, where he was to stow his hammock and clothes-bag, and everything else which was to enable him to discharge his duty as one of the wheels in the complicated machine of which he was an essential part.

If our readers are not familiar with ships, we shall find it very difficult to make them comprehend Jack Somers’s position and duties on board the Harrisburg; but we shall endeavor to give them some ideas upon the subject. A ship, and especially a man-of-war, is a complicated structure; and our young friends must not expect any more than a partial view in these pages, for the whole volume would be no more than sufficient to do justice to the subject.[A]

The Harrisburg was a screw-steamer of about two thousand tons burden, and usually denominated a sloop-of-war. She was a full-rigged ship; that is, she had square sails on her fore, main, and mizzen mast, and could be worked under sail or steam, as occasion or necessity might require. She carried twenty-eight guns, all of which were placed upon her upper or spar deck. Some large men-of-war, called ships-of-the-line, have four decks. The Ohio, in which Jack had spent several weeks, was of this class. The upper deck is then called the spar-deck; the next below it, the gun-deck; the third, the berth-deck; and the fourth, or lowest one, the orlop-deck.

The decks, which in a house would be called floors or stories, are not divided off into rooms; so that, forward of the officers’ cabins, they look like long halls. The square holes, or windows, through which the muzzles of the cannon are pointed, are called port-holes, or ports. They are closed by two doors,--one swinging up, and the other down.

The Harrisburg had two decks, properly so called,--the spar-deck and the berth-deck. On the former, where the guns were placed, all the working of the ship is done, as well as the fighting. There is no house or other structure upon it, as is generally seen on board a merchant-ship. Upon the berth-deck the men eat and sleep. The after-part of this deck contains the cabins of the officers. The captain occupies a cabin by himself in the aftermost part of the ship. Next forward of this is a large apartment, having small staterooms on each side of it, called the wardroom, which belongs to the commissioned officers of the ship. Next to the wardroom is an apartment called the steerage, divided into two parts, the port and starboard steerage, in which live the midshipmen and master’s mates, the assistant-engineers in a steamer, and the “forward officers,”--viz., the boatswain, gunner, carpenter, and sailmaker. Down in the bottom of the ship are placed the boilers and engines.

The hold, or place under the berth-deck, is divided into a great number of rooms; such as the paintroom, the storeroom, the breadroom, shot-locker, shellroom, sloproom, magazine, lightroom, coal-bunkers, chain-lockers, tier-gratings, and other cells and holes. The magazine contains the powder, and is lined with copper. It is so constructed that it can be filled with water--flooding the magazine--when the ship takes fire. No man is allowed to enter it unless clothed in a dress prescribed for this duty, with no nails in his shoes, or metal buttons upon his garments. The lightroom adjoins the magazine, and is simply a small room to hold the powerful reflecting lamp, which throws its light into the magazine through a large pane of heavy glass. This arrangement is intended to prevent the necessity of taking a lantern into the magazine, where the slightest spark might doom the noble ship to instant destruction, and her gallant crew to an untimely death.

The principal officer of the Harrisburg was the captain, whose rank in the navy, at the time of which we write, was that of commander. Under the old system, the highest grade in the navy was captain, who, when he commanded a squadron (two or more vessels) was called a commodore; but this title was not authoritatively recognized in the Navy Department. A captain who had been in command of a fleet or squadron was thereafter called “commodore,” as a mark of distinction, in the same manner that a member of Congress keeps his “Hon.” after he has ceased to hold his office.

Whatever the nominal rank of the chief officer of a ship-of-war, he is called the captain. He is supreme in his command, being subject only to his orders and the naval regulations. Everybody on board must obey his orders, and without asking any questions. Being “monarch of all he surveys,” he does not give his orders to the men who are to execute them, but to the first-lieutenant; who is also called the executive officer, because it is his duty to execute all orders from the captain. For example: If the captain wants the ship put upon the other tack, he does not give the order, “Ready about,” to the seamen; “Put your helm down,” to the quartermaster who cons the helm: but he simply directs the first-lieutenant to “Come instays;” and this functionary gives the various orders to the officers and men who are to execute them.

The first-lieutenant is the _working_ commander of the ship. The other wardroom officers of the Harrisburg were the second, third, and fourth lieutenants, the sailing-master, the surgeon, the paymaster, lieutenant of marines, and chief engineer.

The ship’s company are divided into two watches, each of which serves alternately on deck for four hours during the day and night. At all times, the deck is in charge of an officer; and the period that he serves is called his watch. He is then the officer of the deck. The first-lieutenant does not keep a watch: this duty is performed in turn by the second, third, and fourth lieutenants, and the master. For ordinary ship’s duty, each watch-officer serves four hours on deck, and twelve below; but, when all hands are called, every officer must be at his station, and the first-lieutenant take command of the deck. The master, who has charge of the navigation of the ship, is not necessarily a watch-officer.

The surgeon, besides the obvious duty of such an officer, has the entire charge of the sanitary condition of the ship. He not only prescribes for the “people” when they are sick, and dresses their wounds in battle, but he must inspect the ship at times, and report anything which may tend to injure the health of the crew.

The paymaster--formerly called the purser--not only performs the duties which his title implies, but he has the charge of all stores and goods, clothing and provisions, belonging to the Government, on board the ship. He has a clerk to assist him; for he must keep all accounts with the officers and men, charging them with clothing or other stores with which they may be supplied, that it may be deducted from their wages when they are paid.

The lieutenant of marines has the command of the marines, or soldiers, on board the ship, of whom there were twenty in the Harrisburg. These men are employed as sentinels in various parts of the ship. One is always stationed at the wardroom door, one at the “brig,” and one at the scuttle-butt, or pump. At anchor, one is on duty at the gangway, or place where the ship is entered; and one on the forecastle. Between sailors and marines there is a mortal antipathy, which the officers do not seek to abate; for the soldiers are depended upon in case of mutiny and insubordination.

The chief engineer has the sole charge of the engines and boilers, and the subordinate engineers are under his command. On board our ship there were one first, two second, and four third assistant-engineers; these officers having the actual charge of the engines, keeping watch like the other officers: but their chief does not keep a watch.

Master’s mates and midshipmen, who occupy the steerage, are aids to the various officers, and have miscellaneous duties.

The forward officers are, the boatswain, who has charge of the rigging and cordage; the gunner, who has charge of the guns and ammunition; the carpenter, who does the joinery-work; and the sailmaker, who makes and mends sails. The boatswain has four mates, one of whom is called chief. The gunner has one mate, and one quarter-gunner for each division of three guns on a side. The carpenter and sailmaker have each one mate, and each his gang, selected from the crew.

All ranking below the forward officers are called petty-officers, of whom there is a host: such as captain of the fore, main, or mizzen top; captain of the hold, of the forecastle, of the after-guard; quartermaster, master-at-arms, ship’s corporal, yeoman, armorer, etc.

Quartermasters have charge of the wheel, or steering-apparatus, of the signals, and of the lead. The master-at-arms is the chief of police, assisted by the ship’s corporals. The yeoman has charge of the ordnance and stores. Each of the boats is in charge of a petty-officer called a cockswain. The duties of the other petty-officers will be understood from their names.