The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-07-09

The Naval Academy.
The Board Of Visitors appointed to attend
the annual examinations of the Academy at
Annapolis have made a very complimentary
report, and no doubt their praises OF the
discipline, course of instruction, police and
general management of the institution are
In great part deserved. 1.-The Board" says
the report, find the entire administration
OF the affairs OF the Academy all that could
be desired" This is strong language, but
foreign visitors have commended not less
heartily the system Of education and govern
| ment at Annapolis.
It would appear, however, that the chronic
| state Of dilapdation which pervades the
| rest Of the navy extends also to the school
| Of instruction. One Of the walls Of the Su-
| perintendents house is seven inches out of
| plumb; the chimney Ia ten inches out OF
| plumb; the structure ia badly cracked, and
cit would not besurprising," says the report,
"n this building should fall at any moment"
| In the quarters occupied by the cadets, the
| wallis bulge to such degree as to give evil
| dence Of settling" All the cadet quarters
| are pronounced unsafe. The recitation hall
is still more dangerous than tho Superintend-
| ent's house, because larger. Its walls have
| 80 settled as to throw some window stills
nearly foot out of the horizontal line, land
| the structure may tumble down at any mo-
ment" As II In sympathy with It's surround
ings, the adjoining navy hospital, which is a
large and costly brick building, is also
| spoken Of as going to decay.
| But when the Board complain that the
steam engine and boilers set up in the steam
room for instruction are obsolete, and ought
to be replaced by modern patterns, they for
| get that Anticipated or inferior machinery Ia
the kind the cadets might need to know
about for practical service in SBCoR ROBE
SONS navy. The Board also recommend that
samples OF the latest designs OF guns and
carriages should BIO furnished, THAT the
cadets may be able to use them and instruct
others in their peculiarities." But the chief
benefit of this knowledge would be to ac-
quaint them beforehand with what they are
to expect at the hande Of an enemy, since
they will find no such guns to handle on
their own ships. Finally, if 1t were not for
the gravity Of the rest OF the report, the
Board might be suspected Of irony in the fol-
| lowing recommendation:
1T highly desirable also that the latest models of
ships be Furnished for the instruction OF the cadets
in the details of shpbudiny. It would be decided
advantage to the Academy II 1t were furnished with
| steam war ship Of moderate sze, with the most i'm
proved type of machinery and armament, that the
diets may become familiar with everything relating to
| their profession before leaving the institution"
The Board omit to mention the most i'm
portant question connected with the welfare
OF the Academy. Nothing is clearer than
that the navy has a surplus OF officers, and
that the school at Annapolis is nevertheless
l 90 nj, , inIn
try as If the real trouble were dearth. Tho
need of providing remedy for this evil Is
now under discussion in Congress, and per-
haps the Board might have suggested some
better mode OF accomplishing 1t than the one
proposed. This plan provides that only as
many naval cadets shall each year be re-
tanned In the service after graduation as shall
equal In number the vacancies that may
have occurred the preceding year In the
grade to which they are appointed. An honor
able discharge, with certificate OF gradua-
ton and q years sea pay, is to BIO furnished
to all surplus graduating cadets, and also to
all who may chose these privileges in prefer
ence to appointment. But it Is evident that
it would be possible to fix an earlier
time than that Of graduation for
determining who shall be chosen to con-
tinue, through adopting a system of average
vacancies. as distinguished from the last
actual vacancies, in the grade to which ca
dots are appointed. Such a system OF av-
erage vacancies, corrected once In five years,
was urged by the late Superintendent OF the
Academy, Rear Admiral O. II. p. RoDGBRs.
who had attacked the folly and extravaganza
OF overcrowding the navy with officers. He
propoeed that competent expert should
settle this average drain from the navy by
casualty. and that then, ono year or two
years before graduation, only enough cadets
should be retained In tho GLASS to supply this
drain, the rest being honorably discharged,
with certificates OF having completed par
tial course In this way there would be a
lessening of expenses for the maintenance Of
those who were not selected, and, In ad-
diton. a concentration OF tho attention Of the
professors on the picked pupils, with their
diminished classes and their looping off OF
those who had reduced the average of pro-
tlciency, and hence the rate OF progress.
This IL certainly the central question OF
tho hour for the school at Annapolis Tho
existing surplus OF graduates Injuries tho
Academy In popular estimation by making
it appear a forcing house OF unneeded Off
cors; 1t il unjust TO many cadets by making
them wait several years for promotion; and
it is, Of course, useless expense to the
country. This question, however, the Board
of Visitors do not touch in their report, But
they make ono suggestion that may be
used in connection with this subject, namely,
to revive the old plan, in vogue thirty years
ago, OF examining candidates for admission
carly enough in May to give them a summer
practice cruise before beginning their studies