As mentioned previously the ship’s chronometers, three in number, were missing. These were afterwards found by the Secret Service in a nautical school in New York City. The commanding officer had to send them to the Naval Observatory at Washington, D. C. This was done with great reluctance as they were of the finest type and a good chronometer is a very valuable and much used article aboard a ship. Others were sent to replace them. The bridge and signal bridge were altered for transport purposes. The fire control and range finder stations being built on the signal bridge, and the fine bright finish of the wood was changed to the more popular color at that time—the war gray. Otherwise the _Leviathan_ remains the _Vaterland_, as when she was in the merchant service—a German transport in disguise. _The Deck Force_ F. C. W. When the _Leviathan_ was taken over by the Navy, the chief difficulty that presented itself was the scarcity of men available for the deck force. Only a few of the crew that had been assigned to the ship had ever been to sea. A few—gun crews, for the most part—had had some experience, but not enough to qualify them as seamen. This was partly due to their short terms of service. As a result, the brunt of the work fell upon the shoulders of a few experienced petty officers, who fortunately had been assigned to the ship. These men worked day and night in a supreme effort to organize their crews and create a working machine. For the first few days they did everything from scrubbing the decks to exploring the double bottoms. There was no distinction between the rated men and the seamen in this line of work. The size of the ship added to the confusion. It was impossible to keep a detail together for more than a minute and a half. It was easy for an entire working party to get lost between decks. It was easier for some to get lost than others. Finally, it was decided that the only way to keep a working party together was to hang a bell around the neck of the petty officer in charge. This scheme worked well until two working parties met, when it was necessary to call in a traffic cop to get them separated. Because of their unfamiliarity with the ship, details were apt to deliver sacks of “spuds” to the Commander’s cabin, and stationery to the blacksmith shop. This situation was relieved by the appointment of guides to conduct the working parties around. The parts of the ship allotted to the deck division (at that time we could only boast of one), were in rather good shape, considering the time the ship had been laid up. The weather decks were littered up like an old woman’s backyard after a hard day’s washing, but most of the truck was movable. Boats were piled across the hatches and all over the decks, making it impossible to get around. Boxes, stores and cordage were everywhere.