The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-22
LIFE ON BOARD SHIP.

The amusements aboard ship are few
for cadets on practice cruise. Smok.
ing and card playing are crimes in the
eyes of the regulations, yet little
danger only adds zest to the enjoy
ment, and wherever they can escape
the vigilant eyes of the officers and
cadet officers groups of cadets enjoy q
few puffs or game of cards. On one
cruise several cadets made practice
of wearing shirts and hats exactly like
the blue jackets when the evening
shades came on, and smoking clay
pipe such as the sailors of every na-
tionality use. With their hats well
pulled down over their eyes, there was
little danger of detection. On one oc-
casion cadet was thus enjoying the
stolen sweets of his evening smoke
when the officer of the deck came up
suddenly, and taking him to bea blue
jacket, ordered him to attend to very
disagreeable duty, that cadet would
not be expected to do. To refuse was
to be detected and "spotted," which
would give him enough demerits to
restrict him from going ashore, 30 he
swallowed his pride and did as he was
ordered, considering that he had paid
dearly for mis- smoke that time.
Target practice, boat drills, and
even landing parties for drill fill up
the time in port and give the cadets q
preliminary practice in their future
duties aboard ship. When they be-
come officers and look back upon the
days when they pulled at ropes and
rowed an oar they may appfeciats
what the enlisted man under them
have to do-for it is maxim OF q
cadets training that she is not able to
command until he is first able to do
the same thing himself" Upon this
maxim his education is founded.
DAILY ROUTINE AT THE ACADEMY.
The three months of cruising over
all except the plebes go on a months
leave of absence, while the plebes are
quartered again on the Santee and
practice morning and afternoon at in
fantry, artillery and boat drills. This
short months leave each year is the
time looked forward to by all, and at
it's end the cadets come back laden
with stories of the good times they
have had
To the many visitors who enjoy o
1eeting view of the Naval Academy
with it's we'll kept green lawns that
stretch down to the white sea walls OF
the Severn River the life of cadet
seems ideal, and they may even ask
what he does to occupy his time. But
the time is we'll occupied. Here is
the daily routine during the eight
months study from the 1st of Octo-
Der until the graduation in June: At
6 o'clock the buglers march through
the hall, playing reveille, that fam1l-
iar call that every cadet has hummed:
Il can't get them up,
can't get them up,
cantget them up.
In the morning
Get up you lazy iounSers.
Put On your blouse and trousers.
cant get them up in the morning
Then the cadet in charge of the floor
starts ut the las: note to inspect the
rooms and sec that every one is turned
out, and woe to the sleepy ones, for
five demerits is the penalty. Thirty
minutes later the assembly sounds
and down the stairs all rush to forma-
ton for breakfast. The long lines fall
in and the ranks are opened and
minutely inspected by officers who,
according to the cadets ideas, can see
a spot of dirt a hundred yards away.
All the formations are with exact mil
itary precision, the orders are read
and the battalion marched into the
mess hall. One-half of the lower floor
of the cadets new quarters is occupied