Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-25

Fit ta'nsh'ip has become am exact science
W4licA The saIlbl'ITlan never gets A
chance to learn, and which can be as.-
CURED only by careful study under the
direction OF officers themselves.
+ Tine mail STEAMERS THAT receive money
rom the Government under the terms
! Of the subsidy act number about thirty.
Ard carry altos ~tlher over 100 clde Is
FGrty OF these are on the four bi,e
| passenger st&e9i mems of the American
line. the New York. Paris. St. LOUIS and
St Paul. which are the pride of Anne ri
cain travellers. THE Positions ON these
beats are most covestd by the boys
becluse the experience gained on them
Is of the best and makes 1T easy for the
young officers 10 obtain places when
their terms of apprenticeship expire
THE APPRENTICESHIP
The cadets are appointed by the ma
r!ne superintendent Most OF then are
selected from the boys on one of she
schoel shlIss. though occasionally one is
selected Who has not had amy previous
tra'!1ins. The siahoolship boys receive
their appointments at the age of fifteen
or sixteen. and spend two yeans on
board ahe St Mas.ys. or one off her sis
ter ships OF the old navy.
There they are INSTRUCTED in the rut!d-
ments of seama cship. They are taught
10 man ';'he boats. to set sails and to
work i'm the rigging Although the sail
or on a modern ocean liner is not called
upon for much work aloft. it MS a good
! thing for the boy who goes TO sea TO be
able to walk a yard arm or to run lid
and down the long rope ladders that
lead to rhe lofty spars. On the train
ing ship THE boys also study mat elna-
tics and navi CATION. the sciences on
Which all modern sea craft is based
After two yea rs Of this work, at the
age OF eighteen, he receives his cadet
ship. let us say on the big liner New
York. The squad of ten cadets is di-
Vided into TWO equal sections, ONE of
W7hict1 ds known as the cadet engin-
GERS and the other as THE deck ca
diets. I'm deciding betweeem the main
deck and the engneerss room the boy
has a. chanc to follow his bent, which
may be for the exact mechanical lSnowl-
edge requierd TO drive a modern racing
engine. such as is used on the ocean fy-
erss or for the more general work of a
commanding officer
III the young sailor becomes a cadet
engineer ne is set to work below decks
where he is under the direction of the
.'Etef engineer. He gradually becomes
familiar With the mana cement OF the
fin'aFy balanced machines. which are
more dehcale than other csnn'trivant.es
or equal power He reads engine
tests studies coal supply and picks up
from the engin ets:s all tire lore calcu-
lated TO be Of value in obtaining high
speed from the great craft. If he is
ambitious TO become chief engineer
in time. he continues his study of ma
thematicss and naviga ton and by the
time his three-yee rs term is over, goes
before THE Board of Examiners fl1lly
equipped to become an assistant en-
ganeer. in charge of a part of the exact :
ing work OF sailing modern Steamship.
The boys who join the deck squad ore
placed in charge of the Qua rternl as: err
Az flnst they "a re- little more THAN errand
boys. but gradually. from the talk and
instruction of their elders. they gain
good deal of information about sailfms
courses. fogs. storms and similar topics,
besides the more exact knowledge OBJ
tanned from their studies. After a time
tney are promoted to become quarter
| masters. and al the end Of three years
jff they pass their examinations. they ar.
ready to become lieur'enans or mates of
the Lowest rank on amy American ship
OF the lime.
AN THE cadets wear uniforms OF blue,
With sailor trousers. round caps, with
the name OF their ship let,tered on the
front, and blue guernseys With the word
cadet" in red letters across the 'front.'
They receive pay of s12 per month at
the beginnitng. When they rise to the
rank OF nuartermaster the pay DIS i'm