Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-22
What Is Required Of . Modern Jack
Tar.

What Is Required Of . Modern Jack
Tar.
TALK WITH COMMODORE sCHLEY-rHE OLD
TIME SAILOR OF LITTLE VALUE ON MODERN
CRUISER TWO STEAM SLOOPS NEEDED AS
TRAINING SHIPS FOR SAILORS.
There is great need of an improvement in
| the system of training sailors for our navy"
| said Commodore SchIey in talking with STAR
reporter the other day, "and am doing all in
my power to effect such change. don't ex-
pect to succeed all at once" he continued, "for
| there seems TO be an indisposition on the part
of some who have the power to bring about a
radical change. / am keeping at it, however
and have no doubt will eventually succeed"
1.-THE world has moved very rapidly of late
years." he continued, "and If we haven't kept
pace with it we must do our best to catch up.
The candle-maker is left behind by gas and
electricity. The stage-driver Is left behind by
the locomotive engineer. The sailor will be left
behind If he sticks to sailing vessels. Why
should We teach our embryo sailors all about
sailing vessels when we want them for improved
iron-cad steamers? The days of improvisation
are gone by. We can't
IMPROvISE A NAVY
on short notice by going into harbOr with
drag-net The time was when the sea was an
almost impossible barrier, and we felt secure
in our isolation. In those days if our country
should be threatened We knew that We could
gather formidable navy from our patriotic
countrymen before the attacking force could
arrive on our shores. 1t is no longer. The
ocean offers no difficulties to the modern war
vessels, that are not dependent upon wind or
endangered by storm. The blow would follow
the insult almost Immediately. What would
be our predicament in such AN event? We need
new war vessels and trained men to man them.
we have, or Will have soon, - few OF the former,
and it is manifesty foolish to think OF training
sailors tor them the same as for sailing vessels.
In time OF peace prepare for war is a warning
that should be needed. In preparing tor war,
no matter how distant, it is FOLLY to teach those
who are to bear the brunt of 1T what is of the
least Importance even in time of peace. We
must instruct our sailors in the work that they
will be expected to do aboard ship. The boys
now are framed on board sailing vessels, which
no longer have place in naval warfare. The
instruction that would be proper in the time OF
Nelson or Rodney is OF no use Tor irOn-clad men,
train him on board a sailing vessel and when
he IS put aboard steel cruiser he is ali at sea.
Nothing that he has been taught is of any
avail, except what he knows about sails and
That Is entirely IA secondary consideration"
COMMODORE SCHLEY'S PLAN.
what is the proposed plan of training?"
asked The STAR reporter.
"The first thing to be done is to get the ap-
prentice accustomed to sailor life," replied Com
modcre schiey. NO radical change Is necessa-
ry in this respect, L think. The main thing,
FIRST, Is TO get young JACK disciplined, and ac-
customed 10 his mess and quarters aboard snip,
He then should be sent to sea, not on a Ports
mouth or "a jamestown, but on a frst-class
modern steamer, W here ne Can learn something
nedged sailor. lie must be educated the Use
oil, not only great guns, but small arms, ma
chine guns and torpedoes. Alter he has been
sent To sea and has learned something about
handling the ship, l would put him through a
course OF training at Newport in torpedoes and
submarine diving. L would then bring him:to
Washington ana put him through IL several
months course i'll the machine slops and lab
oratory, that he will understand how the
guns that he is TO handle are made and be ac-
quainted with their every detail, as well as with
the powder they are to hire. W hen he gets
through and is sent to sea he will be A real
sailor.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
IL am following out the general plan now as
far as am able with the limited facilities we
have" continued the officer "I have now rs
OF the best educated sailors ever saw They
have been Instructed thoroughly both at New
port anu at W asnlnStOn, ana they know some
thing worth knowing. Twenty-Five of these
Atlanta next month. They will serve as i'll
structOrs Tor the rest of the crew, who cannot
help learning from them. We have facilities
Tor teaching our boys ashore, but at sea their
training is practically lost time. What we
want most of all is two bark rugged steam sloops
OF modern build and fittings. Ii we could put
our apprentices on such vessels they would
Know something worth knowing when they re-
tdrn from cruise. am IN hopes some day OF
having such vessels simply Tor training pur-
poses. 1uiiy recognize the value OF the mex
plicable INTERVENING OF conservatism with rad
realism. But there must be the latter for the
former To check. remember when sails gave
way to steam as the chief motive power OF
naval vessels. There We're great COMPLAINTS
what! put "a boiler in war vessel! \ shot will
strike IT and all the men will be killed. But
tne uollers ana the engines were put in and it
oecaine necessary To pro .. tuem. First they
must be put below the ..iier line. They did
not take up much room then. One improve
ment followed another until it became neces-
sary To nave doubie and triple expansion en-
gines. and 10 ILL nearly the whole snip with ma
chlnery. But IL must be projected. Hence the
IMPROVED DEFECTIVE DECKS
and belts OF steel. verything used to be for the
protection of the men; now it is for the protec-
ton of tine machinery. The usefulness of the
vessel depends upon her engines, while her crew
can be replaced. The modern iron-cIad with
her triple expansion engines and her twin
screws, is a formidable vessel. We are soon to
nave few, which will form a nucleus for a real
navy The new cruisers good war vessels
With the Chicago would not be afraid of any
vessel that Hoats. II she can't jnjure an OppO-
nent with her guns, she by rammins her
III Is just as true to-day that an American can
not 80 wrong in ramming his enemy as 1t was
IN The time OF Nelson that an Englishman could
not so wrong In drawing alongside his enemy
Ihere would be biOodshed OF course or il would
not be war. You can't make an omeIet without
breaking eggs. l hope the day is far distant
When there Will be war. But why should we
not De ready 10 protect ourselves in case IT
should come for IL might come very suddenIy9
Let US have good men of war and good men to
man them.