The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-08-19
Training Ships for seamen.

LuNkIA VI Ui.ANNHa N1aAho
port town through the hawsc-hole Of a ship as a
boz. born and brough, up or rather dragged mp in
The slums Of The city, dirty, ragged and neglected.
and in many instances n runaway from iil-use OF
starvation at home, TO which no tie of affection re-
called him in after life. his srst entrance upon the
stage Of active life and his Erst Introduction TO the
active business Of lite. vas generally a close ae-
ouaiutance with a ropes end, and the ropes end
fulfilled for him the duties Of father, mother aud
instructor. until be could splice a rope and bad
mastered an able seaman's duties. The voyage
ended. be spent the earnings Of bis hard life in low
pleasures and in the flthy deus Of the port. to ship
again when money was vanished for another yoy-
age. He was deprived and shut out from all edu-
cation; his examples were the lives OF shipmates
older than be in years and older also in vice and
brutishness: in fact most sailors Of those earlier
DAYS were merely The brute instruments for work
ing a vessel and considered as such only, and II
once in a while one OF their number did rise above
the forecastle il was by some superior energy and
what might be called Z" luck" But better days
were in store for poor Jack. and as the world ad-
vaneed in arts and science il also advanced In
philanthropy. and the life of the useful but till
now neglected sailor received a share Of sympathy.
The English navy as well as merchant marine Ii
manned in these days, as regards the forecastle,
one half by foreigners 90 one bali OF British born
subjects, and the generally superior education Of
those sailors which come from countries where
education is compulsory cannot help being noticed.
as their superior education makes them not only
better men but also better and more trustworthy
sailors.
MI. John Burns, a Scotchman and large ship
owner, noticing this fact on bis own ships, has
taken this matter up with an energy that at last
bids fair to be crowned with success in England,
and opens to the sailor on training ships opportu-
mites for acquiring not only a good education but
the bias of moral lives. Mr.. Burns took up this
matter so pertinently in a speech delivered at
Glasgow, that at once an interest was awakened
not only by the ship-owners but also by the au-
thorities of the navy. Said he: A nearly all
the foreigners on board of our ships are able
bodied seamen in our forecastles in the proportion
Of half foreign and one half British. / should like
to know where the country would be In the event
of a war breaking out, and as compulsory appren-
ticeship cannot be restored | suggest training
ships This was the first blast Of the trumpet
that started the Admiralty, the ~ship-Owners and 10
fact all England, and as masters of vessels pre-
ferred TO have good seamen on board their ships
to training hoodlums into sailors themselves, the
subject of training ships was taken up and CON-
mented upon by the Times, and other leading jour
nails in England and Scotland. The object OF
training ships was to induce boys OF q better class
and from inland towns and villages, and who with
an intnitive love for q sea life desired TO enter the
service, but were restrained from doing
SO by guardians or parents on account Of the low
standard prevalent 10 forecastle life, to enter train
ing ships which should afford them inducements
and facilities toward the acquiring and following
Of an honorable profession.
The subject Of training ships was successful
y advocated by Captain Espinasse, formerly
Of the British navy but then residing in San
TIE authorities took much interest
n the subject, considering a training ship as an
Institution similar to O house of correction, and the
legislature passed an act to establish and maintain
/ training ship at San Francisco, TO which boys
inder IL years of age would be sentenced to serve
,ut their term of Imprisonment. But this was soon
by act of Congress June 20. 1874, by
which the Secretary OF the Navy was authorized 10
urnish a vessel with charts, books, etc., on the ap-
'lication in writing Of the governor Of a state, and
he President could appoint naval officers as su-
'erintendents; but il was positively prohibited to
eceive on the training ships boys sentenced TO
or in Communication of punishment.
This had the effect 10 call forth from the Legisla-
~ VI corresponding Will |
be views of Congress, so that the training ship is
n reality now a practical naval school, in which
uoys from IA to ls are enlisted and receive the
est education and a thorough training as sailors,
D be fitted to become not only m in the ma
inc but well educated and respectable members
f society. For some time the training ship COM
littee of the Board of Supervisors had difficulty in
a ship, and some time was spent about
~ Rfpaoo ~ ..n0Nnaao ~ eha IoIffo--s. ~. Il
Island, when Captain Glass received the APP
ointment as commander Of the San Francisco
aiming ship and soon energetically cut the Cor
ian knot by choosing the jamestown and as far
3 we are capable Of judging in the matter, no
essel could have been chosen more suitable for
he purpose of a naval school. The ship is roomy
nd well ventilated, and although the day on
1hich we visited her was exceedingly hot, under
le awning on deck and in the between-deck 1t
as so cool and pleasant, that had we been only
rty years younger we might have had a notion TO
ecome ourselves one Of that young and smart
'oking set Of sailor-boys that were about us, and )
ljoyed the training Of the captain, who is the life
nd soul Of an institution that must become of In
llculable benefit. The afternoon watch of duty
,ceives lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic,
geography, and in fact all the branches Of a COM
on English education, and several already adj
anced in arithmetic are taught navigation and the :
sc Of the instruments, and give great satisfaction.
the between-decks a row of tables serve as din
g tables or school tables, and at night are stow
away overhead and hammocks take their places.
watches on duty the boys learn musket and or
nance exercise, fencing, cooking, and in fact all
Id every business which a thorough man-ofwars
an or sailor of the merchant service needs, even
~mending of clothes. We might say much more
,out the LdmestoIOn, but space forbids. I
Hawaiian Reciprocity. f,