New-York tribune., 1872-04-13
REFORM ON SHIPBOARD.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES FACTS AND FIGURES.
lpRoN AN OCCASIONAL CoRRESPoNDkNTof OF THE TRIBUNE
BosroN, April 1--WE have numerous sights
In Boston which we deem well worth the attention
oi persons from other parts OF the world an" nav
vet 10 hear any hody complain that orr native modes
prevents us from showing these sights ut proper uhes
In mere than sense the School Shp Is "n""e o'.
greatest sights Indeed. don't doubt that couu ''
YOU man who believes it TO be the most hhpo''a'V
iect Of wonder and curiosity In or about BOSTON,
-, all 60 Gov CON, os 70 hold this belief. but the School
Shin IA great Moral Emblem 10 every true BoStonah;
and there are occasions which would ii oi tner Cum
pteness II IL we're not possible to include visit 10 tha
shin in the exercises or ceremonies. How we shall get
,nnr whom the institution is abolished no genuine son
t the city will risk his sagacty in predicting We must
come 70 that sense Of vacancy and loneliness three
months hence-the General Court and His Excelency
The Governor declared and the decree has been
printed officially in The Daily Advertiser.
The school Ship or speak by the statute the Maui
,c Branch of the state Reform School, established
dozen years ago. First had ship and schooner,
then two ships, and latterly ono ship. Our REFORM
school boys at westborough an interior town IN
August lsse when Ii contained something over oU IN
1nstes the buildings were fired ny one OF the boys aho
partially burned The Legislature, which came together
three wccks later required TO make provision Ior
continuing the school and rebuilding the establishments
one to create the Nauilcal BRANCH hou
which there had discussion for two OF three
years.
,enders WAS then in comparative infancy. We had
school OF reform boys and another for grs each
managed by superintendent and trustees, respohspie
In n certain degree to the Governor; Dut we "erc
without that famous state Board Of Charities which has
excited so much inquiry, and given US such excellent
supervisory service during these last hs dozen years
In 1859 / believe there school ship at Liverpool
and about that time established by the Belgian
Government. But nothing of the kind had ever been
tried this country and previous TO the burning OF 'he
boys reform school there not many persons, even
in Massachusetts, who favored entering on the eAperi
nent So far as can ascertain, citizen OF Boston, not
wholly unknown in NewYork, Capt. r. B. Forbes, was
the first man publicly TO advocate the opening OF re-
formaory shipboard. He had occasionally aglta'eu
the subject way and another and the fire at west
borough gave him an opportunity TO press MS views
with effect.
Gov Banks was then in the Executive chair, and to
him Capt Forbes went fortnight after theire Whether
the Governor converted by the Captains arguments
or had become a school ship man through his own
thought and observation have no means OF KNOWING
Certain it is that week after this interview he sent
message TO the Legislature in which he advised that the
state should enter upon limited experiment OF this
character" The matter was referred to committee,
which gave Capt Forbes and other gentlemen hearing
and after a months consideration reported favoraoy
npon the project Before the end OF that session. VIZ In
October 1852 the acts passed which gave the Nau
cal school being
Commissioners were appointed by the Governor, who
bought ship and q schooner for $4,000 on which $4,000
more were spent for changes and equipment, and in
June 1850 with proper speeches and ceremonies, these
vessels formally dedicated to service The schooner
aa soon found TO be ncumbrance to the work, and
accordingly she sold In the early part of 1862 The
proved popular affair almost from its first year,
and the disposition strong to send boys or vicious
tendencies there thai in the Spring Of 1865 the Legsla-
ture gave authority for the purchase and equipment OF
another vessel The OF 200 bought her. $4,000
put her in order for the novel service 10 which she
was consigned and she dedicated in February, 1865
The years brought decay in commerce and change In
our refOrmaory system; two ago the Legsla-
TO the conclusion that one ship was enough,
and in October 1870 Gov Clahin sold that which
first bought. Now another Legislature, moved thereto
by the decisive recommendation Of Gov. Wasnburn,
enunciates its fat against the remaining vessel and
when the first Of July comes the Nautical School ceases
Whether it shall he said that the school has has not
been a depends good deal upon what one
TO call 1t has been given fair trial,
and al reorDatory work Is 10 some extent and in
some of its stages experiment. there success Of one
kind simply in having fully and squarely tested the
theory Oh which the school based. dozen or Is
wears ago. the supply OF sailors IN this section Of the
country at least, far from being equal TO the de-
inand the school ship folks had idea that something
noting might be done TO meet this demand by re-
crutIncnt from among the juvenile offenders 1t any
there is a certain proportion of boys in comnlu-
nifty who are eager to and certain further
proportion who willing to try a term of seafarng
life II enough Of these classes fall into the hands
OF the courts of body of sailors is at tine States
service simply for the cost of training.
These the notions out Of which grew the statute
that gave the Nautical School existence The insttu
lion opened with boys traDferred from the Wetbofough
school Into there followed neverending stream Of
BOYS sentenced for petty larceny, vagraney wul mis-
behavior drunkenness minor assault continued idle
ness house-breakng, incendiarism, &c. At first boys
young eight nine Of age sent there
though the aggregate under the school opened
Is less than For four five yearshere good
many commitments of boys between Il and H. but since
very few have been taken board who under
H. could be there who over Is. The act
establishing school declared that the boys should be
Instructed in navigation and the duties of seamen"
the single aud peculiar object OF the institution, the
declared in early report to prepare boys
Tor a seafarng career.
The school was in direct charge OF Board of Trustees
appointed by the Governor For years this
Of five gentlemen but lately of seven. These persons
served without pay, and rarely made more than $500
expenses per year. On shipboard there was superin
tendent. with salary of $780, though it began at 400
two or three teachers with salaries up to N.2oc
executive officer first and second officers. carpenter
steward. cook. cOckswain &C. The discipline aimed at
that Of a msn-0fwar; q general thing, believe
has been very good most Of the time Each OF the
ships fitted for 40 boys and necessary officers though
emergencies Is or Is more could be accommodated.
The greatest part OF the boys 10 the ship OF
IRISH parentsge. though majority Of the lads them
selves born In this country About half OF them
had lost parent by death before being committed
and considerable proportion had lost both. Large
numbers Of them had been in the lookup House OF
Correction for short terms before going to the School
ship and many had never been regularly employed at
anything for more than few months at time. These