Evening capital., 1906-11-01
THE SEAMANSR|P DRILL.
LESLIE'S WEEKLY FEATURES
The NAVAL ACADEMY.
Photographs BY Well Known Balti.
more Lady Of The Govern
ment School.

Today'S issue of Icslies Weekly
contains a number Of illustrations
made from photographs taken Ny
Mrs. Charles r.. Miller, Of Baltimore,
illustrative OF sealnanship drill at
the Naval Academy, aud also Of The
Princeton Navy football game few
weeks ago.
The article illustrating seamanship
has pictures Of Tho severn. on which
the midshipmen are furling sails,
hoisting the Severn's topsails, also
of the indoor mast in the Seainanship
Building, storing the Seyern's flying
jib, and strengthening up the gear OF
the reefing topsails. In the story Mrs.
Miller says:
s.It is probably not generally known
how the United States government
trains the youth upon whose shoulders
viii rest the responsibility OF main
tanning the high standard of the navy.
His apprenticeship is not unlike in
theory and practice the apprenticeship
of any other young man learning n
trade, the fundamental principle being
the proper kind of tools--w when and
how 10 use them for the accomplish
ment of certain purposes.
a midshipman' tools. So TO speak.
are cUiISs tnUH lti4QNAthH tANa0Nss -
know ledge of seamanship an essential
part OF the training. This begins
with lessons in splicing hemp and
wire rope. after which the young men
are given practice in handling sails
on the indoor mast in the Seaman
shin Building, which is an exact
counterpart of the mizzcnmast of the
training-ship Severn, and is seventy
two feet in height. The midshipmen
go aIoft, furl. reef and set sails, etc.,
in fact. go through the entire seaman
ship drill. A net is spread at the
foot OF the mast for protection, as a
fall on the concrete floor would be
far more serious than on the deck of
n ship. Accidents, howcer, are in
frequent.
Drills on the Severn begin early
i'm the spring and continue through
cut the cruise. which lasts from june
until September. The midshipmen
thus becomes accustomed 10 ship life.
The work is hard and the discipline
severe during these drills. There is
little tendency TO shirk duty, and the
future admirals do everything on
shipboard, on deck and aloft, even to
clearing up the deck and slowing
away the ropes. From a picturesque
point of view scamanship practice on
the Severn surpasses all other SINH
lar exercises. 1t seems that on ship
board the sense of the reality of the
tn ing is ever present, and ono acous-
toned 10 witnessing these drills notices
that on the deck of the old severn the
.middies" are more active, more in
earnest and the manner in which they
II 4. inc fha rfnnin -
does credit to an old sailor
Each man starts in with practical
seaman's S duties, and as he continues
his course is advanced TO the duties
of the petty officers, and later TO those
Of the Junior commissioned officers.
These exercises, with the attendant
discipline, develop the faculty Of
quick perception, of great resourceful-
ness, and of celerity in execution.
The good practical results of such
drills as these have manifested them
selves in after years in many an in
stance of emergency, and danger. II
is the severe training which our cadets
must undergo. in this and other ways,
that has given us naval officers unsur-
passed in any navy.
The athletic illustrations are OF
Dague. the efficient end Of the Navy
football team; Shafroth. the Navy s
capable right guard: Ingram. the
Navy's expert halfback; Norton, the
star quarterback; Reinecke, the sub.
stitute fullback; Spencer, the captain
and halfback: Northcroft, the sturdy
fuIlback, and Piersol, the well-trained
right tackle. A lively scrimmage II
shown at a critical stage in the Navy
Princeton game, and Princeton start
| ing an end rush. The pictures are al
clear cut and we'll outlined and ar
Illustrative of Mrs. Millcr's excellen
/ nhnfnnranhy