| Show Jams Jam's Pe 4 t i 3 i itt tt J I 41 fr t T g P f 1 4 rw td s s'S S 'S W E f fr r the Dail y Inspection I I he Cadets Visit the Colosseum in Rome Pome By Sy ELMO SCOTT WATSON B I DIE HIE was when the merchant ma ma- ma marine ma-i ma rine was one of ot Americas America's proudest proudest proud- proud proudest est boasts Those were the days when the famous Yankee clipper ships were carrying our flag the thea Stars and Stripes Into vIrtually every port of ot the world and when America rather than Great BrI- BrI BrItain Bri 3 tam tain was the mistress of ot theseas the theseas sea seas at least so far as merchant shIpping was concerned But when steamships replaced sailing vessels the United States began to to lose her place In the sun In fn this regard and the Civil war saw the end endot ot of our dominance of ot the seas with merchant merchantmen men In the years rears that followed various efforts were made to regain the place we had bad lost to other nations but these efforts were not highly successful At the opening of ot tho the World war we had only 17 ships carrying the tho American flag and American trade to foreign ports and ant Amer Amer- AmerIcan American American ican seamanship as a consequence had almost become a n forgotten tradition But recent years have seen a change beIng wrought and today under more recent stimulatIng stimulating ing governmental policies supporting our peace time navy the merchant marine we have climbed up to second place In world tonnage and now a total of ot COO ships plow their way through the seven seas to more than GOO WO ports In foreign lands To provide for the Increased complement ot of trained desk officers and engineers to man our constantly Increasing peacetime navy Jy J y Uncle Sam has four tour nautical training schools mostly aboard real ships where boys can cnn study grad grad- graduate graduate graduate and stand stant a good chance of ot becoming thIrd officers or assistant engineers In the merchant fleet at a rate of ot pay ranging from a month for Cor third mates upwards to for tor skippers and engIneers and with cruises to Interesting for tor foreign eign ports sprinkled In tn while they are getting their education These nautical schools are The New York State Merchant Marine academy now based at atthe atthe atthe the Brooklyn rooklyn navy yard aboard the U S S Empire State and the Annex the Pennsylvania Nautical school based at Philadelphia aboard the U S S Annapolis the Massachusetts Nau Nau- Nautical Nautical school based at Boston aboard the U S S Nantucket and on the PacIfic coast the Call Cali California fornia Nautical school based basel at California City CallI on San Francisco bay aboard the U S S Cali Call California California fornia State Every cry year the oo young men be- be between between be between tween the tho ages of ot seventeen and twenty one twenty years ears undergo training In these tour four schools For a birds bird's eye eyo view of ot life lICe at the academy let lets let's visit the U S S Empire State As one drives Into the Brooklyn navy yard a garbed khaki garbed United States marine corporal steps up to tho visiting automobile asks the caners callers business and sends for a bluejacket who conducts one past gray battleship painted do do- do cruisers and other navy vessels docked In the yard A couple of ot turns along railroad tracked railroad tracked streets lead lend to the gangplank of ot the U US S S Empire State A rifle-belted rifle seaman clicks his heels salutes and leads on to the skippers skipper's quarters forward below the bridge The skipper Is Capt Copt L L B Green s second ond assistant superintendent of ot the lee academy commanding the training ship lie He Is Isn Isa Isa n a graduate of ot the United States Naval academy at Annapolis A sharp wind slices across the navy naTy yard but Captain Green marches down tD a gangway con con- conn connecting connecting n the training ship with Its auxiliary ves ves- vessel vessel sel lying the alongside alongside the Annex The latter Is n a converted sailing ship ncr Her once towering fore tore foremast mast and mainmast are stubbed She carries no rigging but has a broad deck for tor boat and other drills Below decks sho she Is laid out for tor school rooms dormitories electrical and me- me mechanical me me- mechanical mechanical work shops Cadets In the tho Annex are arc nominal nd n Here they are taught mathematics navIgation hygIene rope and wire cable use uso and splicing sIgnalling fire prevention launching and han han- handling handling of ot boats and a hundred other maritime duties Here too they have havo their first taste ot of discipline aboard ship The cadets are arc hard at work In one room equipped with regulation school desks they are arc deep In trigonometry Below In the hold of ot the Annex they are working in the machine shop Others are bending and weaving heavy wIre ends end Around cable an oval eye still another group has leas taken n a heavy water vater pump apart ant and andis Is busily at work PUtting it t together again Captain Green proceeds through the tir passages f uCa y Uc rr Y t ue r n 1 r rv v r Furling the Sai Sails Is past uniformed blue-uniformed lads Each group snaps to attentIon and holds It until the senior officer says carryon carry on Topside are several groups engaged In boat drills launching handling long sweepIng oars In heavy life coxswains boats boats standing up astern In each boat giving orders Its It's a cold and ant windy day but the boys bend to wIth n a will and send their boats cleaving the navy yard waters Below Is the real feel leeI of ot the ship Not a quIck rush to the tho side to unburden an upset stomach but the atmosphere of ot being at sea It Is quiet but exciting The only thIng lackIng Is the throb of ot turning engines the gentle lift of ot long ground swells Captain Green goes forward to Inspect paInt lockers shower baths and living quarters where here the boys sleep In beds Romantic days of ot the hammock havo vanished The skipper admits that sleepIng Bleeping when tucked In cocoon comfort withIn ones one's hammock Is a blIss blissful CuI state but there Is la more luxury In cadet accommodations today Lockers Lockers are provided for tor personal effects and uniforms More cadet study space Is discovered with long polished white wooden tables that swIng up to the ceiling and out of ot the way when not In use Tho The canteen for tor candy tobacco and oth oth- other other other er luxuries strikes a responsive note Mess hall servIng tables cafeteria style where hungry young men can be served In eight minutes Food Is sent down from the galley located on a hIgher deck by dumbwaiter The whole place shInes with cleanliness Next came a n visit to the sickbay or ships ship's hospital One youngster had a touch of ot sore throat but was recovering quickly A regular doctor Is assigned to tho the ship Anyone on the binnacle list Is promptly attended and officers ot of the training vessel said Id there were few tew pa- pa patients patients pa patients Captain Green and his staff start have their own mess a n room done dono In dark wood with light green trimming Here the deck and engineer staff units dine at separate tables because there always has been a n bit of ot pleasant rivalry be- be between between be between tween the two groups Although boys join the academy for tor training to fit them for tor captaincy or they have their own choice of ot the branch preferred the tho school course and Once they have completed have havo graduated there thero Is little time lost In get getting ting them assigned to active duty aboard one ot of Uncle Sams Sam's merchant ships Tho The boy who wants to go to sea as a pro pro- professional mariner Is trained at one of ot the tour four officer or engineer and academIes to become an deep and he has the ad- ad additional ad enjoy life lIe on the rolling opportunity for tor service In steamship of ot offices flees ash ashore oro This gives gI him an nn excellent and to tine to grow In the tho maritime world poInt for tor an nn executive c position In steamship dream It Is the design de- de design cIrcles This Is not n a pipe sign and reason for the existence of ot these tour four nautical training schools Uncle Sam has to battle for tor his peace time and war rights Ships must carry commerce pas passengers malls to every country Commanders and chief chIet engineers of ot these ships must be levelS level hooting the Sun with Sextants headed and well trained For this reason It was poInted out unusual care Is exercised In set se- selecting se selecting merchant marine marIno academy candidates Boys must be United States citizens have high school education or Its equivalent be phys phys- physIcally phys physically mentally morally sound as a new dollar and must have ha the qualities that make for tor lead lend leadership courtesy courtesy promptness In obeying com commands mands and correct seamanlike habits The wheel and chart house come next for tor In Inspection In the afternoon sun the compass ste steering apparatus engine room telegraph and other bright work gleamed and glinted from el cl greased bow-greased high polish It was exactly like lIko any other American merchantman's bridge except that there were two large Ion long tables extending the width of ot the enclosed space upon which ca- ca cadets ca cadets I studying navigation while on summer cruIse work out the ships ship's course A huge flag locker was located nearby bulging with neatly rolled multi colored bunting Atop the bridge brIde we wal the diamond shaped radio ratIo direction finder loop open air binnacle and steering wheel Nine times out of ot ten the U S S Empire State Is steered from the enclosed bridge or orthe orthe orthe the flying bridge by a il helmsman generally Q a quartermaster But Captain Green went below and pointed out the line of ot steering apparatus to a room tar Jar astern In the ship where the tho rudder tIll tiller tiller r Is swung by automatic devices and where cadets are aro Instructed at times Umes In blind steering A bridge lookout may be the eyes ot of the ship on such occasions but cadets are arc taught to navigate na safely by using Inside compass and wheel The engine room roam deep In the bowels of ot the vessel was fragrant with hot oils Here Iere a maze ot of shining Iron ladders wind up around ant and about the powerful po driving equipment of ot the training ship All was spotless and the ship could cast off ort on short notice for tor steam Is kept up In the boilers most of ot the tho time Ume In- In Intricacies In Intricacies of ot this department prohibit elaborate descriptIon It Is a world of ot machinery In Itself the pride of ot engineers who undergo exhaustive exhaustive tive Live Instruction and training and ashore and who are charged with the mechanical wel- wel welfare wel welfare fare of ot their vessel It Is Interesting to note that In most cases the captain and chief engineer of ot a ship hold nearly equal rank Both oth wear four gold soM strIpes They are associates In command although In Inthe Inthe n the last ann analysis lysis the tho captains captain's word Is supreme me The cadets have an abundance of ot recreation Many are amateur musicians havo have their instruments Instruments ments aboard and make use of ot the ships ship's pIano And when some one tears off ocr a n large arge amount ot of ofIn In the Evening by the Moonlight a n flood ot of barber shop harmony generally haunts the ship Captain Green pointed out a number Dumber of ot ca- ca cadets ca en cadets lets engaged In Infantry drill on the tho concrete docks below belo This gives gI them a taste of ot mIll mili military tary activity Such military schooling will auto auto- automatically automatically entitle cadets to become members ot of the naval reserve Cadet Instructors are capable efficient and painstaking In their work For them specIal training Is required The skipper said that several sev sev- sev several eral had had taken not one but numerous Instruction Instruction tion courses A number of ot them are graduates ot of the New York Merchant Marino Marine academy preferring teaching to life lICe aboard ship where they start In as third class officers Over O sandwiches cakes and orange pekoe In Inthe inthe Inthe the captains captain's quarters plans for tor summer were explaIned We will have our regular training cruise said the skipper a twinkle of ot anticipation In hIs eyes adding that we expect to shove off oft some sometime sometime sometime time In June take In a bit of ot the Atlantic for tor cruIsIng purposes and touch at several se European ports These cruises are duck soup for tor cadets The boys get their fingers Into navigation and en- en engineering en engineering and In addition seo 80 eo tho the world first band Stops Include many Continental and Medi Medi- Mediterranean Mediterranean ports One leaves tho the U S S Empire State Slate with the tho ImpressIon of ot having bavIng seen a n number of ot splendId splendid splendid did cut clean-cut ambitious young oung fellows fellow's eagerly carving carvIn out their maritime careers careers on a n smart merchant training ship under the watchful kind lelnd kindly kindly ly supervision of ot a four lour striper who knows his hili stuff Similar activities are pursued at the theother theother other three nautical schools 0 t a by Western W t m paper |
