The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-03

operations. For one thing, the revenue cutters must be ever watchful for ships in distress, and are under special orders to succor the shlpwrecked. The service is obliged to keep an eye on navigation and steamboat inspection; Is looked to to en- force the quarantine laws; to compel neu- trality in the event of any international war; such as the Russo-Japanese conflict; is responsible for the suppression of mu- tinies aboard merchant vessels; enforces rules relative to the anchorage of vessels in our big harbors. and has other minor chores literally too numerous to mention.
 In Alaskan waters alone the Revenue Cutter Service has performed and is per forming work that is worth all It costs Uncle Sam to maintain this body of mari- time watchmen. Most important of the duties of the revenue cutters In the far north Is the suppression of Illegal sealing Five or six vessels have gone to these waters each season for some years past, and the vigilance of their patrol has been attested by the fact that the Illicit seat ing has been almost wholly suppressed. Then the famous revenne cutter Bear, which IS transformed Dundee steam whaler, constructed solely with the idea of navigating amid the Ice fields of the Arctic regions, has made number of cruises to the northeast coast of Siberia for consignments of the reindeer which have proven such a boon to the people who are trying to develop Uncle Sam's northernmost bit of territory
 Probably the most famous of all United States revenue cutters is the Mcculoch, but aside from her record at the battle of Manila this vessel is interesting as an ex- cellent representative of the new type of vessels of this class. She is 21e feet long over all 33 feet wide and displaces 1,2s0 tons of water. The general design of the ship is a compromise between naval and mercantile types. combining, to certain extent, the advantages of both. The ship Is fitted as a three-masted schooner and is enabled to carry large spread of sails as an auxiliary for slow cruising. but she is also provided with powerful engines which enable her to maintain a speed of about 20 miles per hour. or fully six miles
 
 size fin the regular navy. In time of peace a revenue cutter of this class is armed with two three-inch rifles and four six-pounder rapid-dre guns. Our newest revenue cutter, the Mohawk, shows some improvement even over the seemingly per feet vessels of the McCulloch class
 The United States Revenue Cutter serv. ice is under the control of the Secretary of the Treasury, except when, in time of war, it's vessels and crews are. by or der of the President, placed under the Jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Navy. Tho officers of the service are appointed ar1 commissioned by the President in the same manner as officers of the Navy. The crews are enlisted for periods of three years and naval discipline prevails on board all vessels, the men being trained fin the handling of guns and small arms.
 After the Civil War q large number of volunteer officers of the Navy who de- sired to remain In service were given commissions in the Revenue Cutter Serv- Ice, but this did not supply all existing vacancies, and so Congress, in 1876, au- thorized the establishment of a cadet system by which young men are trained to discharge the duties of officers and serving for the Revenue Cutter Service the same purpose that the academies ar West Point and Annapolis do for the Army and Navy, respectively. Any young man between the ages of IS and 25 has a chance for an officers commission if he can pass creditably strictly competitive