Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-06-11
THE PRACTICE CRUISE.
Cadets at Sen and on Land-The Constel-
tation.

Cadets at Sea and on Land-1he C0natel-
tatlon.
The L. S Practice ship Constellation.
with the first aud third classes Of Naval
Cadets on board. weighed anchor today
ST II 80 A. NJ, aud with the assistance OF
the Z. s s Standish and Phl6x, the two
tenders of the Naval Academy, was towed
out into the channel, where she WAS left,
and will cruise up and down the bay un-
I'll about Saturday. keeping 10 communi-
cation, IN the meantime. with the Naval
Academy After leaving the Chesapeake
Bay her fiFst destination will be Lynn
Haven Bay, Norfolk. Va, Old Point
Comfort and Fortress Munroe. where
she will stop for mails, and stores, aud
then proceed under instructions, to
GARDENERS Bay. Long leland Sound
From here her cruise will be 10 New Lon
dor. Conn, New Port. X. L.. and New
Bedford, Maine. ard back to GARDENERS
Bay where she will lay at anchor Satur-
days and Sundays making the cruise
every five day. The cadets will be given
all the time at practical service 81 sea
The cruise will last about eight weeks.
when the Constellation will return 10 the
Academy, 10 time to allow the cadets one
months leave before the Academic year
begins.
ond and fourth classes will be instructed
at the Naval Academy 10 practical exer-
cises The routine for the second class
will include steam tactics. boat drills. sig
mails, howiizer and target practice, and
work AT the machine shop, which started
the programme yesterday. The fourth
class will be kept busy with artillery and
company drills, school of the soldier,
boxing and gymnastics, sittingup drill,
school of the soldier, rigging loft, sea
manship and swimming. The second
class will go on leave the latter part of
August. The fourth class men are not
allowed this privilege during their first
wear at the Academy. The next acade-
mic term begins Wednesday, October /.
THE CAREER OF THE CONSTELLATION.
The career OF the Constellation is quite
an interesting one and her many years ex-
perience at sea has somewhat shaken the
confidence of some old and tried naviga-
tors as TO her safety as a sea going ship, and
II was expected that the government would
have provided much safer ship. with all
the new appliances, for the cadets prac
tice cruise this year, but in this they were
very much disappointed. The Constella-
tion's compliment for the practice cruise
Is made up of 104 cadets, 1877 men and
IL oiiicers--too many valuable lives to be
risked upon an old hulk like the Constel
lation. 1t was only year ago. about this
time, when she was beached tH Cape
Henry, Just inside the Capes, and came
near being perfect wreck, with ali on
board. She was returned TO the dry dock
nj Norfolk and found to BE- terribly sprung
from stem 10 stem Here she underwent
temporary repairs, and is again put into
commission for another cruise. Many
anxious mothers and fathers will watch
her every movement, TO see the arrival OF
the old ship into port of safety and her
final return to the Academy In the autumn.
Everything depends upon her experience
ed navigators and the weather. But II Is
not safe TO put too much reliance 10 an
old hulk.
Referring to the history of the Constel-
lation. Mr.. Alexander Porter Morse, OF
Washington, mentions some incidents In
the career of this old man of-war, which
NAV be of interest to our readers at this
time. The record of the Constellation at
the Navy Department, says MIR. Morse,
though very scant, owing TO the destruc-
ton by fire OF muster rolls and other val
uable documents prior 10 1918, show that
on February /, 1899, the Constellation
captured the French frigate Insurgente,
and the Secretary of the Navy com NUM-
Gated TO the President and Congress the
names of 1.-THE officers OF the lighting de
partment who shared with Commodore
Truxton the honor of this victory" Feb
rnarv 1899. she captured the La Ven
oeance. and on the Goth of March, 1900.
CONGRESS passed a resolution of thanks to
Cant. Truxton, and to. the officers, sailors,
and marines of the Constellation, many OF
whom were MarylaLders.
Under date March 10, 1899, the thanks
of President Washington were communi-
Gated TO Captain Truxton In letter OF the
the Secretary of the Navy, from which
the following Is an extract: The Frest-
dent desires me to communicate to you his
high appreciation of the whole OF your able
and iudicious conduct in the West Indies,
and to present to you and through you to
the officers and crew Ct the Constellation
his thanks for the good conduct, exact dis
cipline and bravery displayed In the &C
ton with and capture of the French frig-
ate Insurgente on the 9th February.
Capt. w. II. Parker writes from Fred
ericsburg, Va, on the same subject: In
1899 the Constellation, under the famous
Commodore Truxton, fell In with and
captured the French frigate lnsurgente.
Soon after she Lad bloody engagement
with the French frigate Vengeance, which
vessel escaped In the night. These actions
were commemorated In the old sailor song
one Of the verses OF which ran thus:
But the Constellation shone so bright
The Frenchmen could not bear the sight
So off they scampered in fright
From brave Yankee Tars.
A feeling Of dizziness and languor.