The Ely miner., 1933-06-23

Sy ELMO SCOT 7 WATSON
A ME was when the merchant ma
AAA rine was one Of Americas proud
- est boasts Those were the days
: i !. !. 7. :: ]. !: J. !: !. J: !.
~A when the famous Yankee clipper
N|N ships were carrying our flag, the
III Ax Stars and Stripes into virtually
kDZl every port Of the world and when
$3.50 America, rather than Great Bri-
E1 tain was the mistress of the
seas" at least so far as merchant
shipping was concerned.
But when steamships replaced sailing vessels
the United States began TO lose her place in the
sun in this regard and the Civil war saw the end
Of our dominance Of the seas with merchant
men. In the years that followed various efforts
were made to regain the place had lost TO
other nations, but these efforts were not highly
successful. At the opening of the World
had only Il ships carrying the American flag
and American trade to foreign ports, and Amer
lean seamanship, as a consequence, had almost
become forgotten tradition
But recent years have seen a change being
wrought, and today. under more recent stimulat-
ing governmental policies supporting our peace
time navy" the merchant marine, have
climbed up TO second place in world tonnage
and now a total Of 600 ships plow their way
through the seven seas to more than 500 ports
IN foreign lands
In time OF war Uncle Sam calls on the youth
Of his country 10 enlist in the army. navy
marine corps. In peace time there is another
call, just as vital. for the merchant marine
those ships that fly the Stars and Stripes in far
flung ports Of the globe. The merchant marine
service is devoted 10 carrying commercial pas
sengers, cargo and the mails in peace time. When
war strikes, the merchant marine becomes an
auxiliary unit of the United States army and
navy. Ships converted almost overnight
into armed merchantmen. Big guns installed.
Beautiful passenger accommodations are stripped
and converted into living quarters for officers
and men. The wartime merchant feet carries
supplies, ammunition, troops, all varieties Of mil
itary supplies and men. They are as necessary
TO the navy as battleships and cruisers.
To provide for the increased complement Of
trained desk officers and engineers to man our
constantly increasing peacetime navy. Uncle
Sam has four nautical training schools, mostly
aboard real ships, where boys can study, grad
uate and stand good chance Of becoming third
officers or assistant engineers in the merchant
fleet ar a rate of pay ranging from S125 month
for third mates upwards 10 $500 for shippers and
engineers. and with cruises to interesting for
eign ports sprinkled in while they are getting
their education.
These nautical schools are: The New York
State Merchant Marine academy, now based at
the Brooklyn navy yard aboard the @. s. S.
Empire State and the Annex; the Pennsylvania
Nautical school, based at Philadelphia. aboard
the @ s. S. Annapolis; the Massachusetts, Nau-
teal school based ar Boston. aboard the c. s s.
Nantucket, and on the Pacific coast. the Cali
fornia Nautical school, based at California City,
on San Francisco bay, aboard the c. S. S. Cali
fornia State. Every year the 500 young men. be-
tween the ages of seventeen and twenty-one
years. undergo training In these four schools.
For birds eye view of life at the academy,
let's visit the c. s. S. Empire State.
As one drives into the Brooklyn navy yard
khaki-garbed United States marine corporal
steps up 10 the visiting automobile. asks the
callers business and sends for bluejacket. who
conducts one past battleshp-gray painted de-
stroyers, cruisers and other navy vessels docked
in the yard. A couple of turns along railroad
tracked streets lead TO the gangplank of the Q.
S. s. Empire State.
A rife-beted seaman clicks his heels, salutes
and leads on TO the shippers quarters forward
below the bridge. The skipper is Capt. l. B.
Green second assistant superintendent of the
academy commanding the training ship He is
graduate of the United States Naval academy
at Annapolis
sharp wind slices across the navy yard. but
Captain Green marches down gangway con-
Meeting the training ship with its auxiliary YES
sci lying alongside-the Annex The latter is a
converted sailing ship. Her once towering fore
mast and mainmast are stubbed- She carries
no rigging but has broad deck for boat and
other drills Below decks she is laid out for
school rooms dormitories electrical and me-
chanical work shops
Cadets In the Annex are nominal newcomers.
Here they are taught mathematics. navigation.
hygiene rope and wire cable use and splicing,
signalling fire prevention. launching and han
ding Of boats and hundred other maritime
duties Here, too, they have their first taste Of
discipline aboard ship.
The cadets are hard ar work In one room.
equipped with regulation school desks. they are
deep in trigonometry. Below. In the hold Of the
Annex they are working in the machine shop.
Others are bending and weaving heavy wire
cable ends around oval eye Sti1 another
<ror7n has taken heavy wafer ruuau apart and