Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-07-21
PRICE ONE GENT
STRENUOUS LIFE BEGUN
DAILY ROUTINE OF "MIDOIES" or TIE
NEW FOURTH CLASS.
The New Glass Is The Largest
In The History of The
Naval Academy

/ The actual work OF the new fourth
class at the Naval Academy has already
| begun. The plebes show marked inn.
provement and begin to step out with
that quick. lively gait that charac,erircs
the hidshipmen oilhe great United States
/ Navy. This year the number of midshin-
men will be nearly doubled. as the
present fourth class is the largest that has
ever entered the Academy.
The life of a midshipman Is a strenuous
one the tour years training being that
OF the sirIctest mental. physical and
moral discipline. The morning gun Al 8
clock awakens the midshipmen, when
the daily routine begins. He has thirty
hve minutes 10 dress and appear Tor
roll-cal. When this is over the battalion
matches to breakfast. after which a short
prayer Is offered by the chaplain. The
meal IS over by 80 O'Clock and then
follows sick-call. Work then begins in
earnest and one duty follows another.
Drills. swimming exercises, gymnas-
tics, formations, roll calls and exercises
In boats on the Severn are indulged in
until 10 o'clock at night. when "taps''
are sounded and "all hands turn in.''
Some OF the recruits find the grind of
exercises very taliguing at first. As soon
as the candidate is informed by the reg
ular process OF his eligibility for admis.-
sion 10 the Naval Academy, he goes
down to the Superintendent office. takes
the oath OF allegiance to the government
and the service, deposits the money
about S2oo-tor his outfit. signs the re-
QUESTION for his clothes and other trans.
including a jack-knite. needles and thread.
uniforms. shaving mug and numerous
other articles, and reports to the proper
ofhcer OF the Academy for duty
His first instructor is Prot. A, I. Cor
besier, the swordmaster of the Academy.
who for more than thirty years has in
structed the midshipmen OF the United
States Navy how to defend themselves
and attack their foes with the sword, and
has put many military alignment into
the vertebrae OF conlorted backs. The
professor has as his assistant George
Heintz, Jr., who is also an expert with
the sword. The midshipmen are drilled
in the use OF arms and the first steps OF
infantry drills, with the setting-up drill
added. IL is designed TO take every
crook, wrinkle and contortion out OF the
frame OF 'middy'' that stands In the
way Of a perfect military bearing, and
this drill pursues some OF the midshipmen
even TO their graduating year.
The midshtpmen receive their FIRST
drills In The large new armory building,
and are clothed in garments suitable to
the weather, their attire being cotton
trou ers, gauze shirts, shoes and leggins.
Already the new middies are beginning
to show decide dlY military bearing and
display alertuess and capability in their
movements. The new class, which num-
bers 3o3 members, is the largest class
ever at the Academy. and in order to
facilitate matters, it has been divided
into four divisions. Two different periods
in the morning are devoted TO samanship
and ordnance, the first and third divis-
ions going together to the exercises for
one period, while the second and fourth
divisions are together during the second
period. The afternoon exercises Of the
class consist OF swimming, gymnastics
and other exercises in the aTmoTy.
The officers who have charge OF the
different exercises are Stewardship
Lieutenant w. o. Hume, in charge; as
sistants, Lieu,enants w. II. G Bullard,
George K. Evens and Jensen. Ordnance
Lieutenant Commander w. + Fullam,
in charge; assistants. Lieutenants +. /.
Hines, +. NJ. Russell, +. c. Hart and
c. b. Britain. Steam Engineering
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ]. K. Baron;
assistant, Lieutenant +. ID. Karns.