The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-12-29
How Men-Of- Wars Boys Are Trained
for Sea.

when ships went into commission, were
compelled to fill up their complement
with men from all nationalities, of whom
the percentage of American seamen
was lamentably small, and thus eked
out by landsmen, whom it took two
years cruise to fashion into the shane
of man. Of-war' S men. While the power
full navies of other maritime powers
have had in successful operation for
many years well-organized systems of
training seamen, the United States has
been utterly destitute of any provision
of the sort and has had to depend to
man her war vessels in the main upon
stray driftings from the merchant serv-
ice.
In order to remedy this, Secretary
Robson, under special act of Con-
gress, issued an order on April s, 1875,
providing for the enlistment of BOYS.
between the ages of seventeen and
eighteen, to serve until the age of TWEEN
ty-one, the purpose of the enlistment
being to educate them as seamen and
thus in measure keep up the supply.
The first enlistments were made in New
York, where, on board the U. S. steam
er Minnesota, there are now $50 bows
being carefully trained. There are also
SOME forty or fifty now on board the IL
S. ship Saratoga inNHampton RSadss = g
few on the U. S. steamer Monongahela,
at Baltimore, and at the San Francisco
station twenty-five. The Constitution,
after having been rebuilt Just before the
Centennial, was stationed as sort of
show ship at the Philadelphia navy
yard during that year of glorification.
On the 18th of January of this year she
went into commission, and at once the
enlistment of boys at this station began.
There are now on board the Constitu-
| ton 146 boys, leaving four vacancies,
her allotment being $50, which, with
100 sailors and petty officers and ma
rine guard, make up the ships compa-
ny. The boys were hard at work on
the gun deck Monday morning, en-
gagged in heaving up the anchor, task
which occupied them until late in the
afternoon, the anchor having during
the storm of Saturday fouled with an
other with which one of the monitors
in-shore was moored. A more athletic
set of youngsters itwould be hard to find,
or such a collection of cheerful, intelli-
gent and in many instances even refined
faces. Besides, they are all American
boys. :" am surprised,n said Capt.
Cook, Eat the character of many of the
boys who are brought here to be en-
listed. Many of these who you now
see are of excellent and well-to-do fam
lilies, and of undoubted good character.
We do not get the riff-ratf of the streets,
nor young scoundrels who, their parents
having in vain endeavored to reform,
are glad to be got rid Of We have the
choice of excellent material, and of
those who apply perhaps two-thirds are
rejected mostly for physical disqualifi-
cations"
The boys when entered are rated Sec
ond class, and receive $1,000 month.
The outfit, which is furnished by the
paymaSter, costs about forty dollars
The boys are generally kept aboard at
first for three months without liberty,
partly to make the ship good against
the clothing advance, but more partic-
ularly to break the youngsters in. After
that, unless misconduct bars the way,
each boy has liberty on shore once every
fortnight, and if his parents or relatives
live in the city or near by from Satur-
day to Monday. From forty to fifty
boys are thus let loose on every Satur-
day, and the Captain asserts with pride
that in but few instances have any of
them Overstayed their time and none
returned under the influence of liquor.
They mess and sleep on the gun-deck,
the berth deck being appropriated to
the men. Their morals are under the
especial care of the officers, who display
the greatest interest in the welfare of
their charges. For the purposes of
discipline the boys are divided into
gun crews of seventeen each, two of
which form division, each division be-
ing in charge of a lieutenant. Once a
week the bags containing their clothing
are brought on deck and the contents
of each carefully inspected. Besides
this there is a daily morning inspection,
and one afternoon each week is devoted
to mending, old sailors being detailed
to teach them the mystery of mending
and making their garments. The course
of instruction is divided into two hours
in the morning and two in the afternoon,
and, the boys being detailed in four di-
visions, each division goes at the end
of each hour to different course of in
struction, in training at the guns, broad
sword exercise, single stick and infan-
try drill, or, consolidated into two di-
visions, take turns at practical seaman
ship, such as making and shortening
sail, bending and unbending sails, send
ing down yards, etc. Their lessons,
studied of evenings, are also recited in
the morning hours. Three schoolmas-
tiers teach reading, writing, spelling,
arithmetic, grammar, geography and
history. Swimming is also taught. OF
evenings the boys are encouraged to
amuse themselves in singing and instru-
mental music. 1.-The great idea," said
Capt. Cook, is to keep them always
engaged"
OF the result of the training of these
boys the officers of the Constitution
speak with one accord. Their good be-
havior, their desire to learn, their alac-
rity to obey are warmly praised, and
while it seems to be admitted that when
their time of enlistment expires with
their twenty-first year the majority will
leave the navy, yet it is firmly believed
the country will be benefited by the in