BIG ENOUGH FOR A CHURCH.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 189, 12 August 1925, Page 9

BIG ENOUGH FOR A CHURCH.

' BELLS ON THE AMERICAN J SHIPS. I FIXE SONOROUS TOXES. ! Like the ships that were here in 1 1908, the American battleships all ■ carry bells big enough for a fair-sized church. On British ships the bell is a minor piece of furniture, but the ' Americans seem to make a feature of it. As the hours are struck on the eight 1 ships now lying moored out in the harbour-, the sound can be heard quite distinctly ashore, unless the wind is ' contrary, and as the bells are of fine mellow tone, the effect is quite good. • ]n the British Xavy and merchant i service the hours are struck in a rather 1 peculiar manner. Twelve o'clock, four ' o'clock and eight o'clock arc sounded by , eight strokes of the bell. Half-past twelve is one bell; one o'clock, two bells; '. half-past one, three bells; two o'clock, four bells: half-past two. live bells; \ three o'clock, six bells; half-past three, \ seven bells. The same order is observed ' between,, four and eight and eight and I twelve, with the exception of the even- ' ing. Between .four p.m. and eight p.m. the usual order is maintained until six p.m., and then the bells start at one for i half-past six, two for seven, three for , half-past seven, but eight for eight , o'clock. On board ship the work is l divided into watches of four hours each, that is between twelve and four, and so • on. but between four in the afternoon ■ and ei&ht in the evening the watch is : split up into two, each of two hours' ..duration, the idea being to change the • routine s-o that a man is not on the i same hours all the time, and gets a ; chance to sleep-in occasionally. ! • The reason for the change in the , i numbering of the hours between four ! and eight—the dog watches, as they are i called at sea—is rather interesting" and . shows how old customs persist in the i Xavy. Many years ago a mutiny Avas ! planned, to begin at five'bells in the , evening,, that is half-past six p.m., but i someone-gave information to :the officers aud the skipper said there'would be .no five : bells. So .when half-past six j came 'he gave orders for the •rotation: to .start over-again at one. In J those days there were very jfew clocks ■ aboard,.;and "sailors werb not the spry ; folks they;-are-to-day,--so-th'is ruse of ' the skipper quite nonplussed the rlis- ' gruntled- but ; rather chuckle-headed tars,: and the'mutiny: never took pl-.ice; Ever 1 since then, however, this peculiar .order 1 of'sti-ikihg°the bells has.been continued inutile -.British "Navy"and' merchant"ser-:;.v-ice. • - ' I -Not, s>6. however, in the-.United States' jNayy. _.TJvere. the , bells run round the ! clock regularly, and the dog watches are I ho'different ■from-any. other so far as ithe' bells are concerned.. .. '