New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-22
4 MARITIME INTEREST.

The New York World has the following
notice Of the necessity of nautical edu.
cation. both for the benefit OF national
commerce and the moral welfare of our
youth without other care OF culture:
An act Of Congress was passed year or
| two ago authorizing the establishment Of
nautical schools at New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Boston and San Francisco, to be
maintained and operated partly by the fed
eral and partly by the local authorities
New York alone has thus far prOtited by
this law, and now has in her harDor q some
what populOus school ship, which will
shortly begin three months cruise for
practice and instruction in Long Island
sound. To be sure, sailors could be much
more cheaply and more numerously
educated on board merchantmep than on
board school ship, but in default of
merchantmen it 10 to be hoped that the
other cities mentioned in the federal law
will make haste to profit by its provisions.
Every one of these cities has among its
half grown boys some very excellent mate
rial tor sailors, which is not good for much
else, and which would certainly be none
the worse for few months Of school,
ship discipline. even if it is never duly fin
ishet of with tar. and permanently
set in the rigging of the American
ship OF the future. The callow and unruly
creatures who fire of cannon crackers and
horse pistols in the streets on the fourth of
July, the unlocked cubs who have their
horse play in the Third avenue cars
by night, the whole brood Of unkempt,
undisciplined and aggressive youths
who drive rattling butcher carts with a
hot whip in the early morning. and do other
things detrimental to the puolic health and
comfort, are best bestowed when they are
sent to sea. OtcOurse, humanity revolts from
the idea OF sending them to the bottom of the
sea: and as they would DO useless on ship
board without some preliminary training,
even if We had the ships wherein to send
them to the uppermost parts Of the earth,
the only thing that remains is to put as
many OF them as possible on board the
school ships. Upon returning from three
months cruise those Of them who had neither
visible nor prospective means of earning
a living on land might find employment
and fair pay on board some OF the ships /!
which enter New York harbor, while |
true manliness would be promoted in |
all Of them By a briet period Of whole |
some discipline, with moderate labor |
and application to fixed duties. The dlsci- |
pine. the habits Of application and Of labor |
which are acquired incidentally, along with |
the instruction impaired in seamanship, are |
OF course by far the most valuable acquisi- |
lions to be made on board the schoOlship |
BY youths who, though not empty of good |
have hitherto been without op-
pOrtunitie for developing 10. And apart |
from the ultimate advantage to the CON-
munity Of gradual diffusion Of nautical
and nautical tastes among the |
classes who are fitted TO produce good
sailors, many Of our unemployed city youth
could not find more profitable or health
full way Of spending tho next three months
than by taking birth IN the St. Mary's for
the cruise in the sound. We have plenty of
boys to spare for the trip. The only pity
that we have not dozen school ships in
stead Of one.
We commend these views 10 our regatta
regents, and hope they will take them to
leart. The mechanical and agricultural
colleges have applied for such an amend
nent Of the law of Congress as will add
New Orleans to the list of cities entitled
o the assignment Of a national ship and
..e::ai, Of officer. Let the regents Of the
egatta interest themselves on the same
ubject, and they can place as many boys
S they may like at the nautical school.