The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-08

TRAINING NAVAL CADETS.

INTERESTING PRACTICE IN THE CHESAPEAKE--
ANNAPOLIS STUDENTS AT THE FIRES, WORKING
ENGINES, MANNING YARDS AND TRAINING
WITH FIFTEEN INCH CoLUMBIADs.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
ANNAPOLIS, Nd Dec. Z, 1873.
A brilliant maritime presented this
morning the United States sloop-ofwar Dale,
Commander L. NJ. Shepard. and the United States
monitor Nantucket Commander A. L. Mahan, left
their moorngs in the Severn. opposite the Naval
Academy, i'll the Chesapeake, for their weekly prac-
tice cruise Out in the stream lay the frgate Qunnc
baug, on. the right were moorcd the United States
ships Constellation and Santee, and the left was
the Mayhowcr. Out in the channel the Dale with her
topsas and jibs set forging slowly out of the
harbor with light but fair breeze; ahead Of her
steamed her tender, the Phlox, and behind both the
Nantucket ploughed slowly along. while q steam
launch two darted here and there in the execution
of orders. A bright sun from an unclouded sky
shone down the blue Severn and gilded this lively
scene.
OFFICERS AND CREWS
Tho Dale. with Lieutenant Commander G. J. Train
executive and Lieutenant l.. q. Logan instructor,
and Passed Assistant Surgeon L. H. Green and 200
wdened the distance between herself and the
Nantucket and went gayly of her weekly
work of teaching the midshipmen the practical duties
of seamen. On the Nantucket were Lieutenant John
G. Solely Lieutenant Duncan Kennedy Master q. L.
Dyer and Assistant Surgeon George II. Hartman. Be-
sides these there Cadets G. s. Ripley.A b. Glenn
ents. c. c. Marsh. J. M. Moore. A. G. Cunningham p
L. Drayton and r. r. Sopesc OF the first class and Scc
ond elassmen Cabenass. Dewey. Simpson A.
were assigned to duty at the wheel and
in the turrct. Below was the fourth class
of cadet engineers under the instruction OF
Passed Assistant Engineer George H. Kearney and
Assistant Engineer A. P. Zane, who teaching the
cadet engineers how to work the engines and your
correspondent went below when the Nantucket got
fairly under way he found the young cadets, with
their ovcras on. working manfully as stokcrs and
fremen.
MANNING THE MASSIVE coLUMBIAps.
As the Nantucket moved ont to the Chesapeake Lien
tenant Solely in charge of the midshipmen. ordered
them to the turret and. stationng the cadets made
them load the two. hftccn-inch Coumbiads, with
shrapnel and the other with shell. Cadet John NJ.
Moore had charge OF one gun and Cadet G. c. Marks
was captain OF the other Lieutenant Riley superin-
tended the firing These immense guns weigh each
1900 pounds, and their charge OF powder to-day
thirty five pounds The target was in the mean
gun loaded with shrapnel fired. The shot fell
short The shell did better; it exploded directly
the little target. and would have made things lively
about any ordinary ship.
ACCIDENT.
The third was as good a. the second but at the re-
port of this shot ominois crash heard in the
furrct chamber. and the confusion that followed told
that something had broken. Soon Petty Officer John
Maloney was brought out of IL into the
sion had broken the bolts Of the compressor,
and two fifty pound pieces had fallen below into the
turrct chamber. grazing, they came Gunners Mate
Henry either SIDE. and in their descent Ma
loney had been struck on the leg. DIR. Harmon inn
mediately examined the writing man and PRO-
nounccd bones broken This announcement
seemed to Maoney OF his pain. The fourth shot
was also good liner The target conca in
shape. about eight feet at the base and its height
about ten feet The cruise ended about two o'clock.
Among the cadet engineers Yonchi. Japanese
student who is learning by courtesy of the United
Academy for the purpose Of taking position in the
japanese navy when he finishes his course here.