Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-08-12
THE LAST PRACTICE CRUISE
SEVERH's BI-MOETHLY SAIL
WITH MIDSHIPMEN
ABOARD


The Severn Is now on itz lass nsac-
ticc cruise for fbe sumner. Iaese b.
monthly voyages on fhe bay fgF the
benefit. IN particular. ~ t1e feurtA
eiassmeu. end favor vita raTt gg the
class. while fhe others wCult rather
remain az the Naval AeadeuT-
The forty four youngsters wno are
on the ship iIase me- good wur.is tar
the cruises. They wsrs sumuaFti y
transferred fr0m the Olympia The
happiesf midshipmen iu fhs eemFie
mrmt - the ship are fbs E0gr seeund
clasameu. Though bat sw0 year Au
the service. on the severn thsr VII
Gll the biIieis 81 full-commisslo loue.i
oficcrx-haye their own staferounis
and eat iu the wErdrogul- Ehe on
GERS Of the shiparo Lieutcuant-f eal-
mander Gates, commanding 4leEfen-
ant Manio1. Lieutenant Vain ghf.
q surgeon. n paymasters four nisashif-
men acting a. officers 3 warranf ON
Ger and n pay clerk
Several third cIassmeu have pettV
positions, but tae nain hodysef tneai
pull on the ropes and perform tle
various duties assigned ordinary sea
men along with the fourth ciassrnefr-
About eighty - TIRE latter are on eacb
cruise. They have % man Tire fors.
assist in hosting and lowering stii.
and, wheu not iB active work, have Co
be on deck awaiting oTsicrs. Walsh
ccme al intervals of every few miu-
ufes. The waft ON deck IS tfresane.
The place ~ the class IS between the
main and foremastsa a most abbreviated
space for f0urse0re ahle-bodied sea-
men. There IS hardly standing ru0ur-
The fourth ciassmen delight - hear
the order 10 take their station. for iu
the tops and on the yards there o.
either sitting or standing ruums with
ample space for loug breath
The bill Of fare IS not satisfactory o.
hOme-fed youths when the ship gets
TO sea. Is long as the Severn - in
port the table Il h0te Is aUpetA1smg
but when fresh ratious are shus 9ms
" hen the severn weighs anchor ami
cruises in the bay. the iandsmeu and
that the fare Is rot the daintiest. The
article Of water is a revelation g. tne
new mfdshipmeu. only fuid dis
titled from the bay is given them CO
drink, and that without ice The See
plant on the Severn makes only q
supply sufficient for the waFslfooun.
and one Of the iTonics Of the situation
is that one Of the youngsteFs Fs has charge
Of the icemaking and never gets a
piece Of IL.
The day begins. with those whu
sleep on deck, at > a. M Those who
swing up their hnmmocks yellow ~
not rise until 8. Scrubbing the deck
and some other similar drudgsry are
the only exemptions that the midshin-
men have from the hard work a.
tending upon handling a ship andeE
sails. When the bOatswain pipes All
hands on deck the real sailors on
the ship make a break for below and
leave the duties Of the occasion for
the neophytes in seamauship.
on the last cruise. when the ship
reached SOl0m0n's Island. forty ave
miles from Annapolis, where usual y
the midshipmen are allowed 60 gu
ashore, liberty IS denied all except a
favored few. who had received special
invitations To attend q shore party
Rates prevail ON shipboard- Besides
keeping TO their Own places on degks
no foruth elassman dare go below Or
come on deck save only BY 'ths
plebes' gangway."