The times., 1898-07-10
"Reminiscences of the Navy

pleton q Coz
"Reminiscences of the Navy.
Memories of Rear Admiral" by s.
r Franklin, rear admiral of the United
States Navy (retired), is one of the books
which have an especial interest for the
American public just at this time by rea-
son Of the remarkable chapters Of his
tory now in making. Admiral Franklin
served between fifty and sixty years in
| the Navy and was acquainted more or
/ less intimately with many famous men.
| His career began at sixteen, and included
service in two wars. He has been COM
mander-in-chief of the European station,
| superintendent of the Naval Observa tory,
| president OF the international marine
: conference. and member of the interna-
! tional meridian conference. His book was
written with no definite idea of publica-
/ tion, but with the thought that the va
ried experiences of the writer would at
/ least be interesting reading for his fam
ily. Nearly all the prominent people OF
this generation and many celebrities of
our fathers and grandfathers' time are
mentioned in one place or another in
1 these "reminiscences. and there are plenty
Of picturesque incidents and amusing
4 anecdotes scattered through the pages.
Admiral Franklin comes of an old
Quaker family which resided in New
: York during the days OF the Revolution,
/ and whose ancestors inhabited Long ISL
and for many years before. His auces-
/ tral uncle Walter Franklin. had house
on what Is now Franklin Square, and
/ the Square was named for him. This
! house was the residence of President
! Washington for about year. and some
! interesting letters from members of the
family quoted in Admiral Franklin's
I book describe the preparations which
! We're made 10 receive the first President
and the simple ways of New York in the
/ early days OF the republic. In the letter
! of Sarah Robinson, a Quaker dame,
written on the 30th of the Fourth
! Month, l7S9," the following passage oc-
ours:
Great rejoicing in New York on the arrival Of
| Gen. Washington; an elegant Barge decorated
with awning OF satin Il Oarsmen dressed in
white trocks and blue ribbons went down 10
Z. Town last fourth day TO bring him up A
stage was erected at the Coffee-house wharf, COW
cred with a carpet for him to step on, where a
company OF Light horse. one OF Artillery and
most of the inhabitants whiting to receive
him; they paraded through Queen Street in good
form, while the music OF the drums and the
ringing OF the bells enough TO stun
Walters house in Cherry Street taken for
him, and every room furnished in the most ele-
CANT manner. Aunt osgood and Lady Kitty Duer
had the whole management OF IL / went the
morning before the generals arrival to take look
at it. the best furniture in every room, and the
greatest quantity Of plate and china ever saw;
the whole Of the first and second story Is paper
ed, and the floors covered with the richest kind
of Turkey and Wilton carpets. The even
ing after his EXcellency's arrival there was a
general Illumination took place. except among
friends fllulkprS1 and those srYip6 Federal
ist- The latter's windows suffered some, thou
may imagine.
Some of the other letters are interest
ing as showing the manners and Gus
toms Of the Colonial period.
More than half a century ago-in 1911
young Franklin was appointed acting
midshipman by Secretary Paulding At
that time there were no naval schools
and very little education of any sort
for the 'middies." A curious fact which
Admiral Franklin mentions is that at
about that time between two and three
hundred acting midshipmen We're Gre
ated, there being no limit to the power
of the Secretary of the Navy at that
time, and the Navy was so filled up with
midshipmen that in order to employ
| them, il was necessary to crowd the
steerages, where they lived on board
/ ship, far beyond their capacity. so that
a space which was hardly enough to ac-
| commodate four people had to be used
| for twenty-four. Afterward owing to
| the over-appointments made at this time
| there were almost no appointments for
| five years, and great inconvenience was
! caused.
On board the receiving ship North
! Carolina, where young Franklin lived
| for year or more. there was some pre-
tense of having school, but, he says, lit
| did not amount to much" The boys
were taught some expressions, such as
diff" Tat" and departure" but he at
| least had no remote idea what they
meant. He also says that in the steer
age mess the boys lived like pigs
At that time there had been a long
| peace-a little more than a quarter of a
| century-and any war in the future was
not regarded as probable There was no
such training as now takes place on our
ships of war, and the training of q sailor
was generally held more important than
that of fighter. Admiral Franklin says
of the education of youths for the navy:
We were sufferers from a bad system It is all
changed now. The graduates Of the Naval Acad-
emv are men now when they leave there. and are
prepared for anything; but then it was other
wise; We only green boys, knowing nothing.
The American man-of-war in the days about
which ! am writing differed but in slight de-
gree from the British ships of OF the time
about which Marryat wrote do not re-
member many instances when we were absolutely
cursed by superior officers, but the general
tone and style were much the same as Marryat
describes when he viyidly represents a first
lieutenant giving utterance in the most polite
manner 10 the choicest expressions upon repri-
manding some delinquent, and winding up by
applying epithets TO him which familiar 10
I the readers OF Marryat's novels :" . The gunner
with whom | served on my first cruise was
rare character. He had no mercy upon any
delinquent subordinate, more especially II he sat
upon the match-tubs or nterfered in the slightest
degree with anything in connection with the
battery, even though that interference might be
entirely harmless The match-tubs were little