The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-25
BOYS FOR THE NAVY.
TRAINING SHIP INDEPENDENCE
NOW ~ COMMISSION.
syssew of H~~ruistpx for the MAN.
ming Of Unfted states War Vessels
--opporfunfty Afforded tn Boys OF
sturdy fsoAy and Good Character
PLAN Adopted for the racine
Coast.

I. viii be good news 20 every sturdy
homes. srsy on the Pacific coast, between
the ages oE rs and IL. and Efth an itching
Cnsare for a seafarfng life. 70 know That
he can nov enter the United States navy
As an apyfentics on board the FecefS'ing
chip Independence AZ Mare Island. CAi.,
where s.sSaas receiving 3 "a ouffit and
regular salary o. g. a rnonth. be Nili Re
given a training that will ~ him 70 BE-
CONS a warrant officer and qualify him
hesfdes for many important, high-salsrted
positions ln the various mechanical and
sggfncerfuE depa rtn4sGts 81 tire service
short OF a commission. This naysl-trAin-
ing system which H. still In ifs Infancy
AZ the Easfetu states, was only put IN
operation on this coast early last year.
Il has bad many trfbglatiOns. but IL now
supposed 10 be sufficiently well grounded
70 insure It's permaneucy.
The question ~ manning the navy has
been a problem over which many naval
officers, Of various nations and genera
III NJ. have expended considerable graz
matter. A few years ago about the most
a. ailable source OF supply was the float
ing population Of questionable characters,
deaerters and others. drifting Into Ameri-
can ports from foreign ships, men ~ all
gsades. conditions and Municipalities. OF
y
and whose vicious habits made necessary
. code OF discipline In which brute force
vas largely the controlling eiemen--
These conditions have been improved
upon of late vesrs. largely through the
training system and the enlistment OF
young sailors. There H.. however. vast
room for further improvements. and the
future hope Of the navy today lies In the
prospective results 10 be obtained from
-. 81 Ear sr4su
kindergartcns located on both sides OF
tho American continent Thtse training
stations are Intended 20 do for me navy
what the public schools are doing for the
ration. namely. elevating the makeup Of
its young native material. morally. men
tally and physically. 10 plane that must
eventually create national type and ir-
sure a characteristic navy dsstinctively
American ia fact as we'll az In name.
Almost every admiral In the navy. from
the time Of 1872 has reported on the need
OF training service. and In Isss the plan
was devised Of manning ships Of war dur
ing peace with young seamen trained FOR
that purpose. Tho attempt failed, how
ever. and the civil war again emphasized
this weakness. A second attempt also
futile. was then made. In is73 New York
made a state appropriation for the pnr-
pose and obtained b. act OF congress loan
made a similar effort with the warship
jamestown. which lasted four years and
then had 10 b. abandoned. A series %
national training stations was organized
Ia 1875. and has struggled along seebly
since. aided hy small congressional appro-
pfiations. The training service may now
BE- considered permanent, having five float
Ing stations al the following points
ship nstellation-ttoasters' Harbor
nnrf 4
Ship Nermont-Navy yard. Brooklyn. n.
y
ship Wabash Navy yard. Boston. Mass.
ship Richmoud-NaVy yard, League
island near Philadelphia. Pa
Ship lndependence-Navy yard Mare
island. Cal
Besides these government stations. the
state Of NJ Massachusetts,. following the lead
% New York state. also established
training ahip for It's merchant service. 80
that from al these various sources. sew
eFai hundred Loys. American by birth and
training are now turred out annually.
fully equipped for the service. and fur
nisa the nucleus for the future American
navy and merchant service.
In 1894 the government issued q book Of
instruction. entitled Routine and Regu-
htl0ns. For the United States naval
training station az Coasters Harbor
island. defining the duties and require
ments OF all connected with the station
ftom the commanding officer down TO the
thlrd-fate apprentice. Capt. II NJ Runce
then commandant OF that station, spoke
encourasingly for these Instructions.
which. he said. had succeeded in making
fair ordinary scamen for the naval service
OF boys between "A and Il during the hrst
Year or their enlistment and added:
THE physical training OF these boys.
together with The habits OF cleanliness
snd discipline acquired 50 early !n life at
tas station. iusurcs a very high average
az health and strength 20 DC maintained
N the sene-sl service"
In his report 10 the secretary Of war.
Capt. Bunce says.
The EFFORT has been continued 70 ada
60 the technical training a fondness for
q naval lie and a respect for the scrv-
he. Its history its Incidents % peril and
dash. and It's lie on foreign stations. are
fought as before. nv lectures. and the
petty officers and other enlisted men are
s eufiy enlisted ~ These lectures. as wen
IS 'fc apprentices These lectures as
sreans hy which Information and amuse-
mTHt may Ia given 20 "a ships company.
have the saiuF and take the place OF
hscks 60 the officers"
In all these years the Pacific coast
stateu were sadly neglected and a boy
ambitious 80 a seaCtring lie. has HAD
either 80 work his way fo some Eastern
station hv painful gFadations or forygn
the attempt aud enter tho cruel merchant
service, hts nrst voyage either brutallz-
Ing him or driving him Into some other
occupation. Many petitions have gone 20
Washington praying 90. q training sta
zion ou thts coast. Finally California.
took the initiative last year. aud through
Tho uutiring efforts ot her senator. MT
Perkins WHOSE lsrso shipping interests
made it 90 him a labor 90 love. a. APP
ptopr&ts3n WAS scrured from congress
establishing Faeltc coast trading sta
ticn, with temporary headquarters IN tne
IeCciv.nS chip @nGc .euderee. *. Marc
islaad The ee.-Vic~ Vas as once put trto
operation. and thc arst apprentices Go
avail themselves 81 the opportunity we're
enlisted ia May 1875
Marc island however. was go, suited
tor the training 90 bows. tho Iadspcnd-
cBec. Being - CcceiVing and pct train
ing ship aud throuEb the further efforts
81 Senator Perkins blil was * Sscd py
congress last month turning ovvT Goat
island SEA san Francisco haFaer. 90 tie
government 20 IL ussd exclusively as e.
nFst-rlass tyairing station. further
appropriation was secured FER the aitora-
tacn 90 the old frisa5a Pensacola into
stationary traiuinc ship 80 - taooved az
Goat i2l1n8 Tnv Pensacola IS Row az the
Mare tstan3 navy yar3 dtsfmantie4 SD
beirg afteG ~ FOR ihs bows. ard Y ne
government cAn - Induced 10 pnsh the
work on hee q Gttie faster. the prospects
are thsg the Gnst island station can ~
pax into practical operation ay the mid
die % the eafuFas summer.
4 visst SO thc receiving shin Tnasnene-
encc. fclie a. the ed s4-xun lsns ~ rat
sic saipS a she now Itrs laxIgy swinging
az her cables and acxtax awav Nar re-