Evening star., 1909-05-14
FOR THE M|DSH|PMEN
Bancroft Hall Larger Than the
Capitol Here.
NAMED FOR THE HISTORIAN
Rooms Are Very Bare, to Promote
Simple Living.
HALL DEDICATED To ALUMNI
More, Attention Will Be Given to
Physical Culture-Participa-
tion in Athletic Sports.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald


Chicago Record Herald
ANNAPOLIS, Md, May II. 1909.
Bancroft Hall. the principal building in
the group of monumental structures re-
Gently erected for the Naval Academy at
Annapolis, is larger than the Capitol at
Washington. 1t is 733 by 45S feet while
the Capitol is 151 by $50 feet. Thus the
Capitol is IS feet longer and los feet mar
rover than Bancroft Hall. The Capitol
covers 3d. $50 square feet while Bancroft
Hall covers 301,074 square feet of ground
Bancroft Hall contains the offices OF
Commander Cove, the commandant, and
his staff, a memorial hall for the use OF
the alumni, a recreation hall for the use
of the midshipmen, a mess hall, where
they are mustered for meals, and sleep
ing accommodations for a thousand
cadets. 1t was named in honor of George
Bancroft, the eminent historian, under
whose administration the Naval Academy
was founded. 1t is fianked on the north
east by the gymnasium and Seamanship
building and the southwest by the
armory, being connected with them by
cOlonnadeS 1t is five stories in height
and built around three courts, the center
of which is open TO the campus. This
court is 200 feet wide and $50 feet deep.
The other courts are each 10O feet square
and furnish light and ventilation Tor the
living rooms that look upon them. AT
the center of the water side of the build
ing, looking out upon Chesapeake bay, is
pavilion 161 feet wide by 2OO feet Deep
projecting from the general mass 1t con-
tains the recreation hall and the Memo
rial Hall.
Entirely of Granite.
The building is entirely of granite. the
basement and all the architectural details
are of cut work, the main entrance doors
are bronze and four handsome French
bronze cannon of the seventeenth century
workmanship. trophies of the early days
of the navy, are mounted on pedestals at
either side. The arms of the academy
are carved over the central doorway, and
trophies in granite Surmount the thanking
piers. The corner piers of the angle pa
vilions are ornamented above the cornice
by granite blocks in the form of cap
StanS richly carved. A fountain occupies
the corner of terrace upon the side that
faces the bay. That terrace is 1,140 feet
long by 20 feet deep, and furnishes
beautiful pedestal for the monumental
building. The facade of the central pavi
ion is richly carved. and the roof, which
is copper and slate, arising from behind
granite balustrade. with the approaching
stairway. suggests the Grand Opera
House at Paris. The effect is imposing.
and the characterization is artistic
Three doorways lead into lofty vesti-
hule or rotunda, the walls of which. in
Guiding the cornice, are of solid limestone,
and the vauting is covered with plaster
for future decoration in fresco. The floor
Is of marble. A stately flight of stairs
leads up to the Memorial Hall and two
side flights to recreation hall below.
From the center of the rotunda the
main corridors, sixteen feet wide, traverse
the entire building, and when the doors
are opened upon the porticos which con-
meet the building on one side with the
armory, and on the other with the gym
nasum, they form a vista 1,2H feet In
length nearly quarter OF mile, equal
fhast is,f he nal n hn
emperorS at Versailles. The main corr1-
doris on each of the five floors are inter
sected at right angles by others which
give access to the parts of the building
which inclose the two smaller courts.
Opening upon these corridors are the iiv-
ing rooms of the mtdshipmen, which are
arranged in suites OF three rooms and
shower bath. each suite accommodating
two bows who have bedrooms eight by
sixteen feet, and a common sitting room
sixteen feet square.
Rooms Look Very Bare.
Their rooms look very bare and cheer
less to one who is accustomed TO the elab-
crate luxury and fantastical decorations
of the ordinary college sitting room.
They are as austere the cell of Trap
pist monk. No pictures ornament the
walls, there are no hangings at the win
dows. there are no carpets or rugs upon
the floor and in the center or each room
is an ordinary. plain table. four feet
square with an ordinary kitchen chair,
hard wooden seat. at either end rms
constitutes the furniture of the apart
ment. and when / asked young midship-
man who was showing me around II his
mother had seen his room. he replied
Yes, SIR with a curious smile.
Ibid she approve of your furniture"
Hardly, sir
.Why didn't she give you a davenport
and divan and couple of Morris
chairs? And why don't your young lady
,~,llx ,stt
their initials and the Annapolis colors
embroidered upon them?
"The regulations wouldn't permit it,
sir" he said. solemnly.
In the narrow cell-like bedrooms which
open from the sitting room on either
side there is plenty of fresh air, but very
little of anything else: a narrow iron bed,
a chest of drawers. an iron washstand,
and other necesSarieS after the models
used by Napoleon the great, Won Moltke,
and other great generals. | do not re-
member what George Washington slept
on. but when he was at Valley Forge
don't suppose he cared.
There were two or three photographs
stuck In the edge of the mirror. including
one of an attractive young lady who my
midshpman guide said was his sister.
Simple living is said TO encourage high
thinking, and il that is true the midship
men at Annapolis have their minds way
up aloft.
The bathroom is narrow little closet
stones to "A drain pipe in the center. There
is no tub. but only a shower
Hot or cold?' / asked.
"CoId; awful cold.' was the reply.
These shower baths are very refreshing
on hot summer days after drill, gun
exercise or base ball matches, but in mid
winter. when the Thermometer is down
among the zeroes and the Severn river,
whence the water supply comes, is
frozen over, they are not so cheerful.
Dedicated to the Alumni.
Memorial hall is dedicated TO the alumni
living and dead. The living take their
annual dinner there often as they can
contrive, to come back for commence
ment week, and the dead, whose friends
have the means and the will TO perpetuate
their memory, are remembered by tablets
r1pon the walls. The hall Is los by 90 feet
in size with lofty ceiling, covered with
master which, like the vestibule, Will
some time be decorated in fresco.
Recreation hall. which is directly be-
low memorial hall, is of the same di-
uensions and style. and its walls are or
solid limestone Ii was intended to be
the mess halI. and would accommodate
$40 men at the tables. but there are 800
cadets now.
The kitchen is beneath recreation hall.
in the basement. and the mess hall, $50
by 13 feet in size. occupies the space
under the terrace. The young gentlemen
who are to fight our future battles at sea
and defend the honor of their country
MT har rir or mi