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4 THE MARINE RECORD. a —————OOOOOOeeceeeeeeaaunuqnanananaeeeeeeeeeS———c>>>re APPRENTICE SYSTEM. Now that our inland marine is assuming gigantic pro- portions, under the able management of a qualified and experienced class of men, we think the time has arrived when a regularly organized system of apprentices would tend to increase the efficiency and elevate the standing of the future service. It may in a manner be generally under- stood that the craft or skill of seamanship does not require a thorough and special training; but the contrary is the fact, and the youth enjoying these advantages would be more competent at the expiration of a few years than one who was allowed to gather his knowledge variously, and from perhaps questionable authority, thus requiring fully double the service to assure himself from practical ex- perience that the theory, as laid down by the past experi- ence of others, was correct. <A respectable, intelligent youth, joining a vessel with the understanding that he had embraced sailing as a distinct profession, would, no doubt, yearn to become a proficient in the work and craft of seamanship, and it would be the duty of his employers to see that the lad had opportunities given him to learn how to control a vessel. Under the head of causes of col- ‘lision alone may be mentioned the seemingly permanent neglect or misapprehension of the steering and sailing rules, bad lookcut, foggy or thick weather, error of judg- ment, neglecting to show lights, parting cables, dragging anchors, want of seamanship, anchoring in foul berth, and various other causes which the apprentice would re- quire to be taught for the preservation of his employer’s property. The youth so appointed by any of our large ship-owning firms would enjoy singularly fortunate ad- vantages; for while the season of navigation, including the fitting out and laying up of their vessels, would prob- ably occupy eight months of the twelve, the other four months could be profitably spent in acquiring a theoretical knowledge of their business by attending a progressive series of studies at a navigation academy, where they might learn chart exercises, the use and adjustments of the sextant, and other measures, work amplitudes, and azimuths, compute the variation and be conversant with the laws of deviation, the theory of the law of storms, nautical astronomy, and other kindred subjects, besides learning what probably would be considered more practi- cal, a knowledge of masting, erecting shears, to cut and fit rigging, draft and cut sails, to moor and unmoor, and to keep a clear anchor by the methods in use for tending ship at single anchor, and to understand the nature of invoices, charter party, bottomry, and the various points that constitute a maritime lien. Then the apprentice would be a valuable servant to the shipowner, besides hav- ing fulfilled the ordinary duties of one of the crew during that period. In this way apprentices might serve their time, become officers, and take command under the same firm, their length of service assuring the owner of their capabilities and desire to earn a reputation in the employ they were trained in. ‘General education,” said a dis- tinguished professor, “should aim at causing a man to form an intelligent opinion with regard to the ordinary affairs of life, and be full of resources for meeting new emergencies.” Technical education should aim at enabling him to understand the process and the machinery of the special work in which he is engaged. Indeed, a thorough educa- tion, together with a special training for some particular employment, is becoming more necessary every year, and this we hold is equally true afloat as well as ashore. The rapid and increasing growth of steam navigation calls for an entirely different class of men to what were employed on the sailing craft only a few years ago, and to meet this requirement a class of intelligent young men, who had served several seasons in the steamers, would naturally be, if not the most competent, at least excellent material to qualify under proper instruction and guidance for the more responsible position on board a vessel; and while competency in their profession cannot be attained except through the first few years of comparative drudgery and hardship, yet this trying period would be made lighter _ and less irksome when the apprentices had the knowledge _ that in a few years they might, by a strict attention to their owners’ interests and their own skill and good conduct, _ be qualified to command a steamer themselves. On looking back, we find that the boys on the small coasting vessels made the masters of the East India and China clippers afterwards, So also in the English mer- cantile marine we may find the youth, who was an appren- tice but a few years ago, now in command of a fine vessel, and frequently in the same line or employ as that in which he served his time, and as a proof of the excellent features of marine apprenticeship, we may say that almost every large modern ship under the English flag carries three or four intelligent young men who have taken hold of the profession with the intention of learning it thoroughly, and becoming in due time master mariners; being per- fectly aware, however, that their own experience alone is not going to place them in this position, they conse- quently study up the teachings of those who have gone over the same ground before, attend when on shore at a navigation academy, and practising what they may have learned there when at sea, with the addition of the advice and writings of the most skilled and eminent men in the profession, they soon become fitted to fill a position of trust. It has been said that “you can make a soldier at short notice out of any healthy man, but it takes time to make a sailor,’ and we might add inclination and talent, accompanied with sobriety and good conduct, are essen- tials if superiority is desired. In the first annual report of the Commissioner of Nav- igation, in 1884, we find that a system of apprenticeship is recommended to be established in pursuance of which American merchant vessels engaged in the foreign trade might receive a certain fixed sum from the government for the support and instruction of apprentices carried on board for a stated term of years. Such a system would, it is thought, do much to improve the average standard of American seamen and repay the national expense in afford- ing an available corps of seafaring men who could be relied uponi in case of emergency to help man the navy. Yet, notwithstanding the most favorable reports from the shipping commissioners at the various large coast ports and the strong recommendations from our foreign consuls, no farther steps have been taken in this important matter, and it would seem as if private enterprise would be obliged to take the initiative in organizing the system of marine apprenticeship, which, if once established, would soon be- come a popular mode among those desiring to obtain a command; hence, we would earnestly urge the owners of the large established steamboat lines to secure the proper mettle and bring up their own officers and masters, resting assured that as the sailor is always loyal to his flag, so also would these lads be found zealous and trusty ser- vants to the ship, to the master, and to the owners. they sailed under. oro oro SUMNER’S METHOD OF FINDING A POSITION. This valuable theory emanated from the direct re- searches of an eminent American seaman named Sum- ner, and has been almost universally adopted by marine observers to discover their position when from any un- usual cause the regular observations have not been taken. The position of a vessel being accurately determined at noon by using the sun’s meridian altitude, it follows that if the sky happens to be cloudy, or there is a light fog at this particular hour in the day, the mariner’s calcula- tions will be accordingly delayed until some other rule and method is called upon to furnish the required knowl- edge. Ordinary navigators measure the sun’s hour angle a few hours before noon, noting the time by chronometer, and having an observation reduced to the observer's mer- idian. The formula for finding a position is simple and well defined; such is also the case when the hour angle is determined a few hours after noon, but both of these ob- servations depend on the true altitude of the sun being found at noon, or when the sun arrives at its meridian altitude; hence, in former times the A. M., or P. M. sights were of no consequence, unless the correct latitude could be determined on. This important part of the navigator’s work has been rendered free to the marirme world by the thought and attention expended on the subject by Cap- tain Sumner. The result is based upon the facts that the sun is in the zenith of some one place on the earth’s sur- face at every moment of time, and consequently the sun whenever observed cuts or divides a great circle, one- half of which will have the sun above the horizon and the other half below, and any small circles drawn parallel on the enlightened half will mark those places in which the sun has an equal altitude, and a line of position being found the vessel must be on that line. Should the line of bearing reach the land its direction. gives the course by which the land can be made if desirable, otherwise a sounding taken proves the line of bearing to be correct. ° In case the mariner wishes to make a certain part of the coast, it is only necessary to draw a line parallel to the line of bearing and steer for this line, then shape the course according to the direction of the line bearing, sounding regularly to check his position. In the event of having a clear night Sumner’s method may be worked to advantage by observing two or more of the principal fixed stars, and lines of position drawn on a chart will give a near position of the vessel. The problem always gives a correct latitude as the lines of position move parallel to themselves. It is also com- plete in itself as it not only gives the latitude and longi- tude, but also the true bearing of the body observed and thence the compass error, if any. From this it follows that if an altitude be worked out with the latitude by account and the point thus determined be marked on the chart, a line through this point drawn in a direction eight points from the sun‘s bearing will be a line of position. sod pee: The clear atmosphere and the good horizon usually found on the water ought to be a great incentive to our lake mariners in searching out and studying the many natural phenomena to be observed, and we look forward to the time when we may be in a position to chronicle the celestial discoveries made by native talent on then waters. Se ee THE QUARTER’S SHIPBUILDING. : From the returns compiled by Lloyd’s Register of Ship- ping it appears that exclusive of warships there were 428 vessels of 828,481 tons gross register under construction in the United Kingdom at the close of the quarter ended March 31, 1897. The particulars of the vessels in ques- tion show that the present returns exceed those for the last quarter by 44,000 tons, and are the highest which have been received since March, 1892. Of the vessels under construction in the United Kingdom at the end of March, 349 of 623,671 tons were under the supervision of the sur- veyors of Lloyd’s Register. In addition, 31 vessels of 82,175 torts are building abroad. The total building at the ‘present time under the supervision of Lloyd’s Register is, thus, 380 vessels of 705,846 tons. follows: Details of this total No. ones Ton- nage. Building in United Kingdom for home ac- f count, for ‘sale: nete: cre dici kets ste sid saps tee 300. 514,389 Building in United Kingdom ee foreign and.-colonial: account; 90... cystoro ac ab dee 49 108,682 Building abroad for foreign and colonial ac- count and. forsale. 2 tncbastuashie eater 31 82,175 Total building on 31st March for classifica- tion in Lloyd’s Register Book............ 380 705,846 The work in hand at the principal centers is distributed as follows: 31st March, 31st March 1897. 1896. DISTRICT. Fj % Tea Ric Le, Ves- | Gross | Ves- | Gross. | sels. | Tonnage} sels. | Tonnage Relfactic Avan Ves ae ree es bs 24 147,242 20 107,247 Barrow, Maryport, and Workington.. 10 11,035 7 11,330 Glasgow Dele aic ape cteeaee alse vin aceeenle 87 160,969 | 9I 167,146 Greenock tii sd Voss agile es eines 38 85,560 41 77,245 Hartlepool and Whitby. . 17 47,420 17 46, te Middlesbro’ and Stockton. 2 67,514 | 26 49,300 Newcastle. :o. oes 9 ea 6! 129,731 50 136,130 Sunderland 4 22h. 40.76 wages he oe 44 134,321 48 137,116 One of the triumphs of modern engineering is the canal being built for the purpose of carrying the vast amount of sewage of Chicago into the Mississippi river, the main design being that the waters of Lake Michigan shall flow through it at the rate of 10,000 cubic feet per second, the intention being to have the sewer so diluted that no pos- sible harm can occur to the towns by which it shall flow. Among the most striking data of this immense work is that of its length, viz., twenty-eight miles. Where it passes through alluvial ground the width at the bottom is 202 feet; but the material taken out is of a widely varying character, ranging from a soft mud, so soft that it can be removed by pumps, to a mixture of sand, gravel, clay and boulders, which is cemented so firmly as in some cases to require blasting. But much of the excavation is through solid rock. The estimated quantities to be removed are 4,500,000 cubic yards of wet soil, 23,000,000 cubic yards of alluvial and hard soil and 12,000,000 cubic yards of solid rock—nearly 40,000,000 cubic ‘yards of excavation. mt