Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-03-07
TRAINING LuBeERs FOR THE NAVY.


ting Men for tho Service.
A new policy has been inaugurated
by the United.States navy department
for securing capable and well-in-
structed men for the enlisted forces
lin the naval service. The enlisted
men OF the navy, including all grades,
have heretofore leen taken from the
merchant service and the apprentices
school and from men picked up any
where, who were enrolled with the
rating Of landsmen. The landsman.
as rule, was q greenhorn and igno-
rant of all details of life on shipboard.
They were taken on men-of-war and
broken in, sometimes after great
trouble. Often it was two or three
years before they were entitled to be
ranked as ordinary or able seamen.
Coal beavers were enlisted from all
sections without regard, as rule, to
competency or sea experience.
Now the navy proposes taking men
without any experience on shipbcard.
.instructing them in all the details of
the duties required of men on the
largest ships, and after they have be-
Fcome qualified to distribute them as
sseamen or send them to the engine
room force of regular ships rs they
may be required. AS result Of the
disposition of experienced sailors to
engage in private work the navy is
now short over 1000 men and several
hundred apprentices, but in the latter
case little attempt has been made to
increase the force on account OF the
lack of sufficient quarters at tho
training stations. The total strength
allowed by law is 1880 men and
$500 boys of which there are now
about IA, 500 men ind only 1000 boys.
y To provide in future for the enlisted
vacancies three training ships have
been designated on which men are to
be instructed in sea life and after serv-
ing required period are expected to
be qualified for any duties on ships of
the highest cluss. Attached to this
little fleet is the old Hartford, which
has been completely rehabilitated and,
exceptiin appearance, has little of the
characteristics of Farragut's flagship.
This old vessel has left the Mare ISL
and navy yard, California, with nearly
800 men on board, gathered upon the
Pacific Slope, who will be broken in
as seamen, seamen gunners and men
of other naval ratings. It is q queer
and strange collection that the Hart
foi4s has on board, few, if any, know
ing starboard from port when they
enlisted. This collection, however,
has been drilled for two months, and
Captain iHawley, who commands the
ship, is confident that, with the as
sistance of a small crew of expert
enced sailors, his command will bring
the old ship safely to Hampton Roads,
by April Is.
The voyage of the Hartford will be
roundabout, including Hawaii, thence
across to some island iu the South
Pacific, to Callao, Valparaiso, through
the Straits of Magellan, and up the
South American coast, through the
West Indies. Few will recognize the
vessel on her arrival, with modern bat
terry, increased speed aud immense
spread of sail. BY the time she
arrives the naval officials expect the
crew to be we'll drilled, but few
months more experience will be re-
quired at sea before they would be
regarded as veterans fit for active SER
vice. Another ship that has been
ordered on this duty is the old corvette
Lancaster, now cruising in the West
Indies with class. The Enterprise
has another class on board. These
vessels in future are to be devoted to
the use of the training service. indie
pendently, however, of the appren-
| tice system, which will have its own
vessels.
The delay in completing the new
structures Mt Newport, where provi-
sion will be made for increasing the
facilities for quartering apprentices,
and the unfinished condition of the
new station established at Goat Island,
San Francisco, have prevented the
authorities from making active efforts
to bring the number of apprentices up
to the limit allowed. At Newport
barracks are being constructed that
will provide for at least 1000 boys,
and on the west coast 500 will be cared
for on shore, the rest of the 2400
being kept at sea on training ships.
With two apprentice stations in full
operation and three training ships en-
gagged ut NIL times in instructing men
for the navy, Admiral Crowinshield
and other officers of the navy expect
no trouble in year OF two in main
tanning the authorized enlisted force
at its full strength. - Baltimore Sun.