The Wichita tribune., 1898-11-05

That revival OF the American mer-
chant marine is about to take place ls
evidenced by many symptoms, among
them the rush of young men to learn
the shipbuilding business. This is
especially noticeable at the Academy
Of Naval Architecture and Marine En-
gineering. While hitherto the average
has been seventeen, the boys at the
school now number Sc, and every day
new applications are received. THIS
is especially gratifying to the veneS-
able founder Of the institution, who
expects before he dies to see the time
when the United States will build
ships, both merchantmen and men
of-war, for European nations, as he
used to do in his shipyard on the East
river.
The school and the home were get
| ting along quietly, when along came
the war, and 10! the postoflce nearest
| the academy began to be burdened
with the stream of applications anu
inquiries which poured in to the man
ayers of the institution, and the quiet
roads leading to the park in when
the building stands were seldom with
out carriage bringing parents to the
place, who came to beg that their sons
might be admitted to the benefits of
the institution.
It was not only the humble carry
all" from the railway station which
now goes up the hill, but private car
riages of people of means, who offer to
pay handsomely if their sons can only
be admitted. my son has determined
TO be a naval architect. / do not
know what put it into his head un-
less it was the war. We always
thought he would be lawyer This
is the only school of naval arch1tec-
ture that 1 have heard of, so 1 came
here. I would be willing to pay a
generous price for his tuition" This
is a sample of the applications of the
fond mothers or fathers who come t(
launch their son on his chosen ca
reer. They, of course, have to b'
told that the boy cannot be taken
and the object Of the school-to fur
nish shipbuilding education to youn
men who otherwise would be obllge
tn 90 without one--is explained t
: them.
, During the past summer, while tn
, school was In vacation, the student
were distributed among the variou
shipyards, where they not only got
practical idea of the workings of
modern shipbuilding establishment
hut were also paid wages for the1
work. They had been allowed to worl
in shipyards in the summer vacatl9]
before, but then gave their -
: free. This year 60 - liSp1I
= paid, but the yards were sorry to los
them when the school term begal
, again.
: Boys of American parentage ar
= admitted to the school between tn
!. ages of Is and 20, and from the tim
. they enter until they graduate every
( thing is provided for them except thei
. clothes. The entrance examination
, pretty stiff. Besides the common Eng
:, lish branches, algebra, geometry an
trigonometry are we'll gone into.
!, To the layman the most interestin
=. part of the students work is done i
- the molding-loft. This is large, bar
- room at the top Of the building, ur
- broken by pillar or post, where tn
;. students in their working clothes dra'
chalk marks all over the smooth foo
These chalk marks delineate the var
GUS parts of some ship which tn
> students have been designing or study
. ing from descriptions and plans TIL
= different parts are drawn in the exaC
- size that they are or would be in real
ity. The molding-room floor is to tn
c shipbuilder what those flimsy pal
. terms, which come with publication
for women and look like war map!
U are to the dressmaker. From tn
y maze of chalk lines drawn on tn
molding-room floor a ship can be Gu
out and put together.
# A student not only has to learn ho'
d to design a ship on paper and ia
,r down. it's pattern on the moldlne
~ room floor, but he must also learn no
= to order the material for 1t. Whe
- the student has his ship all ready
! materialize he makes out series