Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-07-05
q WAOHUSETT.

IHE WAUHUSEIT.
The United States war steamer Wa
chusett is probably now in St. Louis
harbor, and it may interest many of our
young readers to know her mission.
Until recently it has been the practice of
our navy to recruit its seamen from the
merchant marine, but this plan has been
found to have many objections, chief
among which is the fact that common
sailors are almost totally unfamiliar
with arms, and especially the improved
arms now IN use. Not only are they
unacquainted with arms. but many OF
them beng more or less advanced in
years it IS difficult fer them to learn and
many an able seaman remains for a long
time in the awkward squad in gun SER
vice, if he ever gets beyond it. Anoth-
or difficulty which presents itself in
making ,men-of-war's-men of ordinary
sailors is that they are generally used
to rather lax discipline, and when they
come to be. drawn down to the rigid rule
of the navy they become dissatisfied
and too frequently desert.
1t has for some years been found in
expedient by England and other Euro
pesn countries to rely upon the mer-
chant marine for the supply of sailors
on men-of-war, and in April. 1875. the
American navy department issued a cir
cular directing that boys between fifteen
and eighteen years OF age. should be
enlisted in the navy, to serve until they
were t%wenty-one. and designated certain
ships for training purposes. Since then
the system OF educating American sail
ors, for that is what it really is, has been
thoroughly tested. and with most sat-
~isfactory results, as the young men thus
taught, not only in navigation, the use
of marine arms and necessary drill and
discipline, but in literary knowledge
also. have made very superior sailors
on entering the navy.
They not only know better what is ex-
pected of them, but having voluntarily
prepared themselves for the lite they
are to lead it is but reasonable to expect
that they will be better contented, and
that the rate OF desertlons will thereby
be greatly reduced.
As the number thus enlisted IN these
school ships is deducted from the regu-
lar quota OF the navy little if any addi-
tional expense is incurred, and the sys-
tenn promises to give US educated sail
ors. at least better educated men than
we have heretofore had before the mast.
In his report submitted November,
1878. Secretary Thompson recommends
that hereafter all warrant officers be ap-
pointed from the most intelligent and
deserving of these boys, as, first, a
means to elevate the character OF men
who fill these positions, and, second, as
a means OF presenting to the boys a
laudable ambition, and thereby giving
them encouragement to endeavor to
excel in all things given them to do.
More than this, he says; "Should
congress decide to authorize by legisla-
ton the perfection OF this system, and
thus place it upon a permanent basis,
the department will exercise all neces-
sary care in the selection of the boys
and in distributing the enlistment
through all parts OF the country. By
this mean the navy will not be left to
represent, as it now does, in its person.
mel, only the narrow limits of the sea-
board and almost every nationality. but
will draw that important element OF its
organization, the frank and file,' from
the vigorous and intrepid young men of
the whole country. And it will thereby
acquire a character of nationality which
1t will carry with 1t wheresoever u
ships shall SAIL" q.
The idea is a good one. 1t will make
the navy representative OF all the states,
and will Americanize it. Not that men
of foreign birth should be kept out OF
the navy, but it would seem to be better
if they are to serve America that they
should at least first declare their desire
to be Americans. 1t is with this view
that the Wachusett comes to St. Louis
as a recruiting vessel. The requisite
number of young men could have been
secured or the New England coast, but
the secretary thinks, and rightly. that
there should be western men, too, walk
ing the decks of our men of war.
There is no reason why our navy may
not. like that of England, be, in a few
years entirely recruited from its training
ships.
We are not fully advised as to the re-
quirements necessary to enlistment. We
suppose they are good physical develop
ment, and a fair elementary education
Young mon who may think of offering
themselves. however, should remember
that it is tor service before the mast,
with very little prospect of aver attain
ing a commission. Ii they think that a
sailors life would suit them at .l it
should please them on a man-of:war,
for though the discipline is rigid many
hands make light work, and Uncle Sam
takes good care of his tars.
The Madison square garden, New
York, formerly Gilmore's, was, one night
last week, illuminated by ten electric
lights OF $500 candle power each, under
a contract with an electric light compa-
ny, which claims to be able to furnish a
light with three or four times the illu-
mlnating power Of gas at one-third or
one-fourth Of the present cost. The light
serves to render the garden much cooler
as 1t radiates scarcely one-tenth the
amount of heat as the same power of
gas-light. and this develops a curious
fact that while the heat is so intense ut
the electric arc that it will reduce the
point of a knife to vapor almost instan-
t%aneously when placed at the point OF
the positive carbon. one can light a Gig
arctic at the blaze without a sensation
of heat to the hand. The experiment
was deemed an extremely favorable test
of the electric light for popular uses.
The lights were run by q single engine.