Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-10-03
AS OTHERS SEE US
"PREPARING FOR The NAVY
INTERESTING STORY BY
ARTHUR W. DUNN
Visitor to Annapolis Tells Of Thess and
Other Days

Officers OF the navy were really re-
spousible for this lack OF interest
Many Of them asserted that the deck
Of a ship was The best school of in
struction for young officers Those
were days Of sailing vessels and sue
cessful officers bad 10 know All the
tricks of maneuvering vessels In the
" ind and learn how to bring their
donble-deck broadsides To bear On
the enemy.
There was opposition t0 .'hook
learning" As part of the equipment
Of officers. Still it Was recognized
that a certain amount u education
was necessary, and after failures to
induce Congress to provide navy
schools. the Navy Department estab-
iished schools ON ships and at navy
yards. A sea-going pedagogue re-
ceiyed the mupIfieent pay Of 80 per
month and two rati0ns day Chap
lains were often required TO perform
the duty Of teachers. The midsbipmeu
looked upon the teachers as land
lubbers.
''The teachers had H0 power to
compel discipline and the life Of
such teachers was anything but pleas
ant. The Officers who had not been
burdened with education OF a similar
character, but had learned tO be sail
ors ON the decks of the ships. winked
az all infractions Of the educational
course by the boys.
Thus matters stood when Bancroft
became Secretary Of the Navy. Bills
for the establishment Of a naval acad-
emy had Deen introduced frequently.
but failed, but appropriations bad
been made for maintaining the schools
At different navy yards and for edu-
cation on beard ships. bancroft de-
cided to consolidate the educational
system at one point. William l.
Marcy, OF New York, was Secretary
Of War, and Lieutenant-fseneraA Win
field Scott was commanding the army.
Bancroft succeeded in getting the con
sent Of these men 10 transfer Fort
Severn, at the mouth u the Severn
river, Annapolis, 10 the Navy Depart
nent for the naval school as Il was
then called.
THE location was decided as most
questions Of the early days 0f the Re
public were determined. The divi-
sion between North and south was
then distinctly marked Mason and
Dix0n's line was much more % =
academy was north of that line. and
IL was necessary to have the navy
school south Of IL. Bancroft selected
the most available site, where Be
could obtain ground and facilities
and water, and still be south u the
divisional line.
Great tact " as used BY this Official
in establishing the school, Il Vas
important to avoid antag0uisms -
the older officers of tbe navy, who
still retained the theery zDout the
/ deck 0f ship being the best school
These officers were appointed upon
boards 10 make Investigations ard
recommendations fie secured their
interest in the school by consulting
them and yielding TO their prsiudiees
in non-essentiais, always keeping IN
mind the main purposc-tIe estao-
lishment ~ naval academy equal
to the military academy a West
Point.
Mine acres Of ground were ae8ni red
with Fort Severn. The old buildings
were used and the school ~ Phiia-
delphia was transferred to AnnaFD-
| lis. That was the beginning - MS
now famous school. All had besn
done by executive orders and without
the sanction Of Congress AT the
ensuing session Of Congress- Ba1ergfs
secured an appropriation ~ $40
70 carry on the school. That was
the beginning, and, from thar tire
forward attention was given 10 tn
naval academy. BY 1851 the facilities
began in small way 10 apprOziu4ts
the West Point academy.
fc0ntiBBedJ.