The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-22
.rHE CIrY,s NAUTICAL SCHOOL.
A Little known and Sometimes Misunder.
stood Branch Of Free Public Instruction.

utOOu DENAhcu VI ETCC ubh NuOttVas
To THE EDITOR OF The SUE-Sir; We
New Workers. are noted the country over for
our ignorance OF our own city. Visitors from
other sections coming to the great metropolis
for the first time are first amazed at dlsooy-
ering how little OF the substance Of familiar
knowledge there Is behind the veil Of our
SNUG self satisfaction. then mlsohievouSly
delighted In opening our eyes TO the things
about US. These things are well worth the
seeing and when discovered afford abundant
justification for our oonoeit. Among the
institutions Of the city much talked about
but actually little known Is Q wonderful
school system. Selecting a single depart
ment--one Of the minor special features OF
the systeka-may I have a few ltses OF yoW
space TO tell other New Workers some Of the
facts about the city's nautical school?
With regard to this branch Of the free in
struction which the city offers Its younger
citizens-its citizens In the making-there IL
much not only Of the harmless negative lack
Of knowledge that concerns other New York
institutions. but Of positively Injurious mis-
information.
The nautical school has it's quarters in the
schoolship st. Mary's, the winter session Il
spent at school work on the boat. locked az
the foot Of East Twenty-fourth street. and
every summer the boys man the ship FOR a
European cruise. The log OF the 1905 cruise
tells the story Of these annual trips. From
April 20, when the ship left the city, until
May IS. the cadets were being broken in to
the routine Of sea duty at Glen Cove. The
young tars painted the old vessel and her
boats, learned the rigging and were drilled
in making sail. reehng and manning the yards
and in all sorts Of evolutions. as we'll as being
put through a course Of sprouts in owing
and sailing the boats-just such drills, in 4
word, as the men OF the Naval Militia get on
their practice cruises.
After being inspected by the committee
on the nautical school, on May 10. the ST
the boys being adjudsed At to handle the
ship at sea, her prov was headed for Europe
The 11TsI P11's soss to ESS 1u sere made was r reeosrdi run DM,
noon being one Of them.
cruise Ssaofs as told BY Commander G., G: ,Hanqs,
Superintendent Of the nautical school, N bis
me say here that the mislnformation as to
the character Of the school, to which have
previously, alluded. consists In ne mlsaRpTe'
This erroneous impression Commander
Hanus says II, Is his intention to combat by
I plSl1 The true Gq1% aim OF Of tie school. Thai, tie
81, Mary's Is net at all e reform school
In the fact that governments and munich;
SSliiii 5rS.H es,i Fsof sIsEney a and cd TX m E5sIs b 5S
last simmer. a Killarney gentleman wrote
| q IetteT COIlDltuullB tnclh IIe ~ VIC
United States Consul at Queenstown.
A Queenstown the boys rescued a man
who had gone overheard from a yacht. and
were praised In q special despatch from the
Consul to the State Department. At Cher.
bours, in addition 70 courtesies from TIE
New York boys the hospitality Of the city,
and a committee from the Chamber 81 Com,
the ST. Mary's encountered a cyclone. The
story OF the run, as told In the Commander's
report, reads like a chapter from Marryat or
Clark Russell: Seven Of the boy crew hs ~ crsT
The st. Mary's 10 more than 90 years old
still stanch and seaworthy. but not wholly
adequate, TO the needs OF the sch6Gi' ON
with auxiliary steam. so that without neg
lecting the training In seamanship the boys
could be trained In steam and electrical en-
ssG6 err, m also; b 5scf ths a c Sessel %Sq'o wo 9EIi
like to use the old Hartford. rebuilt about
1900.
ST. Ma ~ so Is a5fsseeq HS oS she R sestihIs X gram mn
mar school work occupies the time ashore IN
the winter, and at. sea instruction 10 connnen
to the purely professional branches; IN the
morning the second class, watch, ON deck gets
a lecture on seamanship and navigation.
while the watch below has study hours, In
the afternoon there is drill IN marlinspike
seamanship and sail making The first class
Of navigation and have to take the ships
position, each day. Fire and abandonine
ship and. similar drills are also Included II
Many Of the boys take only a year or two;
but more and more are go!ng IN for the ful
course on the st. Mary's. In 1908 twenty-si\
received diplomas. in 1904 twenty-elght and
in 1908 thirty-hve.. T..
NEW YORK. April 20.