Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-01-17

| schools inaugurated for them last
Thursday night by Commander Joseph
A. Dempf commanding the organlza-
ton The newly issued Biu]ackees
Manual has been taken as the text doom
of these schools, and the result VIII oe
| that newly enlisted men In the organ
ization as we'll as the other men Will
become thoroughly familiar win 'he
! ways of the naval service.
One hour each drill night is given TO
| the four divisions of the orsanlza-
ton for the study and discussion OIL
the points contained in the manual.
Lectures and talks on the lessons are
given by the division officers. with the
result that the men are expected TO pc
| come rapidly proficient in all the
duties of naval militiaman. The sec
| ond half of the drill period is gwen
! over to practical instruction in the
points contained in the lesson Wnlch
| the men went over in the study
| period.
At the conclusion of drill each
Thursday night, it is the plan OF COM
| mander Dempf to assign a lesson III
the manual which each man Will De
compelled to study md be prepared
to answer questions asked by the ol-
vision officers the following drill night.
From now on, efficiency Is to be the
big word at the Naval Battalion and
all enlisted men will be expected 10
keep up with the requirements OF the
instructors of the schools.
A progressive form of instruction
has been mapped out, and this will be
followed out during the entire drlli
season, which ends with a cruise OF two
weeks duration aboard battlesh1p or
either the active battleshlp meet OF
the Atlantic reserve fleet
The t. S s. Sylvia, training ship as
signed to the local naval militia, ie1t
her docks early last Sunday morning
men were given shore liberty Tor the
greater part of the day. the vessel
returned to her dock about O'CLOCK.
INT was the intention to make long
| ef' tap down the river nut oMihg ~
the presence of gorge ice from rort
Foote down it was deemed inadvlsable
by Commander Dempf to have the YES
sci go any farther.
The ship is scheduled to leave ner
dock again at 10 o'clock this morning
for a lengthy voyage down the river,
during which drills and exercises Will
be held. The 'disappearance OF ice IN
the river during the week VIII make
it possible for the Sylvia to get far
Their down.
With five officers and a crew of eight
cen men, the Sylvia is scheduled 10
leave her dock at o'clock on the
morning of February 10, under the
command of Commander Joseph A.
Dempf and proceed to the Norfolk navy
yard where she is to undergo eA-
tensive repairs.
While the crew has not yet been
picked there seems to be much rivalry
among the enlisted men who desire to
go and the division officers Will have
"a difficult job on their hands to pick
few men from great many to
make the voyage. Two days will be
consumed in the trip, and the officers
and men will leave Norfolk on the
Norfolk and Washington steamer on
the night of Monday. February Is, ar
irving in Washington on the morning
of the 18th.
According to tentative plans mapped
out by Commander Dempf, the vessel
will proceed to Cornfield harbor, at
the mouth of the Potomac, in which
she will anchor for the night of the
18th. At daybreall on the morning of
the I4th. Sunday. the vessel will weigh
anchor and start the voyage down the
bay, and will continue until the Nor
folk yard is reached. 1t is probable
that on the second day it will be nee
essary to steam all of that day and
night III order to arrive at the Nor
folk yard schedule time.
There is much repair work to be
done on the Sylvia. and when she re-
turns I" her station at Washington
she will have been thoroughly over
hauled and renovated
The proposed voyage to Norfolk will
he the first long voyage on which the
Sylvia has been since she came here