Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-17
TRAINING FOR THE SEA.
officers and Men of the Dig Trans
Liners.
CNew York Evening Post.

The action of the officer of La Cham
payne n his small volunteer crew i'm
rowing for days and nights across the
rough seas in search of help for the dis
abled steamship emphasizes one Of the
many safeguards which the steamship
companies employ TO protect their pas
SengerS from peril. The general public is
apt to look upon the big steamers as in
Vulnerable TO the assaults of the ocean,
and TO attribute their comparative safety
10 their scientific construction: but a
modern liner requires a higher standard
of ~seamanship to make her safe han
mat demanded on an old-time sailing
vessel. The latter IL bereft Of sail and
rudder might drift around helplessly for
a time, but a good crew could patch up
a jury rig, and temporary rudder, after
the storm abated, and work her gradu-
ally into port.
But not so with a big liner. If she loses
her rudder or propeller. or otherwise
breaks some important part Of her ma
chlhery, she becomes helpless, and drifts
before the wind and tide until far out
or her course, and unless a powerful tug
or dnOIher ocean steamer comes to her
rescue, her chances Of reaching port are
small. Under the circumstances, the
character of the officers and crew Of a
steamer must of necessity be Of a very
hlgh grade to handle a disabled liner
properly in such an emergency.
On a big liner the whole crew repre-
sents as high a grade of -seamanship as
the crews of the old wooden sailing YES
~SelS-only in a different way. The pre-
paration for an emergency is nearly al
ways perfect. Several times a week the
men go through ceuain drills that keep
them in proper condition for action in an
emergency. One drill is to close the
bulkhead doors as promptly as possible,
and with so little noise and disturbance
n the passengers do not know hat
anything unusual is going on. Other FREE
quent drills are given i'm the matter of
putting out fires, working the pumps,
manning the land steering gear. and
learning speedily 10 work the starting
and safety-valye gear of the engines.
These drills are ordered at certain times
ana as often as the captain considers
necessary. Besides these, every member
of the crew has to take routine work in
watches and lookout.
The leading commercial fleets of the
world, moreover, employ only officers who
have passed through all the various expe-
r:enceS necessary to make a capable
leader and director Of men. The eXacting
conditions necessary for a man to at
tain to a high office on any Of the lead
ing liners will snow the Importance
placed upon good seamanship by the COM
panies. While the various companies
adopt different methods in selecting their
officers and seamen, the principle is about
the same among all Of them.
The Cunard Line boasts Of never having
lost a vessel or a passenger in its long
history of ocean navigation, and the COM
pany attributes much of this good for
tune to the excellence of it's officers and
men. The cream Of the British naval
talent is obtained by this and other Eng
fish companies. The civil-service princi-
pie Is a fixed n memorable system witt
the Cunard Company. No captain has
reached his position except through the
regular line of promotion. The captain
must begin his career in the cOmpany's
employ as fourth officer. He can reach
no higher grade than hat at the outset,
and his promotion then must be the re-
SUIT OF good work and attention to bust
ness. Back of this, however, there is
much discipline and experience. In or
der TO become even a fourth officer q
must first show a masters certiti-
cate from the English Board of Trade. !
This certificate means that the man has
passed. through all the grades of eaman
snip, beginning as an apprentice, and
learning the ropes of all that a COM
sailor must know. From an appren- !
tice the man becomes an able seaman,
and subsequently a junior officer. He
must then spend a fixed period as the
master Of n sailing vessel, so that when
he receives his certificate he knows how
to handle a sailing vessel or steamship.
The whole system of training the sailors
Is thus exact and explicit, and no man
can receive his masters certificate until
he Is a pretty able seaman.
The German system has the same idea
OF proficiency in view, n the course OF
training that an officer OF one OF the
North German Lloyd steamers passes
through is, If anything, more exactlng
that required Of the English lines.
The German lad OF 10 must decide II he
Is TO pursue the sea as a calling. a good
rudimentary education up TO thls age -
first necessary. Then the boy engages
himself TO some ~ship-master, usually OF
a sailing vessel, and goes with MN as
ship bow i'm the f~OrecaStle. lie SHIPS
literally before the mast eating ana
with the sailors, and treated IN
N ...... .- GA. Of fhafr nIImhA EnH I
life is rough and unpleasant for a lad OF
Is. but as a green hand he Is thought 10
be entitled TO nothing better. A year OF
such a life enables the boy 10 take a POSI-
ion one grade higher than the new
boy. but he is still below the ordl-
nary seaman. At the end of three years,
f he can pass his examination, he Is
'ated as a full seaman. With two years
more in this capacity, or at the END OF
i've years full service, he can present
for examination for a mates
certificate. This examination Is very Sc
yere, and what the boy has picked up IN
lis five years work on the vessel will
hardly suffice TO carry him through. lie
must know something about navigation
geography that cannot be gained on
To obtain this knowledge the
seaman generally spends elght
n nine months in some school of navt-
This school generally qualities
lin to pass the examination.
The military laws of Germany then re-
uire the young man TO do some service
or his country, and he spends one year
n the imperial navy. At the expiration
f that time he returns to the merchant
marine, and, If he can secure the posi-
ion. he serves two years on some vessel
s. mate. Then once more he comes up
or an examination for a masters GER
lficate. He is then qualified TO assume
ommand of any German vessel, sail or
team, whose owner cares to employ him
he North German Lloyd Line selects
$ material for officers out of these
len, who have passed such a rigid eX-
In everything that pertains
D navigation and seamapship. But no
IAN will sven a masters certificate in
is pocket can obtain at first "a higher 4,
osition han fourth officer on any of the :
teamers of this line. Each one must be- :
in at the bottom Of the ladder, and work {
p it by well-deserved promotion. I
become an officer one must give ONE I
Henty or thirty years to hard training, '
nd then the opportunity Of assuming I
)mmand OF a big transatlantic liner may :
OF present itself for many years. The :
lptains of the larger ocean steamers do !
OF risk their regulations by any care |
.ssness. and they often hold their posi- q
ons for twenty or thirty years. AS pro- s
otion can come only through the death. c
,tirement. or dismissal Of the captain, Z
he subordinate officers must often exer- :
Sc a great amount OF patience. The =
of the transatlantic liners are =
} less we'll disciplined than the officers, q
nd many OF them are preparing for the I
CHER purpose OF promotion LATER. They v
e ambitious TO rise above their posi- a
on, and knowing that everything de- o
,nds upon their work n faithfulness, II
ley make the best sort of sailors. Their :,
titles are No less eXacting than those re- '
OF naval eamen but they are I
,rformed I'm a different way and Tor a I