Show d all of af by 8 S WATSON ti lio institution of I 1 higher learn lin a in the united states is tradition stronger and more religiously observed than in the two I 1 ace schools the united states military acad einy at west point V yand the united states naval academy at annapolis aid com A d a y a it M Z AT air A Is occasion on e interesting eahl 61 A biti 11 11 of that after fo ia F 0 bast member of the fradua ting class has his diploma MI t from the hands of the 13 e cret ary of he navy and returned to his seat the solemnity of N the occasion alss U men S at a signal levery graduate rises the themida to ills his feet and a sec ond later the air ov overhead er Is 13 white objects they ere are their white caps which they have burled aloft thus their promotion from midshipmen in the oca academy d 1 to ensigns to in the navy but most interesting antei eating of all anna annapolis p traditions anre those which cluster around a curious statue there it Is the figure of an indian chieftain the mock serious patron saint of the middles old tecumseh the god of 25 all who enter the academy anre varned earned that the lie great indian chief fr frowns 0 ans oi skeptics but will smile on all 11 believers in his power atas it Is said that to in return for a respectful salute he be will grant a passing mark in examinations which in the navy Is rated as 25 and the midshipmen file nasf the lie stern figurehead of wood tossing pennies mid and invoking him film to aid ald Allem them tills this statue has had an interesting history until this year old tecumseh was a wooden In indian diati that Is to say he was originally the figurehead of an american warship the delaware but last may the wooden statue was replaced with one of bronze originally too ills his name was rum Tum instead of tecumseh away back in 1817 the name dela ware was selected by the commissioners of the navy for a shap of the line itne which was laid down at the gosport navy yard in norfolk va after consulting senators and representatives from delaware it was derided that the most appropriate figurehead for the ltv ni vessel was that of the distinguished chief of die che delaware indians tamanend Tam the gentlemen from delaware then informed the navy that the name of Tam tamanend Is held in the highest veneration among the indians of all the chiefs and great ken imen which the lenape nation ever had he be stands foremost on the list all we know of Tum therefore la Is that he was n i ancient delaware chief who never had his equal he was in the highest degree endowed with voth wisdom virtue prudence charity affability meekness hospitality tn in short with every good and nohle noble qualification that a human beingman being may possess 1 1 ess he was supposed to have had in an intercourse with the great and good spirit for he was wasa a stranger to everything that Is bod bad the delaware with the great indian chief poised ou on lier her how was a wooden vessel of zal tons displacement mounting 74 guns and with a corn com plem eif 1 of officers and men launched Launch edin in ir 1820 ashe she served InA in mediterranean and brazilian waters at the ol of the civil war the delaware was out of commission at the norfolk navy yard when the navy yard was destroyed in ashl she was scuttled and burned but aal after er the close of the war what remained ot of her hulk was sold to wreckers who raised and broke lier her up op for the opper copper in and the figurehead was sent to the naval academy in the old naval academy taman tam a tend dmd had a place n near ear the lyceum a building devoted to gunnery and clog cloera to the he department of seamanship when the old building was torn down the figurehead was moved to the seamanship lp build building I 1 tig in 1000 it was placed in the rind later placed on a pedestal facing bancroft ball gradually the tradition of his bis mysterious power of impairing was established also by tills this he ahe lad bad been renamed tecumseh by them the middles iddles in and had find become the ond of 25 later his powers were increased end and he was charged cli arged with gaining victories for the navy teanis teams As thelreg the rep ament of midshipmen departs for the big games each platoon gives a lefthand talc te to lo bilm that the navy navi way may win that day another ceremony Is centered around Tecum tecumseh ieh when the final examinations are concluded the graduating claw clam gathers becore lafin to read its class history ant and ray coal homage to his steadfast aid in the archives of tho the navy Is an on fan published manuscript ma the private journal ot of llenos Lle bicet 8 1 0 I rowan U ci S navy kavy dated recording an incident of albom a c century ago which earned fo the dela aware ware a repute reputation tion for gaining favors favora with the powers that be and helping grouf promotions lotions tills this journal recently to the navy conla contains an account of an official visit to the delaware as aa she lay jay off annapolis and its ita result whdeh was the promo tion of officers which had fitro ever taken alace to in the diw wry lies Discar cl theu caps lieutenant rowan said I 1 the last fait saturday in july 1811 wa wo got under tinder wily way for annapolis we arrived arrive there on ae the fourth day CX having to anchor at 1 least five fire miles from 4 the city comino commodore ore norris morris w who 11 0 had been in washington for to r some weeks came off and informed us the hie president fand secretary flail and heads of departments in ministers I 1 n I 1 s t e r s distinguished citizens and nav alof fibers would visit thi the SHIP tn in a few days during tills this inter filter val our farst lieutenant who Is a man of energy energy did al all I 1 in hla his power with the ab able e 6 tecumseh the god of 2 15 assistance of the officers to put the ship in the perfect condition of a man of war the officers and crew were thoroughly exercised in every depart mene of duty until the ship was waa in better order than anyone I 1 had ever the honor to sail in when the steamer readied reached the gangway lieutenant wilson who was to receive ha lie president ot annapolis informed the first lieutenant that the president was not on board the cam commodore then orde ordered redall all the honors to be paid to the secretary of the navy which were intended for the pr president except the number if f guns and the substitution of the american ensign at the main for the broad pennant sir mr george B E badger then as secretary of the navy led the way and was followed by webster granger grange bell senator preston anden and numerous other r members of both houses with their ladles as well as other distinguished citizens when the company had all reached the deck of the ship the steamer dropped astern and a salute oi of 17 guns was fired and the men ordered flown down the officers all canle came forward and were severally introduced trod to mr air hadger badger by the commodore refreshments were furnished in the port cabin and mait ma room and after the retreat was beaten the officers de voted themselves to the company taking pains to in show them everything the people went to dinner to the in finite interest of our visitors all of whom were del delighted with the faraas anre as well ns as apparent comfit of inel nc 1 when en hour hoin had find elapsed the dram mer beat to quarters for action in stal scantly itly all yere were fly flying ing in apparent con fusion for arms arnis car cartridge boxes etc and all of which delighted our conr via aters tore to in n few minutes all was quiet and silence dhe alie f shop the divisions hiar ahna beep reported clear for action and the officers and I 1 men stood in dietr places ans anxiously loesl Y waiting file order to to ore Presen presently tl Y the order tins ans given in detail dilall to lond load and the firing commenced from each deck in admired confusion I 1 having tickled their fancy jo to the amount of til hires ree rounds of blank cartridges tr we censed ceased firing and secured the guns and while all hands were called to exercise krisl aill for the amusement of the nobina i small detachment was busy in spreading tables on the gundeck sunroom and poop cabin by the time exercise of sails was fin shed the collation was ready anti and the whole party divided nna hied filled the tables and no doubt gratified their val pal ates sates equally i with their curiosity white while on hoard board about four the steamer took the party hick back to Auna Avna polls where an extra train was in waiting to convey the highly gratified party baity back to washington they left us with the assurance that atiat their visit would be highly advantageous s to the service the subsequent pro promotion of many old and meritorious lieutenants was no doubt the consequence e the long on hoped fo for r trade grade of admiral will no do doubt grow put of tills this visit 1 in recent years it ft was wn discovered that the ravages of time were threatening to destroy old from croci time to time herule heroic efforts were made to leng lengthen dien ill his S life but finally dually it became apparent that he could not stand bilu much h more exposure to 04 el elements then the alaia of ISM got busy they decided to replace the wooden figure with an replies of bronze which not only be a I 1 memorial to nil all members of that mat class but which should continue to be an inspiration to all future midshipmen in the academy they raised funds to have the work done and received subscriptions varying from 5 to along with the subscriptions usually Y came letters re calling fond memories me morlea of midshipmen days at annapolis one anonymous subscription was sent with this message well I 1 got ten demerits for or hanging a lighton light on old tecumseh Tecum seb one dark night so eo I 1 up dp t ame me to give him film ten bucks now the bronze which was vas used in the ille cast of the new statute was obtained from historic ahlas and from trophies of many wars ind and naval demonstrations so the old tecumseh who was unveiled last may fit at a ceremony in which charles francis adams adami secretary of the navy and rear hear admiral samuel robinson superintendent of the academy boob a leni leading ling part and who will stand guard dvar over the destinies of future midshipmen Is not only the patron saint of the naval academy but Is also a visible symbol of the long and honorable record of service of the united states navy the original old tecumseh however Is not the only ship figurehead which Is preserved at the naval academy it also owns one of 0 grecian de sign which once graced the british ship III until that vessel WAS ivas captured by st stephen ephen white while aln in command of the U S S united states luring the avar var of 1812 and one on of a hust bust of benjamin franklin watch nd adorned orned the U S S franklin launched in 1815 but bat mora more interesting lhnn either of these because of the exciting history lethad it had was a figurehead d which once had a place at the bow of afi the famous frigate con lie song kang and story I 1 the first figurehead on anthe the constitution when sli ewais launched 1 ton in 1797 was hercules with his chub club tills this was shot away oring during a battle with the ahe barbary pirates in TrIp tripoli bli and wis wa s replaced with a figure of neptune during a part odthe war wa r of 1812 old ironsides had only a small i billet head then in iam when ns ng a resu result F I 1 of the stirring poem written by oliver Went ivandell lell holmes th the ship was being in Bost boston fifi a full length statue or of andrew jackson was 0 ordered ta alered for foro 6 figurehead this caused fa a gr great eat political furore lack jack sons opponents were enraged over what they tufey called the presumption ol 01 austing the likeness of old hickory on the famous vessel and abid no living roan man with the he possible aex ex of james jamrs Al the father of alic constitution should have such an anheir anh azzor Mir one dark night after the figurehead had been placed in position a young captain named dewey rowed out to the ship boarded it sawed off ith t hs head of the statue just bilow below th therose heo enose and carried if f daliy away in a ang hla his friends hailed tills feat its as a great achievement and dewey Is said to have chtive carried the hefle to washington I 1 wai lie ile Intent intention lon of presenting it to jackson himself tha th a figure was restored and a new head fastened on with a bolt boll of huge size so th that rt no BO other vandal could take such liberties biti it HS as dewey had taken it Is this historic Al figurehead walz which Is now abw one of 0 the hie most cherished possessions posses slona of the t he naval academy IQ by news polon loni |