Page 500 of Patterson’s Illustrated Nautical Encyclopedia · 83 entries
A vessel set apart for the education of boys and young men in all that pertains to practical seamanship and the common English branches, in order to fit them for sailors in the navy. (See Naval Apprentice.)
A State School-ship is organized and supported by the local authorities, with the design of preparing young men to become officers in the merchant marine.
An illegal prize--one that must be surrendered.
The thread into which the breech-plug screws when the breech is closed.
(See Shore Duty.)
A rating next higher than that of ordinary seaman. A seaman is a first-class sailor, able to hand, reef and steer, heave the lead, is proficient in marlinspike seamanship, etc. An ordinary seaman is only partially proficient in these duties.
A naval apprentice who has been rated as a seaman before his term of apprenticeship is closed.
A seaman who is skillful in gunnery and torpedo duties, and receives a little additional pay on account of such proficiency.
A more or less powerful arc (electric) lamp placed at the focus of concave reflectors, the object of the arrangement being to project the rays of light from the lamp in parallel or nearly parallel lines. The whole is mounted on a suitable stand, that the lamp and reflectors may have motions over this stand in horizontal and vertical planes. The intensity of the light and range of illumination vary greatly.
An officer in the marine corps one rank lower than a first lieutenant; a second lieutenant is the lowest ranking officer in the corps. The term is applied sometimes to the navigating officer of the vessel.
(See Classification.)
There was allowed by law a secretary to the admiral and one to the vice-admiral of the navy, these appointments being made from civil life by the admiral and vice-admiral respectively, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Navy. These two secretaries had the relative rank and allowances of a lieutenant in the navy, but were appointed for no specified period--their term of service being controlled by the officers who appointed them. With the death of the admiral and vice-admiral the office of Secretary was abolished; consequently, no such office exists at the present time in the U. S. Navy. The secretaries to the admiral and vice-admiral were paid from the appropriation under the head of "Pay of the Navy," the same as the regular officers of the service.
The secretaries to rear admirals afloat are now detailed from regular line officers of the navy, not above the grade of lieutenant.
Until a few years ago all flag officers afloat were allowed by law to appoint their secretary from civil life. The appointment carried with it the relative rank and pay of lieutenant, but in 1878 Congress abolished this office, together with that of Captain's Clerk.
The Secretary at the Naval Academy is appointed from civil life, and there is no law or regulation giving him rank. His pay is fixed by statute, and appropriated for under the head of "Pay of professors and others at the Naval Academy." The secretary at the Naval Academy stands towards the Superintendent in the way of a chief clerk. The Secretary of the Navy is in command of the navy under the President, being a member of the latter's cabinet.
An order as applied to ordnance, signifying that exercise at the guns is to cease.
Related to old-fashioned guns, being eyebolts in the ship's side near the port for securing the gun.
A marine or blue-jacket placed on guard. Sentries are stationed at the commanding officer's door, at gangways, on the forecastle and poop, and over prisoners.
Same as Sentry.
To serve a vent is to close it by placing the thumb over it while sponging, and to clear it with a priming wire before the gun is loaded.
A torpedo used in action. The Whitehead and Howell torpedoes are used in the U. S. Navy.
(See Projectile.)
A bag made use of for hoisting shell in and out of a vessel, or for transporting same, or bags which once took the place of shell boxes.
A contrivance for transporting heavy shell.
A contrivance of two brass rings for hoisting shell through hatches.
An iron stanchion shaped like a fish davit. It is shipped near a hatch, has a tackle hooked into the overhanging end, and is used for hoisting or lowering shell.
Mechanism in the rear of a breech-loading small arm by which the empty shells are removed. Also an instrument for removing shells from heavy guns.
Shell Gauge, A ring or cylinder by which the dimensions of shells are obtained, by passing the latter through them.
A member of the gun's crew who provides shell for the gun.
(See Charges.)
A compartment in the vessel for storing shell.
The fastening used to secure the sabot to the shell.
A tackle used for hoisting or lowering shell through the hatch.
A carriage that can change the direction of fire of the gun by shifting the pivot.
A petty officer who has charge of the cooking for the ship's company. At seven bells (II:30 a. m.) each day he carries a sample of the dinner provided for the crew to the officer of the deck, who tastes and passes judgment upon the same before he is allowed to serve out the same to the mess cooks.
An assistant to the master-at-arms. (See Master-at-Arms.)
A clerk to the executive officer. He is a first class petty officer, and his duty is to keep the names and rates of the ship's company; the respective watches to which they belong; preserve a record of the conduct and offenses of the crew; the punishments inflicted; detail the anchor watches; keep a book showing the stations to which members of the crew are assigned by the executive officer when coming to anchor, making, reefing and furling sail; exercise at the guns; repelling boarders; abandoning ship, etc.
(See Equipment Yeoman.)
Service performed at navy yards, naval stations, at the navy department, lighthouse board, hydrographic office, etc.
Sea Duty refers to service performed on cruising vessels.
(See Projectiles.)
A rope grommet for containing shot--obsolete.
A ring or cylinder for ascertaining the diameter of shot.
A compartment in the hold of a vessel for the stowage of shot.
A pyramid of shot. To ascertain the number of shot in a pile, multiply the sum of the three parallel edges by the number of shot in a triangular face.
A wooden cone used for closing up shot-holes made in a wooden vessel.
Iron rods about the hatch coamings for holding shot.
An iron contrivance, on the principle of ice-tongs, for picking up shot.
Troughs of wood for conveying shot along the decks during an engagement, or from one pile to another on shore.
Junk placed in front of a shot to hold it in place in the bore of the gun.
A purchase used in hoisting or lowering shot.
(See Uniform.)
(See Uniform.)
The compartment on board ship in which the sick are treated--the hospital of the ship.
The drum and fife call sounded each morning on board a man-o'-war, notifying all sick men to report for examination to the surgeon in the sick bay.
A vacation granted upon a surgeon's certificate of disability.
The names of the sick, together with their respective ailments and condition, is sent daily to the captain by the surgeon. A duplicate list of the names, without details, is posted on the spar deck, and is called the binnacle list.
A mess for the sick members of the crew, provided for wholly or in part by the surgeon from stores in his department.
A document which accompanies a member of the crew when he is sent to the hospital, and which records his name, rate, disease, etc.
Boys who attend the gangway when officers of rank enter upon or leave a vessel. The admiral and vice-admiral are entitled to eight side-boys; rear admirals and commodores, six; captains and commanders, four; all officers below the grade of commander are entitled to two side-boys.
The box on the side of a gun in which the sight travels.
(See Train Tackle.)
A shape of metal placed on a small arm or cannon in order to direct the fire of the same.
Breech Sight. A sight fixed on the breech of a gun. This sight has marked on it various degrees of elevation with the corresponding distances attained by the shot.
Front Sight. A small shape of metal on the upper surface of the gun between the trunnions. It is brought in line with the object, and the score in the breech sight, so that all three form one straight line.
Reinforce Sight. A sight placed at or close to the reinforce of the gun, so called in the old ordnance.
Sights situated at the side of the gun on the rimbase or trunnion.
Trunnion Sight. A side sight; a sight situated on the trunnion of a gun--obsolete.
Dispart Sight. A reinforce sight.
Tangent Sight. A rear sight.
A part of the breech sight. It is a small rod of metal, which can be elevated and lowered, and on which the different ranges are marked in yards and degrees.
A metal cover, which is placed over the sight of a gun as a protection when the piece is not in use.
The projection on a gun on which the sights are fixed.
Gun sights provided with magnifying telescopes.
A code of communication by means of certain signs. For communication between men-o'-war belonging to the same country a special code of signals is employed. The book containing these signals has lead covers, and when capture is imminent the volume is thrown overboard to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy. (See International Code; Storm Signals; Coston's Signals; Wig-Wag Signals.)
Quartermasters who have charge of the signal-locker and lights, and whose duty it is to signal under the direction of an officer.
A hickory sword employed in broadsword exercise.
As applied to naval ordnance iron beams arranged parallel to one another for guns to rest on.
(See Uniform.)
Before the introduction of steam a sloop of war was smaller than a frigate, and carried from 18 to 32 guns; but as applied to steam, a vessel carrying guns on one deck, and rating larger than a gunboat.
That part of the gun which is between the rifling and the chamber.
A loosely twisted wick saturated in lime-water and saltpetre. It will burn about six inches in an hour.
(See Part I.)
Rifles, revolvers, cutlasses and bayonets.
Members of the crew specially trained in the use of small arms.
An old name for the pension received for wounds.
A powder which is not attended by smoke upon explosion. There are several kinds.
A perfectly solid projectile.
(See Torpedo.)
The allowance of grog which previous to 1862 was served out daily to all hands on board U. S. vessels of war.
A small steel rod used to close the vent of a muzzle-loading gun by dropping it into the same, thus rendering the piece useless. A rat-tail file about the size of the vent is furnished for spiking purposes. (See Spring Spike.)
Fragments of wood, iron, etc., broken off and scattered owing to a shot striking the vessel.
Meshwork arranged to retard the passage of splinters.
A contrivance for cleaning the bore of a gun. It may be composed of soft material or stiff bristles. A marine sponge is used for wiping out the chamber and breech mechanism of modern guns.
A shape of canvas to fit over the head of a sponge when not in use.