The Winslow mail., 1899-05-13
BOYS IN THE Nav
Life of Apprentices at the Training
Station.
They Are Educated Especially for
Duty on Our Great Warships-
Some Pleasures of
Their Lot.

Almost every boy by this time knows
of battleships and cruisers, of tor
pedoes and torpedo boats, and Of the
gallant officers and jolly jack tars who
man the ships; but it is safe o say
that there are few indeed who have
ever heard of the young naval appren-
tice, the work which he has TO %. and
what his chances are for the future.
1t is enough at present TO say that he
is an enlisted boy, who, by means of a
great deal of drill and training devel-
ops grad dually into most efficient and
useful man on board of our modern
ships.
Although, as already stated, the zap-
prentice can never hope to become a
commissioned officer, there are many
positions of trust and honor&in the
service that are open TO him, If he but
applies himself to the tasks assigned
TO him day by day and is awake TO the
opportunities that are sure to turn up
for him.
The boys at the training station truly
may be said to live in little world of
their own, for they do not need TO go
outside of their own circle to find any
of the needs of life. At certain hours
Of the day they form well-regu-
lated school in. which they are taught
all the elements of science, English
and thematics-enough to enable
them to understand thoroughly and to
handle intelligently the various fittings
and armament of a modern man-of-
war.
Well-informed and thoroughly prac-
teal officers are stationed there to in
struct the apprentices in all the drills
and maneuvers used by seamen af1oat
md ashore, including infantry. light
- illery. seamanship in all its forms
both theoretical and practical-the sew
eral kinds of signaling used in the serv-
ice, the handling of boats under steam,
oars and sails, and the use of sword and
gun in the. arts of fencing and of bayo-
net exercise.
AT Newport is the only important
torpedo station of our government.
and it is therefore convenient for the
apprentices to be taught, while there,
the mode of constructing a torpedo,
and the proper care and handling of
the same. fs
A chaplain in the navy is detailed reg
! ularly for duty among the boys. and
to look after them in any way he may
: think most conducive to their highest
moral improvement. Every Sunday
the boys are assem- bled on deck 10 join
in regular church worship, presided
over by the chaplain: and it is most
interesting sight to see several hun
dred boys of tender age, all in the
same blue uniform, joining heartily in
the service. Those with voices worthy
of any cultivation are assigned to the
choir, and they enjoy this honor quite
as much as any of the several privileges
that fall to their lot. AT certain other
times, in the evenings, during recrea-
ton periods, they are permitted to as
semble for any kind of innocent amuse-
ment, and one of the most popular
pastimes among them seems TO be
dancing.
The spacious deck is cleared, and
there, to the music of an orchestra
formed from their own number. they
trip together the light fantastic" 1t
ID We'll lHdt tuCIC dI c oOllC ouCl
ures for young boys, for otherwise
the hardships and discipline of the sery-
ice would become most irksome.
Every spring and summer the ap-
| prentices are taken aboard some Of
the older vessels of the navy and are
sent abroad for cruise, during which.
under efficient officers, they are taught
the full duties of seamen affoat, All
the theory of seamanship and gunnery
is then reduced to practice, ard the
apprentices are put through the eyolu-
tions of furling. reefing. and loosing
sail, of abandoning ship, and of aim
ing and firing the guns on board, an
tiquated though they may be. - St.
Nicholas. ,