Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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D The enfrance +o +he Delaware River had everyone hanging over The rail again. The ship +ied up al' +he Philadelphia Navy Yard. On I6 June +he ship was commissioned. Capfain D. B. Beary assumed command. Chaos descended wifh a shifl' in'ro dungarees. Everyihing loose WGS removed from +he ship. The merchanr crew lefi, +he Navy crew moved info lheir vacared living spaces. They 'rurned fo, removing furnilure, packing po+s and pans, rolling carpe+s. The yard workmen descended wiih +heir fools and commenced a mefhodical sfripping of 'rhe ship. Alfhough many inexperienced men had been included in +he drafi of fh ' ' e engineering personnel, 'rhe Black gang was buili' around rafings and men who had received ample experience in o+her fle'e+ unifs. SuCl1 fh were e men from fhe cruisers As'roria , S+. Louis , and Minneap0- lis and +he auxiliaries AH'air and Boreas . Men like Chi T B 'l aker e on erm Duval under+ook 'rhe 'rraining of +he new men Conirasfing sfrongly wifh rhe compaci engineering planls of m0S+ Navy ships, +he abundani space, harmonious arrangemenl' of 'rhe machin- er O Nl 0 O D l y, sump lcily and ease of operahon nmmedialely impressed The machin- isis, firemen, and wa+er fenders as good du+y . Many of +he older- Navy men m l d ' arvee al' fhe push buHon engine room elevafor. By now, fhe black gang had a compleie undersfanding of +he eniire

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ff! 4, .,l'f Expecfing fhe worsf, buf excifed by fhe spirif of advenfure, fhe farm- ers, lumberiacks, and office workers of California, Michigan, and Mis- souri became fhe ship's crew. Wifh chow down fhaf evening, fhe ship sailed, bound for Panama and fhe Canal. During fhe days 'rhaf followed, fhe men could noi' be- lieve fhey were nof dreaming. They were supposed fo be fighfing men, swab iockeys or engineers: 'rhey were, in realify, passengers on a cruise. The merchanf crew operafed fhe ship: 'rhe Navy men familiarized fhem- selves wifh +he decks. Working parfies were formed fo acquainf 'rhe men wifh The Navy Me+hod . The long lasfing feud befween fhe Reg- ulars and fhe Feafher Merchanfs sfarfed. The men worked hard af sleep- ing in deck chairs or sun bafhing beside fhe oufdoor pool. Everyone was up early af 'rhe arrival af fhe Canal. All cameras were confiscafed and all work was sfopped af fhe enfrance. A good close up of fhe Tropics was an answer 'ro fhe yen of all would be Tarzans. Befs were made on 'rhe sfrengfh of fhe elecfric mules which pulled fhe ship fhrough 'rhe locks. The 'rremendous engineering feaf of fhe cufs im- pressed fhe men. A consfanf lookouf was kepf for alligafors fhaf were supposed fo inhabif fhe lakes, buf none was seen. The nexf few days provided disfanf views of fhe islands of fhe Carib- ' f bean. The paffern of life began fo change wifh fhe inaugurahon o personnel and bag inspecfions.

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rouline. They relieved lhe merchanf crew. The sfaff of engineering omcers. however, accepfed Navy commissions and remained aboard. ln addihon fo fheir regular dufies, lhe coolcs, balrers, and mess coolcs made up a buclcel' brigade carrying waler aboard. Sfores arrived and fhe declc hands had fhe iob of moving +hem aboard. There were endless lines of declc men padding up and down +he gan gn way. This was fhe end of fhe luxury cruise. There were incessanf calls for fire wafches, wafches which lasfed fwelve hours, and which began again as soon as one was secured. Men who rafed liberl' fo have gone ashore wilh +wen+y-Five cenls in 'rheir poclcels and slep'I' on parlc benches all nighf in order fo avoid slaying aboard and sfanding a fire walch. The men agreed 'rhaf lhey should have been born wilh brooms in fheir hands. From up all hands unlil raps was forgof, il' was a cons+an+ sweep down, lirsf one side and fhen +he o+her. How 'rhe men could cause so much sweeping could never be underslood. As soon as one area had been swepf, ano'rher was in need of care. Wilh l'he arrival of sfores came fhe expecfafion of a cessalion of +he sweeping. Noi so was fhe case. The lines of men carrying supplies frudged up and down +he gangway, sweeping down befween frips. y were known Toward 'rhe end of lhe ship's s'ray in +he Navy Yard, fhe memorable