The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-08-27
a NAVAL ACADEMY DAY.
The rigid Hontinc THAT H"ie> INC
Middics' MnLing Hours.

uiddics' WAKING Hours.
To, n. look Tor % moment go ihc d.
vision of time In week TN ihr ar'h'-
NV. The morning gun awakruS INC
Young midshipman ~ q o'clock nc
has thIrty-nye minutes to dress ANA
appear for roll call When this is over
he and his comrades march at once lo
breakfast. II Is then about twenty MN
utes before I O'Clock. After breakfast
q short prayer is offered hy the chap
lain. The meal + over hy '.Si ana
then there * the sick call. Twenty
minutes later the midshlpmen must nr
I'm their rooms ready to 20 TO iirif hr~'
recitation. At 7.55 they form ana
march 10 their classes in squads 10 :
O'Clock they are called 10 order in ihrt
classroOms.
The actual work OF the day has ho.
gun early. and there has been no Tag
glng or loafinC. At the NaNa academy
the midshipmen are trained io walk
with n quick step ana at Lively gaiL
Tho men i'm the class squad, from SIN
to twelve each march two abreast ana
IN close formation. II does not take
them long 10 20 from one building 10
another For each midshlpman there
are three recitation periods Of TWO
hours each. Half Of each period Is de-
voted 70 study. half 10 actual recila-
tion i'm class. The first period i from
G to 10 o'clock IN the morning. the sec
ond period from 1913 10 l2.lj o'clock
md the third period from > O'Clock to
IN the afternoon. Between l2;l' ana
. o'clock the midshipmcn eat their am
nor and have q few minutes afterward
for rcst. At4oclock all the class work
Is over. but not the work Of the day
for tbcu comes the call to drill.
Drill lasts an hour and bali. ana II
js work. too for the naval officer mus
,nnw thoroughly the infantry ana ar
tiIIcrv practicc OF the soldier as wei
as his own particular branch OF tie Iro
fcsslon Of being ready 10 fight Nhci
his task is over at $50 the midship
man has an hour and half of n'crca
ton. This IL the playtime OF the
The boys are then on the athletic ''
engaged in football Or baseball liiac
flee depending on the time Of the J aT
sailing In catboats on the harbor O. IN
duleing I'm other amusemcnts that ihr.
NAV choose. But during that hour tli'.
are still under the rules governing gen
| eral conduct.
When go comes the men are caile'
tn simmer. and at 7.30 the mldshlpmei
must be I'm their rooms again ana Il
their books. The study period Is tw
hours long. There Is n half hours r.
laxation before bedtime, during wAlcl
the young men may visit each other
rooms. but ut 10 O'Clock all lights mus
be out
For five days In the week this is IN
unvarying routine. with the cXccpVo
of two hours liberty Wednesday aftei
noon for the first class. on Saturda
and Sunday there is change. VARY
Ing with the length Of time which the
have spent in the academy. liberty
granted to all midshipmcn on ues
two DAYS Of the week. The members
; all four classes are permitted TO leaV
the grounds after the roll call to dii
ncr but they must return before III
formation for supper. After the supp'
call the members Of the first and se
ond classes have permission TO 20 agni
! beyond the academic limits. hut inc
arc required 10 he back by $50. The
e may or may not eat their supper Mt u
; academy mess. as they desire, but Inc
b must always report for roll call.
|. this way the authorities or the insiit
!. ton keep finger on them. - Leslie
| Weekly.