The times., 1898-09-12
FUTURE NAVAL HEROES.
Cadets Are Already Beginning Their
Work at Annapolis.


stitution is famous. Notwithstanding the
hot spell was still on when the May mem
bers of the fourth class reported from
leave, they were ordered to the regular
routine of duties that fashions the
''plebs'' into condition for the regular
opening of the school on October 1. This
routine is TO rise at o'clock a. m. and
take one duty after another-drills, swim
! ming exercises. gymnastics, formations,
roll calls and boats on the Severn until
10 at night-with few brief respites
sandwiched between. The new recruits
round it so fdtiguing that several fell
out of the ranlsA
From September l Annapolis and the
Naval Academy has felt its semi-annual
experience incident upon the examina
ton of candidates for admission to the
Naval Academy. The candidates report
either in May or September Those ad-
mitted last May. in consequence of the
war, went home on leave until September
l. They have now reported and have be-
gun their regular duties. The town feels
the Importance of the occasion of exami-
nation. There are generally a hundred
youths who come up from all parts of the
country in September TO take the exami-
nation. Many have been here for months
at the naval preparatory schools. After
the days examination, mental or physi-
cal, the candidates meet at accustomed
spots to discuss the events of the day,
and to take counsel as 10 how to mend
a ''broken fence"
Any candidate who receives a mark of
% out of possible in his mental ex-
animation, and passes the physical ex-
animation of the medical board, sets up
his fences himself and needs no assis-
tance. but should the candidate fall in
just a 1.-THE of the required mental mark,
and have some slight infi-mity of the
flesh, he mas need of his friends 10 close
gaps for him. In the first case, the
academic board, composed of the super
| intendent of the Naval Academy and the
heads of the several depar ments. may
waive slight deficiency wtIere the gen
/ eral average of the examination is good
and the candidate a promising youth; III
| the second. the Secretary of the Navy
may overlook an ingrowing nail or
| varicose vein, and admit tie anxious can
| didate.
! As soon as the candidate is informed
| by regular process of his eligibility To
admission he goes to the superintendent s
! office. takes an oath of allegiance TO the
/ Government and to the service, deposits
I the money-about S200-for his outfit. signs
/ his requisition for his clothes and other
traps, including a jack-knife, needles and
| thread, uniforms. a shaving mug and
sixty ether articles, and reports TO the
officers for duty His first instructor is
Prof A. ]. CorbesieF. the swOrdmaster CT
the academy. who for thirty years has in
structed the cadets of the United States
navy how to defend themselves and at
tack their foes with the sword. and has
put many military alignment into the
ver.ebraes OF cOntorted backs.
The professor. drills them in the use of
arms and the first steps of infantry driil,
with the setting up" drill added. This is
the bette noire of the cadets. II is de-
signed to take every crook. wrinkle and
contortion out Of the frame of naval ca
det that stands in the way OF perfect mil
/ itary bearing. and this drill pursues some
/ OF the cadets even TO their graduating
/ year. The drill used 10 be the professor 5
! own device. but Chaplain ". o. HOlway,
/ L. S. N. has. under the orders of Secre-
/ tary Long, prepared a new manual or
! physical setting up. drill for use in the
navy of the United States. and the Sec
retary, having ordered this TO be taught
on shipboard, the academy authorities
] have substituted Chaplain Holways drill
for Prof. Corbesier's. with some very
I grotesque movements that throw the can
didates into almost uncomfortable laugh
( ter in the execution.
i The cadets receive their first drills in
/ the armory. and are clothed in garments
suitable TO the weather, their attire be-
/ ing cotton trousers, gaUze shirts, shoes
and leggins. Already, with several days
i drill, the May cadets are beginning To
/ show a decided military bearing and dis
( play alertness and caDabiIity in their
movements. They are an unusually large
! set of men for new cade-.
The September cadets. seventy in num-
/ Der, were all examined at the same time
/ in mental exercises. Twenty-three went
/ through on the first examination. After
a re-examina tion-which is allowed TO all
I and the judgment of the academic board
on doubtful cases seventeen have hope
/ lessly failed. Alternates will report Sep
/ tember 10 for examination. As soon as
a September cadet reports. after pass
/ ing and making his deposit, he joints
Prof. COrbesier's class. He is then turn
| ed over to Prof NJ. Strohm in the morn
I ing TO teach him how 20 swim, and at
night to perspire in the gymnasium with
| gymnastics.
The candidates found the English
| branches of the September examination
most formidable. Generally it is the
mathematical portion that breaks them
( Here is a list of the candidates admit
/ ted in May for the fourth class who are
/ now being drilled: William Ancrum. South
! Carolina; Edward C. Anderson. Pennsyl-
I vania; Kelley D. Alsop. Mississippi; Don
| d. Baker. Ohio; Oscar F. Cooper. North
| Carolina Emile P. Enfer New York; Jo-
/ seph o. Fishel, Maine: Frank B. Freyer,
| Georgia; Daniel F. Ghent. Texas; Frank
| D. Hall. Illinois: Robert Henderson, Mas
| sachusetts; Richard H. Johnson. Mis-
| souri,: Thomas 4. Mott. North Carolina /;
Frank D. Martin Illinois; George ]. Mey-
ers. Iowa: William ]. Moses. New York;
| Daniel ]. Murphy, California: Neil n.
| Nichols Michigan; Victor VI. Nussbaum.
! Indiana; Maurice H ORourke. OklahO-
I ma: Thomas L. Ozburn. Illinois; Gilbert
/ J. Rowcliff. Illinois: William T. St.
/ George, New York and Francis ]. Whit
/ ley, New Mexico.
! This is a list of those who have passed
! in the September examinations:
J. Curtis Townsend. Iowa: Leroy
| Brooks. Ohio; Adolph Station. North Caro-
| lima: Paul Symons, New York; Louis p
| Potterffeld. Alabama: James Reed. Ohio;
| Harry ]. Morton, Indiana; c. L. Hick-
! man. Kentucky: Edward J. Marquartt
! Indiana: William T. Conn. Maryland; :;
| Carlos Bean, Texas; Robert Wallace.
Kentucky; James P. Lamon. Virginia;
Lee Pryor. Missouri; Clayton SINNERS.
! Pennsylvania; Hensley Lacy, Texas:
! Harold ChiIds. Vermont; Otto Downing.
/ New York; Harry Bawldridge, Missouri
| and Fred. Eslick. Tennessee
The process of adding to the September
! members of the fourth class will CONT
until October /. when the Naval Academy
| will swing into its regular autonomy as
| though it had not been in allegiance for
| four months but with keen apprecia-
| ton that since the war I'VE are the navy
| of no