| Show E I 1 tide 0 sams amt 4 peace V k tin tax w diw NN r p j h 4 t t 0 i f pl M naf wf A v 0 A K 6 x t Tran inq shi P F A J 3 J 4 A r dailia inspection A 2 4 jp 1 4 t t U ka Y mie cabets cadets the colosseum in om dy by ELMO SCOTT WATSON IMN was when the merchant marine was one of americas proudest boasts those were the days when the famous yankee clipper ships were carrying our flag the stars stara and stripes into inta virtually every port of the world and when america rather than great bri coln was the tha mistress of the seas at least so far as merchant chipping was concerned hut but when steamships replaced sailing vessels tho the united states began to lose her place in the sun san 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 vere made to regain the place we had lost to other nations but these efforts were not highly successful at tho the opening of iha world war we had only 17 ships carrying the american flag and american trade to foreign ports and amer lean seamanship as a consequence had almost become a forgotten tradition but recent years have seen a change bel being n 9 wrought and today under tinder more recent stimulating t governmental government nI policies supporting our peacetime ti in e ravy tho the merchant marine we have climbed up tip to second place in world tonnage and now a total of COO ships plow their way through tic the i seven seas to more than COO ports in foreign lands to provide for the increased complement of trained desk off officers leers and engineers to ronn man our constantly increasing peacetime navy uncle sara sam tins has four nautical training se schools pools mostly aboard real ships where boys can study graduate and stand a good chance of becoming third or assistant engineers in the merchant fleet at a rate of pay ranging from a month for third mates upwards to for skippers and engineers and with cruises to interesting foreign ports sprinkled in while they are getting their education these nautical schools are the new york state st a to merchant marine acad academy paly now based at the brooklyn navy yard aboard the U S S empire state and the annex annei tho the pennsylvania nautical school based nt fit philadelphia aboard the U 8 S annapolis tho the massachusetts nautical school based at boston aboard tho the U S S nantucket and on the pacific toast coast the california nautical school based at california city on san francisco Frnncis co boy bay aboard the V U 3 S S california state every year the COO young men between the ages of seventeen and twenty one years undergo training in these four schools for n R birds eye view of life nt at the academy leta visit the U S S empire state at aa one drives into the brooklyn navy yard a khaki garbed united states marine corporal steps stepa up to the visiting automobile asks the callers business and sends for a bluejacket who conducts one past battleship gray painted destroyers st cruisers and other navy vessels docked in the yard A couple of 0 turns along railroad tracked streets lead to the gangplank of the U S 8 empire state A rifle ride belted seaman clicks his heels salutes and leads on to the slippers skippers quarters forward below the bridge the skipper Is capt 1 I B green second assistant superintendent of the academy commanding the training ship lie Is a graduate of tho the united states naval academy nt at annapolis A sharp wind slices across the navy yard but captain green marches down a gangway connecting the training ship with its auxiliary vessel lying the annex anner the latter Is a converted sailing ship iler her once towering foremast and mainmast are stubbed she carries no rigging blit lins has a broad deck for boat and other drills below decks she Is laid out for school babool rooms dormitories electrical and mechanical chrin ch anical leal work shops cadets cabets in the annex are arc nominal newcomers sicre they are taught mathematics navigation hygiene rope and wire cable use and splicing signalling sign alling ore prevention launching and handling bandling of boats and a hundred other maritime duties here alere too they have their first taste of discipline aboard ship the cadets cabets are hard nt at work in one room equi equipped with regulation school desks they are deep in trigonometry below lu in the bold of the annex they are working in the machine shop others are bending and weaving heavy wire ablo ends endi around an oval eye still another group has liag taken a heavy water pump apart and Is busily nt at work putting it to together getLer again captain green proceeds through tha passages 0 ii r f 4 k furling the sails past blue uniformed lada ads each group snaps to attention and holds it until tho the senior officer says carry on topside Top sido do are several groups engaged in boat drills launching handling long sweeping oars in heavy life boats coxswains cox swains standing up astern kniesch ini each boat giving orders its a cold and windy day but the boys bend to with n will and send their boats cleaving the navy yard waters below Is the real feel of the ship not a quick rush to the side to unburden an upset sto stomach but the atmosphere of being at sea it Is quiet but exciting the only thing lacking Is the throb of turning engines the gentle lift of long ground te wella captain green goes forward to inspect paint lockers shower baths and living quarters where the boys sleep in beds romantic lays days of the hammock have vanished tile the skipper admits that hat sleeping when tucked inched in cocoon comfort within ones hammock Is a blissful state but there Is more luxury in cadet accommodations today lockers are provided for personal effects and uniforms moro more cadet study space Is discovered with long polished white wooden tables that swing up to the telling and out of the tha way when not in use tile the canteen for candy tobacco and othi oth er luxuries strikes a responsive note mess mesa hall serving tables cafeteria style where hungry young men can be served in eight minutes food Is sent doam from the galley located on a higher deck by dumbwaiter dumb waiter the whole place shines with cleanliness next came a visit to the sickbay sick bay or ships hospital one youngster had a touch of sore throat but was recovering quickly A regular doctor la Is assigned to the ship anyone on the binnacle list la is promptly attended and officers of the training vessel said there were few patients captain green and his staff have their own mess n room dono done in dark wood with light green trimming hero tho the deck and engineer staff units dine at separate tables because there always has been a bit of pleasant rivalry between the two groups although hoys boys join the academy for training to ht fit them for captaincy or they have their own choice of tho the braveh branch preferred once they havo have completed the school course and havo have graduated there ls la little time lost in getting them assigned to active duty aboard one of uncle sams merchant ships the boy who wants to go to sea as a professional fess ional lonal mariner la Is trained at one of the four academics to become an or engineer and enjoy life on the rolling deep and he has the additional dit ional opportunity for service in steamship offices ashore this gives him an excellent incentive to grow in the maritime maritt me world and to point for an executive position in steamship circles this Is not a pipe dream it la Is the do de sign and reason for the existence of these four nautical training schools uncle sam has io to battle for hla his pence peace time and war rights ships must carry commerce passengers malls to every country commanders and chief engineers of these ships roust must bo be level shooting the Sun with sextants Sex tants ts headed and well trained for this reason it was waa pointed out unusual care Is exercised in selecting merchant marine academy candida candidates test boys must be ba united states citizens have high school education or its equivalent be abys physically mentally morally sound as a new dollar and must have the qualities that make for lead ersula courtesy promptness tn in obeying commands and correct seamanlike habits the wheel and chart house come next for inspection spec tion in the afternoon sun the compass steering apparatus engine room telegraph and other bright work gleamed and glinted from el bow greased high polish it was exactly like any an other american merchant mans bridge excer tha that t therow thero were re two large long tables extending the width of the enclosed space upon which ca bets studying navigation while on cruise work out the ships course A huge hag flag g locker was located nearby bulging with neatly rolled multicolored multi colored bunting atop the bridge was wai the diamond shaped radio direction finder loop open air binnacle and steering wheel nine times out of ten the U S S empire state Is steered from the enclosed enclose ld bridge or the hying flying bridge by a B helmsman generally a quartermaster hut but captain green went below and pointed out the line ot of steering apparatus to a room far astern in the ship where the rudder tiller Is swung by automatic devices and where cadets cabets are instructed at times in blind steering A bridge lookout may be the eyes of the ship on such occasions but cadets cabets are taught to navigate safely by using inside compass and gileel the engine room deep in the bowels of the vessel was fragrant with hot oils nere here a maze of shining iron ladders wind up around and about the powerful driving equipment of the training ship all was spotless and the ship could cast off on short notice for steam Is kept up in the boilers most of the time intricacies trica cies of this department prohibit elaborate description it Is a world of machinery in itself the pride of engineers who undergo exhaustive instruction and training arhip and ashore and who are charged with the mechanical welfare of their vessel it Is interesting to note that in most cases the captain and chief engineer of a ship hold nearly equal rank both wear four gold stripes they are associates in command although in the last analysis the captains word la Is supreme the cadets cabets have an abundance of recreation many are amateur musicians have their instruments aboard and make use of the ships piano and when some one tears off a large amount of in the evening by the moonlight a flood of barber shop harmony generally haunts the ship captain green pointed out a number ot of ca bets engaged in infantry drill on the concrete docks below this gives them a taste of military activity such military schooling will automatically mati cally entitle cadets cabets to become members of the naval reserve cadet instructors are capable eff efficient lelent and painstaking in their work for them special training Is required the skipper said that several had taken not one but numerous instruction courses A number of them are graduates of the new york Merch merchant rint marine academy preferring teaching to life aboard ship where they start in as third class officers over sandwiches cakes and orange pekoe in the captains quarters plans for summer were explained we ve will have our regular training cruise said the skipper a twinkle of anticipation in his eyes adding that anve we expect to shove off some time in june juna take in a bit of the atlantic for cruising purposes and touch at several european ports these dulses cruises are duck soup for cadets cabets tte the boys got get their fingers into navigation and engineering gIne gi and in addition see the world first hand stops slops include many continental aud and mediterranean ter ports one leaves the TL S S empire state with the impression of having seen a number of splendid clean cut ambitious young fellows eagerly carving out their maritime careers on a smart merchant training ship under the watchful kindly supervision of a four striper who knows big ala stuff similar activities are pursued at the th other three nautical schools 0 by wern union |
