Evening star., 1939-05-21
Two Training Ships
OF Maritime Bureau
Here for Inspection
Squore-Rieeer and
Steam Vessel to Be Open
To Public Two Doys

Two of the ships on which the
United States Maritime Commission
trains American merchant marine
personnel are at the Washington
Navy Yard. where tomorrow they
will be available for inspection.
They are the old square -rigger,
Joseph CCarad. refurbished relic
of the old days of wooden ships and
iron men, and the modern steam
er, American Seaman, both operated
for the Maritime Commission by the
Coast Guard. In addition, there
will be at the local yard the school
ship of the State of Pennsylvania,
the Annapolis. The Nantucket, the
school ship of Massachusetts,, was
scheduled to come here, but was
prevented by difficulties with her
anchor gear.
The Joseph Conrad. probably the
most picturesque of the three, ar
rived Friday, while the American
Seaman was warped into her berth
late yesterday. The Annapolis is
not expected until tomorrow. None
Of the ships will be opened to the
public today, but newspaper repre-
sentatives will inspect them this
afternoon.
Formal ceremonies of dedication
will be held tomorrow afternoon. At
that time there will be aboard the
American Seaman members of the
Senate Commerce and Education
and Labor Committees and the
House Merchant Marine and Fish
cries and Labor Committees, the
four congressional committees which
are particularly concerned in the
Maritime Commissions training
program.
Boat Race Scheduled.
Rear Admiral H. A. Wiley, U. S.
N, retired, a member of the COM
mission. will preside at the cere-
monies which will be broadcast over
Nationwide hookup by the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co. at 12:45
pm. Chairman Bailey of the Sem
ate Committee on Commerce and
Chairman Bland of the House Com
mittee on Merchant Marine and
Fisheries are scheduled 70 speak
At pm. there will be a boat race
on the Anacostia River off the Navy
Yard between crews of the Joseph
Conrad and the American Seaman.
The public may visit the ships
from 3 to pm. Monday and from
9 am. to pm. Tuesday. During
both days the Coast Guard Academy
Band will give concerts throughout
visiting hours.
The American Seaman will re-
turn to New York to begin her first
training cruise to Gulf of Mexico
ports next month. During the
cruise she is scheduled to pick up
trainees at Pensacola, Mobile, New
Orleans. Gulfport and Galveston.
Until the commissioning of the
American Seaman, the training
work of the United States Mari
time Service, which was created by
the Maritime Commission as part of
its training program, has been con-
Quoted at shore stations or on
smaller vessels which do not make
long cruises. Short trips are taken
on the Joseph Conrad to give the
trainees experience under sail.
History Of the Vessels.
In command of the American Sea-
man is 1t. Comdr. Charles Elzweiler,
U. S. c. G., and Of the Joseph Con-
rad. 1t. M. T. Braswell, U. S. C. G.
The American Seaman was re-
Gently converted at the Baltimore
plant of the Bethlehem Steel Co.
She is the old Edgemoor. but retains
little of her hull and engines. She is
of 7,038 gross tons, Is 4096 feet long,
542 feet wide and 27.1 feet deep,
drawing 20 feet of water, said to
be one of the largest vessels ever to
steam up the Potomac and Anacos-
tia Rivers The ship is equipped with
classrooms, two complete machine
shops, general work shops, galleys,
bake shops refrigerators, and all
facilities for giving broad training
to deck and engine crews and men,
bers of the stewards department
AS the George Stage. the Joseph
Conrad was used to train the sail
ors of Denmark as scholarship for
nearly 80 years before being bought
by Alan Villiers for his two-year
trip around the world. She was
transferred to the United States
Maritime Service by Huntington
Hartford of New York and Newport,
r. I. The vessel is 1475 feet long,
overall, 212 gross tons and has an
auxiliary DIESEL motor of 160 horse
power.