The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-07
CHANCES IN THEU us. NAVY
HOW A BOY MAY BECOME A SEAMAN
IN UNCLE SANS SERVICE.
The Requirements Are Not Many.
Rates of Pay for Apprentices,
Sailors and Petty Officers.
New York Evening Sun.

| ly understood by the average boy of to-day.
| A common mistake is made in imagining
| that the Jack Tar Of to-day is the same fell
| low who fought in the time of Farragut and
| assisted in the sailing of the trim square
| rgger. There have been so many and such
! rapid changes in the service that the boy
| OF to-day who aspires to serve aboard
man-of-war under the stars and stripes is
| likely to be quite at sea in the matter of
| information.
| OF enlisted men in our navy 1t may be
| said that the total number includes seamen,
| marines firemen, carpenters, cooks and
| general class known as landsrnen, such as
| cabin boys, messengers, etc. 1t is the class
known as seamen that is most interesting.
There are several ways of becoming a
seaman in the regular naval service. A
| boy may so to sea aboard a merchant ship
or other craft, and serve for period of
two or three years before the mast, and in
| that way learn enough seamanship to en-
able him upon application to pass the re-
quired examination before a recruiting Of
fcer Of the navy to be admitted as an ordi-
nary seaman. There are recruiting sta
tons at the most important ports of the
United States. and at these places desirable
| youths and men are taken into the service,
| if they are able to pass the required test in
| seamanship.
| The other and best way for a boy to get
into the navy is to enlist as a naval APP
/ prentice at some station where there are
| quarters provided. The only important
/ training station for apprentices is at New
| port, r. I. AT this place there is a receiv-
| ing ship for their accommodation, where
they are kept and trained until such time
| as they are sent on a cruise aboard some
well-fitted sailing vessel of the navy.
The requirements for boy about to en-
| ter the navy naval apprentice are not
many. He must, first OF all, be accom-
panied by his parents or guardian When
| he applies for enlistment, or be able TO snow
| beyond all doubt that he has their full con-
| sent to enter the service. He must be able
| to pass physical examination at the hands
| of an examining board OF naval surgeons
| and must be able to read and write he
| must be an American citizen ana must not
| be younger than fourteen or older than
When he enters the service he receives
| full outfit of clothing, costing about $40 ana
| receives a salary of SO a month. just mere
| it is necessary to state that every man or
regular pay the sum of $3.50 a month,
| known as ration money" In the early
| days of the navy the government provided
a portion of grog for each man IN the serv-
| ice every day. Some years ago this prac-
| tce was abolished, and as the approprla-
ton still remains, the money Is gwen 10
| iisfed men it is lust about enough money
| to meet the cost Of each ones share or food
THE BEGINNING.
Upon entering the service the newcomer
| is known as a third-class apprentice, and
/ besides studying he is drilled at the duties
| which he is supposed to fill in after life
| aboard modern man-of-war. He is taught
| the many details of seamanship so that he
| is familiar with all the parts of the rigging
| rio Chi md &c nh Ia n
| handle boat under sail or oars. or both.
He learns how to knot and splice rope and
wire SO as to be ready for any emergency
at sea. He is also put through the regula-
| ton infantry and light artillery drill of
| the navy, and, in fact, becomes we'll
trained soldier as well as q sailor.
After serving period of three years at
| the training station. during which time
short cruises are taken abroad: he is de
| tached and sent aboard one of the regu-
| lar men-of-war as a seaman apprentice.
| The boys are always very anxious to finish
| their course at the station and look for
ward with much pride to the time when
| they become full-fiedged seamen. After
year or two, if the youngster applies him.
comes seaman apprentice, first class. with
| the pay of S24 a month, plus the $3.50 ration
money, already referred to.
After reaching this point in his career
| the apprentice has higher grades of pro-
motion to which to aspire, for he may be-
| come in due time one of the petty officers,
| of which the important ones are coxswains,
quartermasters, gunners mates, boats
swains' mates and captains of the various
| parts of the ship The average pay con-
| nected withsthese places is from $50 to $35
| month.
The next and last step toward promotion
| is reached when he applies for the berth
| Of q. warrant officer, such as that of
oGatswa ain o,, grnner or carpeniter Such
| tentive and well-informed seamen, who are
| put through vigorous competitive exam
| nation, a great part of which is based
technical points necessary
| proper performance of the duties of the
| place desired.
| good cause to congratulate himself, for he
| holds rank next to a commissioned officer in
the navy, and, beginning with salary cf
| $500 a year, he finally receives as much as
$1,SC0, twelve years after the day of appoint
ment. AT present it is absolutely impossible
for any enlisted man to become a commits
| stoned officer in the navy, the CONTRARY
| being the case in the army. One must be a
| graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapo-
lis in order to receive a commission in the
| line and engineer corps. The commits
stoned staff officers are appointed from civil
| life by the President.
MUST NOT TALK
1t is forbidden by the naval regulations
| for an officer of the navy to express opin-
| ions on naval matters. An admiral how
ever, was asked for his views regarding the
| apprentice system. He requested that his
| name should not be printed, and in an in
| formal talk said: 1.-The naval apprentices
| enlisted in the government service receive
| the best physical training of any similar
| body of young men in the world. They are
| taught, drilled and fed equally as well as
| are the men in the service of any country
| on the globe There is but one other coun-
try in which the apprentice system is more
complete, and that is Germany. In the Ger
man navy the men are better cared for in a
rev ways than in our own
The same officer suggested that in the
near future it is likely that the powers at
! washington will see the wisdom of adopting
| the following system, which would make
me future OF an apprentice still more hope
| ful: After certain period of many years
service IN the navy on board ship the eligi-
| bic seamen should be open to appointments
| to berths as tugboat captains and important
| Occupying such place the men would be
| able to lead married lives and to be near
their homes on shore.
This system is the one adopted in Eng
| land, and is productive of great and good
results. In the opinion of the same officer
pertectlon VIII be arrived az when firemen
seamen, gunners, marines and all other
members OF the service are chosen from the
| list of naval apprentices enlisted in greater
AS all Legislation by Congress in connection
| with the navy seems to meet with many OBJ.
| JectonS, and therefore to move slowly he
| thought it was doubtful whether or not this
much-needed and exceedingly wise step
would be- taken in the near future
The times are constantly changing and
| with them change the elements that PROMPT
| and make possible the enlistment of a boy
! in the navy. In former days, boys of a
to