The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-08-17
NEW YORK BOYS AT SEA.
Life Aboard the St. Mary's While on
On Summer Cruise.

One hundred rusty young New York
ers are Just now shifting the salt sea
breezes in the stanch old sloop of war
st. Mary's on their six months cruise
in foreign lands.
Six months theory and six months
practice in navigation is the lot Of this
class Of New York boys who almost
without except will later become Of
ficers in the American merchant ma
rims
Five sturdy youths they are, too,
says the Van Norden Magazine. The
| New York Nautical School Is far from
being in any sense reformatory, Only
boys with satisfactory references are
accepted as students, and as there is
long waiting list the commander is
able to pick and choose the best appli-
cants.
This school for young Jack tars is I'M
der the jurisdiction of the Board Of
Education of New York city, and its
interests are looked after by special
committee. The board makes an an
nual grant for its support and for the
expense of running the ship on her
long cruise.
Although the boys perform all the
operations of seamanship on the cruise,
the boat carries a regular crew of suf-
fc!ent number to work the vessel with
out them so as to give them time for
Istudy,
After the spring reftting of the YES
sci at Glen Cove, l.. l., the st. Mary's
takes aboard water and provisions at
Now London and follows the North At
lantic route to Queenstown, thence to
Southampton, where q few days are
allowed the boys for a trip to London,
and then the vessel makes her way
down the coasts of France, Spain and
Portugal before striking across for
Funchal, in the Madeira Islands, where
few days are spent in preparation for
tho homeward voyage along the south
erly route. The ship reaches America
in September, and by the middle Of
October Is safely ensconeed at her East
River dock in New York city.
The course Of instruction on the ST.
Mary's extends over two years; the
second year students are those of the
graduating class and the junior year
forms the elementary class. Botf
classes receive instruction in practiea
and theoretical seamanship Among
other things they are taught physica
geography, nautical astronomy, history
algebra, rules of the road at sea an(
first aid to the injured,
The boys are expected to keep thei
CHI T5,,r iso
the first year they must in turn ac
as mess cooks. They wash, iron ant
mend their own clothes and are laugh
to do everything for themselves.
While at sea the routine is simila
to that in port at New York. but NOR
strenuous If anything. The boys per
| form every operation necessary 70
navigating the ship. They stand watch
es, steer, reef and furl the sails, low
err and hoist the boats, and make prac
| teal use of all nautical instruments.
Four thirty in the morning sees then
awake and up. Three-quarters of a
hour is spent in scrubbing their clothes
Then they clean the ship, polish til
| brass work and prepare 1t for inspec
kion.
Breakfast comes at 7:90. At tn
| chronometers are wound, the bridg
! pump is manned and other necessar
duties arc fulfilled.
While on the cruise there is littl
theoretical study as practical dutie
: take up most of the time, but for a
hour in the morning the regular classe
in seamanship and navigation are hell
( At 1850 all the first or higher clas
, take observations for latitude, whlc
Is reported a. 70 m.
} Then comes dinner quite plain din
: ner, too, but the boys keep strong an
! healthy on it, 1t consists usually {
@ canned roast beef, potatoes and canine
vegetables. Sometimes they have ric
] and molasses.
t In the afternoon there is more dri
!, | and instruction and more scrubbing {