COURSE THIRTEEN AND AGAIN THE PRAIRIE

Once more it was on the Prairie that the company cruised. It was the fourth time, once to Bar Harbor, once to Penobscot Bay, and once to Hampton Roads. So often has the ship been the company’s floating home, that long-service members are more familiar with her than with any other ship in the Navy, unless it be the Machias.

With the company were men from naval militia in New York City and Brooklyn, congenial companions, with more of naval wardrobe than the Second Division showed. The cruise was mostly in the Sound. The ship was engaged in squadron maneuvers.

A flotilla of six torpedo boats accompanied the squadron, as did also four submarines. Boats of this kind were in 1908 comparatively new to many in the company, and when Ensign Hogan found an opportunity to make a descent in a submarine he embraced it.

Back in Hartford the men grew busy in preparing for the Bridge Dedication, the most important festivity which the city has ever conducted, to which the command voted to invite its old nautical guest, H Company of Springfield, down.

The dedication opened October 6 with the firing of a salute, by the division, of course. In the evening the division paraded in a historical pageant, the men representing men-o’-wars men of the conflict of 1812.

The battalion paraded in the giant military procession of October 8 as a landing party, marching in white hats, and being among the warmest favorites in the long 63column. In the afternoon it banqueted in the Y. M. C. A. with H Company men, for whom the division’s poet laureate had evolved a lyric, of which the following is a specimen verse:

“When dinner’s o’er, we then will go, then will go, then will go,

When dinner’s o’er, we then will go, to East Hartford’s sandy shore.”

While the company was beating up Pearl Street, an automobilist rammed the hospital apprentice, an incident which developed an aftermath in the superior court when with a former Philippine soldier, Sergeant Benedict Holden, as attorney and counselor and proctor in admiralty, McIntyre got a verdict. In his argument Sergeant Holden commended the division as a patriotic command in which the city might well take pride.

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS TREE

Jan’y 4, 1909—Fourth Day Out.

Lat. 41° 49′ N. Long. 71° 36′ W. Bar., rising; Wind, E. S. E.; Atmos., Smoky. All hands happy. Thus ends this Day.—[Extract from the Division’s Log.]

At eight bells in the second dog watch all hands were piped to the fo’c’sle. On the forecastle-head two screen cloths were rigged on a sliding gunther brace. Being drawn, these disclosed Master-at-Arms Perkins in the capacity of Neptune disguised as Santa Claus. By the heel of the bowsprit were the crosstrees, which had been sent down and rigged with rope yarns and stores from the canteen. Around the tree and along both rails packages were stowed facing inboard, made fast with marlin and manila. Pipes, matches and tobacco were served out and the smoking lamp was lighted. Then gifts were passed out. Dr. Beach received a box of pills, Coxswain Burns a masthead light, Master-at-Arms Perkins twin dolls, one young Benedict a toy baby 64carriage, and Watertender Lewis a slice bar. Gifts wise and otherwise were passed till the supply was exhausted.

Skylarking such as this varied the serious work of the drill season. Although the membership of the command from time to time changed to some extent, the majority of the men had been in the division for years and were fairly proficient in seamanship as well as in the ordinary armory routine, and it must not be imagined that their fun interfered with their nautical work.

The diversity of the fun is proved when allusion is made to a game between the division’s new basketball team and the Boston Bloomer Girls’. It was chronicled that not a member of the girls’ team lost a backcomb or displaced a “rat,” although their hair was coiled like the flemished-down end of the Elfrida’s topping lift.

The indoor meet was the last held in the old armory. It was as creditable as any in the long and popular series and went as smoothly as desired.

June 13 was observed as Memorial Sunday, the first which the division formally kept. The company reported at the armory to act as escort to the veteran company in a parade to Spring Grove Cemetery.

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