XAVAL CADETS OX THEIR SUMMER CRUISE. 



J. C <.K'>1 | . 



In May and in September of each year, 

 candidates are admitted to the Fourth or 

 lowest class at Annapolis to begin the 6 

 year course leading to a commission in the 

 U. S. navy. It is but natural to suppose 

 that seamanship is one of the most 

 important, and at the same time one of 

 the first, subjects in which to receive in- 

 struction; as it is absolutely impossible 

 to become a good sailor or officer by 

 simply studying text-books and at- 

 tending recitations in seamanship. It 

 is necessary to get this information and 

 skill by actual service on board of a regu- 

 lar sea-going vessel, and the course at Anna- 

 polis is arranged to give every cadet 2 sum- 

 mer cruises during the 4 years while he is 

 attached to the Academy. That part of the 

 new fourth class which is admitted in Mav- 

 is quartered on the old receiving ship San- 

 tee, and is kept busy at various kinds of 

 simple drills and at preparing in various 

 ways for the cruise which begins the first 

 week in June. During the latter part of 

 May the other cadets have their final ex- 

 aminations for the year, and after the grand 

 and enjoyable week of graduation there is 

 a great scattering in various directions. 

 The members of the graduating class art- 

 detached from the Academy and detailed to 

 the several men-of-war in actual service, 

 to receive for 2 years the final preparation 

 leading to their commissions. The new 

 Second Class are usually kept at the 

 Academy all summer for practical in- 

 struction in engineering, and those of the 

 new First, Third and Fourth classes em- 

 bark at once for their summer cruise. 



Though the modern vessels in the navy 

 are fitted with little or no sail power, still 

 it is necessary for every one who expects 

 to become an officer to know as much as 

 possible about rigging and handling all 

 kinds of sailing craft. The Navy Depart- 

 ment, therefore, still sends the cadets on 

 their summer cruise in one of the old-time 

 full-rigged sailing ships, just as has been 

 done since the earliest days of the Aca- 

 demy. 



Last year the Monongahela was used, but 

 the ship that has been used most frequent- 

 ly is the old Constellation, on which near- 

 ly all of the younger, and many of the older 

 officers in the navy received their first 

 knowledge of seamanship. This old shin 

 has a varied history, which tends to add 

 interest to the life on board. Soon after 

 the close of the revolutionary war. our 

 country was harassed and annoyed by 

 bands of pirates from the Barbary States 



in the Northern part of Africa. At that time, 

 a little over 100 year.-, ago, Congress author- 

 ized the construction of 6 frigates, of 

 which the first to be launched was the 

 Constellation, followed soon afterward by 

 the well known Constitution (Old Iron- 

 sides ). 



During the wars that followed the Con- 

 stellation did not take so active a part as 

 the Constitution. However, all through 

 the war of 1812 and the civil war, it was 

 known as one of the fastest frigates afloat. 

 During the latter war it was engaged in 

 overhauling and capturing slave traders 

 and bringing them to justice. It has been 

 repaired and changed many times during 

 all the years of its existence, but is still 

 very much like the original model, being a 

 full-rigged sailing ship with 3 lofty masts 

 and spreading the usual number of exten- 

 sive sails. Its armament consists of sev- 

 eral of the oldtime broad-side guns and 

 a few brass Dahlgren guns used for salut- 

 ing purposes. 



The grand naval ball in the arm< ry 

 brings to a close the social and official 

 events of graduation week, and the next 

 day finds the cadets who are to take the 

 summer cruise packing all the personal 

 belongings likely to be of use aboard ship, 

 and by the next day every one is ready to 

 be assigned to quarters on the ship. 



For a week before the time for cadei 

 embark, the ship is moored in the harbor 

 close to the shore, and everything in the 

 way of provisioning it is attended to. so 

 that everything is ready for them to come 

 on board and make themselves at home. 



They march aboard and line up on the 

 quarter deck, where stands the executive 

 officer with station-billets and hammocks 

 ready to be served out to each one. 



The station-billet is a very comprehen- 

 sive piece of paper, on which the cade: 

 finds — among other things — a detailed 

 statement of just where he belongs ami 

 what he is supposed to do at every man 

 euver of the ship. He learns from it the 

 number of his hammock and what part of 

 the berth deck and what locker he is to oc- 

 cupy, his position at the guns during gen 

 eral quarters, and the boat into which he : - 

 supposed to jump at the abandoning 

 the ship 



To the cadet starting on his first cruise 

 a lot of this detailed information is Greek, 

 but by the assistance of some good-natured 

 sailor close at hand, he is able, eventually. 

 to find his way below and begins to fix and 

 lash his hammock and to stow away in his 



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