The sun., 1910-01-02
MERCHANT MARINE CADETS
STUDEN<S ON SHIPBOARD HHO
WORK AND STUDY HARD.

4
wide DInerence Between the Old ana the
New way OF Tralnlng-Chances for
! Young Men on American Merchant
ShiDs-The Course Five Years IDnE
In the days when clipper ships s,iled
the seas the training OF a young man
anxious to become a master mainer
consisted OF heart breaking work. ctrses
and blows, and sometimes real tortIre
The result was good seamanship. stnch
nerve and a whole lot OF daring, bat a
lack OF the business ability and education
necessary in the modern ships ofteer
In those days the beginner Yves ternod
an apprentice and called boy" by the
crew; to-day he is called a cadet andthe
sailor uses -sir" in addressing him.
This does not mean that the, modern
cadet sailor goes to sea through the cabin
windows. He works very hard. menhll'
and physically. as do the students of
technical schools on shore, and there
suits have been such as to satisfy The
requirements OF the present merchnt
marine service When he finishes his
FIVE years OF cadetship be is n capSble
seaman and navigator and versed in
marine finance.
mail ships are required to include in their
crews one cadet for each 1000 tons or
fraction thereof OF the ships registered
tonnage. The cadets duties are to study
seamanship and navigation. He is 1p-
pointed by the general agent for a schol-
ing OF five years. during which his my
varies from $40 to $50 q month.
At the beginning OF his apprenticeship
Al. LA H.. .w-~x~sAn1 xufNh
warm underwear, two uniforms, heavy
and light weight, OF the design prescribed
by the company, a storm coat, seamsl's
jumpers and overalls for work. q pairof
hip boots, a sou'w ester and oilskins a,d
10 the line runs TO the tropics, an outfitof
white duck uniforms.
The cadets are asst gned to the offices'
mess for meals and to one large stateroom
for quarters. in which is a single berh
for each and lockers and dra wers. The
room is simply furnished with feE
chairs and "a bles: il is comfortable ard
during his hours of watch the cadet isSs
well equipped for st udy as the student on
shore
AS soon as the ship sails the cadet ia
assigned to a watch, and from then on
his hours for rest and work aTe regular
but broken. On first class Iher there
are three watches. the port. cardboard
and mizzen. and on a second naass ship
there are two. the port and 4srboard
On the former the cadet has four hours
on and eight of duty; on the LATER four
ON and four on.
The cadet during his first year II service
is OF very little use TO the compAny. To
himself his duties are dissgreeable and
laborious II he goes TO sea thrduES, the
cabin windows as regards his mode OF
living on shipboard he certainly doesnot
do so in his work. The first year is really
his crucial test. and IL he passes throtgh
It with the romance Of his profession sill
mdimmed he has won half the bate
For one thing he will have realized thai
the profession OF master mariner ie MT
that OF the sea captain OF former dayl
but a modern calling equal TO any q
shore
AZ the beginning OF the morning watcl,
s A. NJ. II 1t il his first day out he getsa
can Of kerosene, a bunch OF rope yarI
and a can Of brickdust, and with thess
he scrubs the brass deck fittings which
may have become corroded in port. II he
oyeriooks the smallest piece ON either
side OF the ship the boatswRin. that
knocker and booster OF sailors, doesn't,
and the boy usually doesn't forget the
experience. It is a slow and tedious
process. but once thoroughly cleaned the
daily polishing keeps them bright BY
and he is at liberty TO go below until
his next watch.
The noon watch involves as nisceI-
laneous an assortment OF work Holyston-
down on his knees with the sailors aud 1
for four hours pushes back and forth
twelve inch block of sandstone, five inches
thick and five inches deep. over the WEI
ssnded surface OF the deck. He may
wonder at the idea OF such back breaking
work, but when he takes his broom and
follows the boatswaip with the hose he
soon sees how spotless the boards have
become. VI
Sometimes there ia painting mending
OF eails or awnings, or tarring the rigging
Very often when the work is slack thn
boatswain takes him aloft for q bit OF ex-
ercise. or selects some quiet corner where.
with piece OF rope. he instruots the
youngster in knots and splices.
Decks are swept down at 400 r. NJ.
halliards are recoiled. and the ship mad1
as neat as a new pin. He is taught how
important II is to make things shlpshap"
on deck and below for the night and before
the watch is relieved by the second dog
watch at p. NJ. they have secured all
matches and everything on deck.
The duties OF the first night watch and
the midnight watch are the same. merely
to navigate the ship, and the cadet is !
DObtcu OH the DFluBc WIN lne OiflC5F oN
his watch where he gains many ho1s-Us
solid experience.
Four o'clock in the morning is Madden
ing hour to the cadet when he is on the
second night watch. At that tine he IN
reused from u sound and glorioIt sluniber
by the rough shake OF q sailor V the re-
firing watch. Out on deck the cold and
damp sea air gets into his very +narrows
though he is clad in hip boots ans 1ilskins,
but he gets good exercise in the process Of
washing down decks.
In port he has a comparatively ,ssy job.
He Is either stationed at the garisway At
night or he checks cargo during he day
with a patent register. During tte fret
and second years OF his service the cadet
Is allowed two furloughs OF eiEht days
each in which to visit his home.
In his third and fourth years hesiooks
back with disdain or pity on the tgn&ancs
of the plebes who may follow in hiafoot-
steps. For him there 10 no more Ibrass
cleaning. he has become elevated 10 the
rating OF able seaman, and In the night
watches he has some responsibility He
is placed either aloft in the crows Aest or