Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-02-17
OLD Time MIDDIES
They Were Tots Of Somebody's.
Some Not In Their Teens.
TOO YOUNG TO WEAR SWORDS
So the Midgets Were Armed With Dirk
Knives instead-They Were Fighters.
Though, Farrasu, and Porter Being
In Battles at the Age OF Twelve.

In Battles at the age OF IWelse.
Something more than hundred years
ego the midshipman was. indeed. Tie
"midshipmite" that he was popularity
called. for he was but a mite OF lad.
usually receiving his appointment be-
fore he reached his teens. Admirals
Farragut and Porter were midshipmen.
afioat and In pitched battles. at twelve
years OF age. aud Goldsborough was
appointed when only seven years old.
Nowadays. however. the miishipman
H. quite n different person. lie cannot
enter the Naval academy under fifteen
and is therefore when on regular
cruising snip after completing his four
years academic coursc usually well
developed man. physically mature and
athletic and with trained mind He
IL far better equipped mentally than
the lieutcnnnts and many Of the cap
tains Of even seventy years ago.
The old time mlddIcs were mere
schoolboys An the warships Of any
size carried In their regular compile
ments schoolmaster whose duty II
was to give the lads rs liberal nm edu.
cation as possible IN the odd periods
between strictly professional duties.
This rating OF schoolmaster was abol-
ished. In fact. only about twenty years
ago. but after the establishment 81 the
Naval academy. In 1911. these officials
devoted their energies 10 the sailor ap-
stts o.,1F ed 90 ehn
forecastle Even these now obtain
their education on shore.
There Is n tradition that the three
brass buttons the mldshipman wears
on the sleeve OF his full dress coat dur
ing his four years at Annapolis origi
mated century or more ago. when
their presence was needed 10 discour
age the youngsters from brushing their
noses with their sleeves. This Is prob
ably a base Islander. modern researrh
indicating that the buttons are relics
OF the days when there was cuff ilaI
on the sleeve.
At all events the extreme youth Of
the midshlpmite used 10 bee his mos,
conspicuous characteristic. lnstead Of
the full sized regulation officers sword
that he now carries. he wore little
straight bladed dirk about a foot long
He was 10 large extent a messenger
for carrying orders about the ship but
he also took charge Of boats and com
manded men despite his youth He
was frequently placed in charge OF a
..rfaa raI Ia faf.fnU hpr tpfn
port. and not infrequenily suppressing
mutinies among the prisoners on board
Farragut was n prize master at twelve
and get his prize safely in.
The title "midshipniau' IS an ancient
one. He Is above the seamen and the
petty officers forward and below the
commissioned officers in the wardroom
aft: hence "midshipman." There was
formerly a higher grade called passed
midshipman. but this was abolished be
fore the war between the states Then
the grade WAS restored. hu; called mid
shipman. the former midshipman be
ing designated as cadet midshipman
In 1852 the title Of the latter was
changed to naval cadet. which II still
remains. and the midshipmen were
merged with the cnsigns. Accordingly
the time hcnored title Of midshipman
no longer exists officially In the United
States navy
While officially naval cadet, that
youn. officer Is still regarded and often
referred To verbally as midshipman.
for he i the same creature ~ OF old ~
far rs his duties go. But by the side
OF his earlier prototype the twentieth
century mildly Is savant Trigo-
nometry was ahou, as high mp In math-
emaiics rs the Old timer ever went.
The twentieth century lad goes far be-
yond lie goes through analytical ge-
omeirv Of three dimensions. differential
and integral calculus applied mechan-
les
Gunnery hundred years ago was
little more than loading aiming and
firing NJ short ranges u row Involves
metallnrgy. theory ~ t'e combustion
OF pow,ler gases. stress and strain. me
chanieal engineering manufacture and
preservation of complex explosives and
other ahSirtis. subjects IN al ~ which
the mld~hlpman % The present day
must he proficient
NidShipmen We're conspicuous in All
our early wars. notably these with the
Barbary states. with the West Indian
pirates and with the British IN 1872
They were equally conspicuous during
our conflicts with the spanish and FIJI
pinos Midshipmen. naval cadets had
charge ~ tho extremely hazardous
picket duty in the santiago blockade.
close under the Spanish batteries and
often under muskctry fire from shore.
Cadet Powell ran his open launch right
into the harbor ~ Santiago after the
Merrimac. remained I'll night under the
menacinr guns q, the inner batteries
and steamed ont again under their fire
IN the morning New York Press.