Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-05-10
BOYS IN THE NAVY.
Naval Apprentices and Their Life ut h
Training Station.

Apprentices of the United States
Navy" is the title of TN a-ticle i'll st.
Nicholas that Is sure to be read with
attention by every boy who thinks of
life at sen as m attractive alternative
to career OH land.
Almost every boy by this time knows
of battleships and cru sers of torpe.
does aud torpedo-boats; and of the
gallant officers and jolly Jack Tars who
man the ships; but it is safe to say
that there are few indeed WHO have
ever heard 5f tue Y5ung naval appren:
tice; the work which he has to do, and
VI hat his chances are for the future:
II is enough ut present to say that he
is an enlisted boy, who by means OF
great deal of drill and training de-
ve!ops gradually into d most efficient
and useful man on board 6f bur mod;
ern ships:
Although; as already stated, the
apprentice can newer hope to become
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 tas ks assigned
to him day. by day, Aid is awake to
the opportunities that are Sure to
turn tip fof' Him:
The boys at the training station
truly may be said to live in d little
world of their own, for they do not
heed to go outside Of their own
circle to find ANY Of the needs Of life:
At certain hours Of the day they form
Il we'll regulated school in which they
are taught all the elements Of science;
English. and mathematics = enough
to enable them to understand thor
bughly and to handle iutelligently the
Various fittings and Armament OF a
modern man of-war.
Well informed and thoroughly prac-
tical officers are stationed there to IN
struct the apprentices i'll all the drills
and maueuvers used by seaman adoat
and ashore, including infantry, light
artillery, seamanship in all its forms
both theoretical and practical the
several kinds of signaling nsed i'll the
service, the handling of boats under
steam, oars aud snils, uud the Use of
sword and gun i'll the arts 0f' fehting
and of bayonet exercise:
At Newport Is the only Important
torpedo station Ut oiir government;
and it is therefore convenient for the
apprentices to be taught; while there,
the mode Of constructing Il torpedo;
and TIE proper care and handling Of
THE same:
\ chaplain III the navy is detailed
Regularly for duty among the boys,
and to look after them i'll any way he
may think most conducive to their
highest moral improvement. Every
Sunday the boys are assembled on
deck to join i'll regular church wor-
ship. presided over by the chaplain,
and it is most interesting sight to
see several hundred boys of tender
age, all in the same blue uniform,
Joining heartily in the service. Those
with voices worthy of any cultivation
are assigned t, the choir, and they
enjoy this honor quite as much us my
of tic several privileges that full to
their lot. At certain other times,
in the evenings, during recreation
periods, they are permit ed to assem-
BILE for my kind of Innocent amuse!
ment, aud one Of the most popular
pastimes among them seems to be
dancing.
The spacious deck is cleared, and
there, to the mtsic of an orchestra
formed from their own number; they
trip together the alight fantastic"
It is we'll that there are some such
pleasures for the young boys, for
otherwise the hardships and discipline
of the service would become most
irkscme.
Every spring and summer the ap-
prentices arc taken aboard some of the
older vessels OF the navy and are sent
abroad for a cruise, during which,
under efficient officers, they are taught
the full duties Of seamen aAoat. All
the theory of seamanship and gunnery
is then reduced to practic and the
apprentices are rut through the evo-
lutions of furling, reetng, and loos-
ing sail, of abandoning ship, and OF
aiming and firing the guns on board,
antiquated though they may be-.