i. 3 r 7- 7 7 3
Opportunities
For Young
Americans
In the Merchant
Marine
laaued by '
United States Shipping Board
Sea Training Bureau
WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OPFIOK II92Q
Issued by
Sea Trailing Bureau,
United States SMpping Board.
Opportunities Offered Young Americans in
the Merchant Marine,
4; '
POREWOBD.
[TsJten Iram the speech of Capt. Inring I>. Evans, Director of Eecrulting, delivered before the Nationat
Uarine X>»gug, IT. 8. A.]
«rpHERE is no other trade, occupation, or profession which, offers
JL BO many opportunities for rapid advaneemeait to positions of
r^ponsibility and good pay. When we consider the wages now bàng
paid in our merchant Tessels, together with room and meals furriished
by the ship, the income is above the average which young men may
obtain in almost any other profession, within the same length' of
time. .
"Second.—There is an average of one ofTicer for every five men on
each sMp.
" Third.—The man with a high school education or better may be¬
come aThird Officer after one year at sea ; the man whp is 1^ fortunate
in educational advantages may become a Third Officer after two
years "at sea.
"Fourth.—^It is possible undo: present conditions for a man to be
in command at the end nf five years after he first steps upon the
deck of a ship. I do not wish to be understood, however, as statii^
that , this is the average opportunity. The man's progress depends
upon his own initiative, abihty, and aptitude for the work.
"Fifth.—Opportunities in the Merchant Service do not end when
a man becomes a Master or Chief En^eer, but there is a much
broader field of activity in the management and operation of vessels,
and in that field experienced men are needed to-day as much as
they are on the ships. Nothing gives a man a better foundation
for service in the office of a large Steamship Company than the
experience and knowledge obtained at sea.
"Sixth.—Thousands of commmdBl representatives are needed by
Shipping Companies for foreign service. These should bo Americans,
and you may be assured that Americans will receive preference
wherever and whenever they are found to bo qualified.
"Seventh.—^Last, but not least, opportunities are offered to boo
every part of the world while receiving high pay."
(5)
()N( K Af;AIN THERK IS AN AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE WORTHY
OF THE NAME.
Kc-crciilcd l>y (lu) itnj)ora(i\'c (Ictnaiids of llic Great War, our ^íor-
rhaiit, Marine has a<iain assiiitied its proud position of half a eenfury
afjjo, hen half of the eoaiinerce f)f tiic world was carried in American
holloms, and our clipper ships were the p(>ers of anything; ailoat.
Future mariners,
Once again the call of the sea has gone forth oTor the length and
hreadth of the land, the call for full-blooded young Americans to man
the mighty ships of the new fleet. Thousands have responded, but
thousands more are needed.
Strange and wonderful sights in the far corners of the world await
their coming. For them is romance, travel, ach'cnture; the conquest
(G)
Tj'pical galley scene on all training ships.
(if tlui sdvoii Si^as and llio mastery of a new profession in life. And
for tlicni also is honor, íIhí lionor of serviiif^ (iieir country in tlie great
trade war wliieii is just, heginning, of nnfnrling tln; Stars and Stripes
in the most remote ¡lorts and of making tlu^ American Mereliant
Marine the great(>st in tlie world.
Onlv vonng and \'igoroiis .Vmeriean citizens—
native horn or naturalized—are wanted for sere-
iec in the crews of the new Merchant Marine.
The age limits for the various ratings in which
men are aeeeptcal for training are from 18 to 3.5
\ears, inclusivo. Men may he enrolled as sailors, cooks, messmen,
On/.v Yoiiruj and
Vigorous Ameri¬
cans Accepted for
Training.
Corner in steam galley on Iraiiilug sbiiis—Where eooks are made from steward department apprentices.
firiunen, and coal jiassers. This includes work in the three depart¬
ments ahoanl ship—the deck, engine, and steward departments.
Those accepted will he placed on board training ships of the United
States Shipping Boartl Sea Training Bureau, where the}" will be
trained intensively for a period of from one to two months, after
which they will he sent to sea on regular cargo-carrying ships running
to all parts of the world under the American flag. During the
training period at least one trip will be taken, probably to the
AVest Indies. This allows the apprentices to get their sea legs, and
by the time the course is finished and an apprentice graduates into
the sea service he is thoroughly qualified for life aboard a ship. At
the conclusion of the training the men are given the ratings for which
they have been trained and are then shipped on board of cargo car¬
riers either in the foreign or coastwise trade.
The pay of an apprentice, in the training service of the Merchant
Marine is $30 a month, but in addition he receives food and quarters,
(8)
and is furnished with a uniform. The pay which he receives after
graduation to the Merchant Marine is much higher. (See scale
of wages for the various ratings in the ^Merchant Marine on p.
23.)
Previous seagoing training or experience is not necessary to cpialify
for admission to the Training Service of the United vStatcs Shipping
Board.
All American boys enjoy syorliiig events in recreation hours aljoanl ship.
The United States Shipping Board Sea Train¬
ing Bureau maintains an Atlantic and Pacific
squadron of training ships on wliicli young men
from all parts of the country are schooled for
service in the Mcrcliant Marine.
The Atlantic training base, with general headipiartcu's, is located
at Camp Stuart, Va. The headf[uarters of the Pacific training hasci
are at .San Francisco, Calif., and Seattle, Wash., re.spe.c.tively. A])])li-
cants accepted for training arc as a rule ordered to the training
bases nearest their homes, idthough this rule is Jiot invariably fol¬
lowed.
1G250.5°—20 2 (0)
Men for the New
Ships.
HOW TO ENROLL FOR SERVICE IN THE MERCHANT MARINE.
The youii<i man who wishes to enroll in the ^ferchant Marino can
do so in two ways. i"or the, necessary information he can write to
tlic Supervisor Sea 'JVaining Bureau, United States Shipping Board,
Camp Stuart, \'a. ; at Seattle, Wash.; or at San Francisco, Calif.,
whieluwer is the nearest to his home. lie will receive information
at once which will dircîct him to the nearest enrolling agent, where he
will he enabled to })e e.xamined and if qualified be enrolled and given
transportation to the nearest training station.
All apj)licants for enlistment in tlie Merchant
Marine must bo physically sound, at least 5 feet
4 inches in height, although in an especially de¬
sirable recruit this may be waived for a fraction
of an inch. Apj)licants for training in the deck and steward depart¬
ments must weigh at least 120 pounds, while applicants for the engine
department must weigh I.'IO pounds.
Having filled out and signed his application blank as directed by
the enrolling agent, the applicant will either be e.xamined imme¬
diately and, if passed, start for the training camp or will be requested
to await a call for service if sufficient men are then at the training
camps. If he is told to do the latter, the applicant should not leave
¡'hysical Require¬
ments in the Re¬
cruiting Service.
his usual occupation while awaiting the call, as there may be a
delay in its coming, for a number of reasons. When called to service
the applicant will be notified by the enrolling agent, directed to
the physician for examination, and if passed will be started for the
training camp.
The transportation will be furnished in all cases
by the United States Shipping Board. If in one
of the larger cities where the Shippmg Board has
established offices the transportation will be fur¬
nished at the time the applicant starts. If in a smaller city where
no office is established, the enrolling agent will direct the applicant
to proceed to the nearest training station of the Shipping Board,
without loss of time, buying his own ticket over the shortest practi¬
cable route, by rail or boat, taking a receipt for its cost on a card
provided by the agent. The applicant will be reimbursed for the
cost of the ticket when he arrives at the training station. At the
training station the applicant will be given a final examination and
on passing he will be equipped with his uniform and will be assigned
to the receiving ship. lie will be then placed on the ship's ])ay roll
at S30 per month, the apprentice's rate of pay.
Transportation
Furnished Re¬
cruits.
The Ijutchcr shop.
(11)
'J'Ih! iij)|)rciiUc,(i will 1)(! required to sign un
iigrccnnciit to remain with tin; American Aierchant
MnriiKi for tliíí duration of one year from the date
tliat li(i hegins his training on the training sliip.
If a man is i-ejeete(l for soiiui j)hysical disal)ility at the training
station lui is J)ro^■ided trans])ortation to Iiis liome.
CHAKACrTKK OF THF SEA TRAINING BUREAU'S TRAINING SHIPS.
'J"he training ships enqiloyed liy the Sea dVaining Bureau of the
I nited States Shipjiing Jioard are large seagoing craft, chosen be¬
cause of their peculiar fitness for the work. They are adapted to
give the recruit the necessary sea-training e.xperience during a period
of from one to two niontLs, after which lie will be assigned to regu¬
lar commercial vessels.
The Atlantic training base is located at Camp Stuart, Va. This
was formerly usial as a port of embarkation for the soldiers during
till* World "War. It is admirably adapted for the housing of the men
and for their preliminary training for a few days before they are
assigned to the training ships, on which they will be kept during the
remainder of their training period, during which time they will see
Apprentices returning to Camp Stuart after training cruise to West Indies.
(12)
Ayrees to Sene
One Year.
many of the Atlantic ports and make at least one trip, prohably to
Cuba. At this training station there are facilities for handling over
1,200 men, and hero there is a training ship reporting every 12 days
to 2 weeks, discharging graduated apprentices, who are then
assigned to other merchant vessels, and taking away a now crew of
apprentices who have received their preliminary training while await¬
ing the coming of the ship.
Assigned to this station there, are four training ships, the AVihai,
the Newton, the Sturgeon Buy, and the ZHol-a. Each of these ships
has a capacity of 150 apprentices in addition to its regular crew
and cargo space.
On the Pacific coast the training stations are located at San
Francisco, Calif., and Seattle, Wash. In the. Pacific squadron are
two cruising ships and one receiving ship. Tlie latter, which is
stationed at San Francisco, is the Ocean llhrc and has a ca¡)acity of
250 apprentices.
The largest ship of the Pac'flc squadron is the Iris, an iron screw
steamer, 402 feet long, with capacity for 500 apprentices. The
Iris was built at Sunderland, England, in 18S5, as a cargo carrier and
named the Dryden. In 1898 she was acquired by the United States
The training ship "Newton"—one of the typical merchant vessels being used in training theapprcuUcc
mariners.
(13)
(lovcrmncnt, rciüiiiicd (lie, /n.s, and Íittíu] up as a distilling ship to
sni)])ly fresh ^vnler to Admiral Dewey's lleet at Manila. In HtOß
the ship was eon\-ei'ted at the Maj'e Island Navy Yard into the
"moliier" ship of (he IMeilic tor])edo iiotilla. In this capacity she
Graduated apprentices being placed on merchant vessels.
was stationed at San Diego. In April, 1918, she was taken over hy
the I'nited .States Shipping Board and extensively altered for use as a
training ship.
At the other training station in Seattle is located the Brookdale,
a sister ship of the T'ioka, which is attached to the Atlantic training
fleet. This is one of the new Shipping Board vessels, is completely
up to date, and has a capacity of 200 apprentices.
^\J1 of the training ships on the Pacific coast make trips hetween
the different ports on the coast and also make trips with cargo to the
Hawaiian Islands during the training course.
All of the ships used hoth in the Atlantic and Pacific squadrons for
training are especially ecjuipped for healthy living. Each ship has
a modern hospital, with a thorough equipment, in charge of a doctor
and nurse. All of the ships are provided with steam-heating appa¬
ratus for use in the winter months. The sleeping quarters are well
A'cntilated, galleys and mess rooms are kept scrupulously clean, and
ample ])rovision is made for shower baths to take care of the personal
hvgicne of every man aboard. All of the ships are equipped with
modern pluiuhing.
(14)
The men are kept under a strict but kindly discipline, and in these
surroundings a young man is as well cared for as in his own home,
and associates with young men of his own typo and instructors of
character and experience.
The course of training, as stated previously in
this volume, is from one to two months. The
average apprentice is then ready to graduate and
is assigned to a place in the Merchant Marine,
whore he begins to secure ocean-going wages at once. The training is
intensive and consists of instruction and exercise, with proper inter¬
vals for rest and recreation.
Particular attention is paid to the regular routine work aboard
ship, including fire and boat drill and in the deck, engine, and stew¬
ard departments. The apprentices of the deck department studying
to become sailors are drilled in seamanship, as lookouts, in steering.
Course of Training
and Subsequent
Service at Sea.
Coruer iu hospital ward fur apprentices at Camp Stuart, Va.
and the handling and splicing of ropes. In the engine room firemen
are drilled under trained men in the work of handling fuel and making
steam. Cooks and messmen arc given actual instruction in galley
(15)
íuiil mcss-rodin work under experienced inslruclors. In the serv¬
ice, eiie.li instructor us fur us ])ructicul)le is in churge of hut 10
men, whicii insures individual insti'uction to each apprentice in his
charge.
The inexperienced man he.comes (piuliliial in the shortest possible
tinu! to serve in the American Merchant Mariiui.
^Vilen h(! has liidshed his course on tiui training ship ho takes his
])luce. in actual work at sea beside experienced men who will respect
Sicriliziui; room in tbe hospital.
Iiis ¡ilace among them especially at this date, when a great many of
the younger men following the sea arc graduates of this service. All
arc welcome, and in the past two years American boys have been
going to sea, and it is fast becoming recognizeil that American ships
will have all-Amcrican crews, the best crews in the civilized world,
within a short period of time.
After a man graduates from the training ship of the Sea Training
Bureau, especially if ho is adapted to or has had any amount of
previous experience around the water, he can cpialify as a boatswain
or a quartermaster after a few trips and is then started on his way up
the ladder to success in the Merchant iMaidne. This is true in the
A bout during recreation hours.
(17)
Making a ship's ladder.
other departments as well, as promotion is rapid, especially at tlie
present time, when the new Merchant Marino is almost in its infancy.
The young American sailor knows that after a total of two years' sea
experience, or if a graduate of a high school or better, one year, tiiat
he may enter a United States Sliipping Board navigation school, wliere
he may fit himself to become an officer, that in throe years after secur¬
ing his license as third mate he can pass through all three grades as
mate—third, second, and first in order—and that his next step in jiro-
motion is to the command of a ship. vVn apprentice in the engine
department may advance from fireman to oiler or water tender, and
after two years' experience may become eligilile for a license as third
assistant engineer, the first step to becoming a cliief engineer in charge
of the engine room of one of the large sliips of the Merchant Marine.
Schools arc also conducted to aid the graduate of this service who
wishes to study up, after securing his necessary sea e.^'-pericnce, to
secure his assistant engineer's license. Where schools for both
branches may bo found will 1)0 found in the lists nesir the end of this
booklet. (vSee p. 20.)
(19)
One of the classrooms In englDeeriug at Camp Stuart training base.
Only American citizens will 1)o accepted for
training on the ships of the Sea Training Bureau
of the United States Shipping Board, as it is the
policy and desire of the Government to have
American ships manned entirely hy American crews. This will soon
put our Merchant Marino back on the seas in the envied position
which it once held, when American ships and American seamen were
without a peer the world over.
W.\GES IN THE MERCHANT MARINE FIXED BY THE SHIPPING BOARD.
"Wages in the American ^Merchant Marine are higher than in that of
any other country. "Wages vary with the size of the ship and the
character of the voyages. The schedules for all classes of ships and
all kinds (.)f service are too long to be given here in detail. For the
inhu-mation of the young man wishing to enter the Marchant Marine
tlirough the Sea Training Bureau of the United States Shipping Board
a schedule of wages adopted by the United States Shipping Board is
here given. In the appended tables the ratings for which men are
(20)
Must be
Citizens.
Knots and splices.
How seamen are taught knots and splices by compétent instructors.
tralnod on tlio training ships of the Sea Training Bnrcan are sho'wn.
From these ratings competent 3'oung men maj- work up to the higher
grades and higher paj' in a vcrj- short time.
ATLANTIC AND GULF SCALE.
DECK DEPARTMENT.
Per month.
Carpenter $100. 00
Carpentor'.s male 05. 00
Boatewaiti 95.00
Boat.swain's mate 90.00
Quartermapter 87.50
Able seaman 85.00
Ordinary seaman 65. 00
Deck boy 40. 00
(22)
Drill on training ahip on manner of abandoning ship.
ENGINE ROOM.
Ter month.
Oiler ?95. OO
Water tender 95.00
Engine-room storekeeper 95. 00
Kreman 90. 00
Coal passer 75. 00
Wiper (on oil burners) 75.00
.STKWAKd'.S IlKrAUT.VfKNT.
Chief steward '$115. 00-.$100. 00
Chief cook ' 110. 00- 135. 00
Baker ' 10.5. 00- 115. 00
Second cook ' 85. 00- 100. 00
Second steward 95. 00
Butcher 95. 00
Second baker 85. 00
Storekeeper 85. 00
Pantryman 70. 00
Vegetable cook 75. 00
Third cook 70.00 90.00
Messman 70. 00
Scullion 75.00
Mess boy f,5. 00
1 Passenger vessels only have the higher rating; other rjitlng a{)plies If) foiirtli-class freight boats.
(23)
lu.structor ^lu)\viiig apprentice seaman act of steering by compass.
THE E^TrED STATES SHIPPING BOARD.
Tlu! United States Sliippiiifi lioanl was created l)y act of Congress
approved September 7, 1916, for the purpose, of encouraging and
develoi)ing a Mercliant ^farine to meet the refpiirements of the
country's commerce.
The i)oard consists of five, commissioners, appointed liy tlio Presi¬
dent, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Tiiese commis¬
sioners are appointed "with a due regard to their fitness * * *
and to a fair representation of the geographical divisions of the
country." Xo commissioner may engage in any other Imsiness.
Tlie Siiipping Board was empowered liy the act under which it was
created to e.xcrcise liroad powers in the liuilding, equipping, altera¬
tion, sale, or charter of vessels.
Schools for the training of officers in navigation and engineering
were established in different sections of the countr\-, in June, 1917.
Before the end of that year over 3,00(1 merchant officers were gradu¬
ated and b}" July, 1918, over 1,000 graduates a term were l)eing
turned out, the term in an engineering school being one month and
in a navigation school si.x; weeks. During the war over 30,000 ap¬
prentice sailors were sent through the Sea Training Bureau into ad¬
vanced ratings on board American ships.
NAVIGATION SCHOOLS.
Rockland, Me. Norfolk, Va. Portland, Oreg.
New York City (2). New Orleans, La. Chicago, 111.
Brooklyn, N. Y. Ixjs Angeles, Calif. Cleveland, Ohio.
Philadelphia, Pa. San Francisco, Calif. Buffalo, N. Y.
Baltimore, Md. Seattle, AVash Detroit, Mich.
(24)
NAVIGATION AND ENGINEERING SCHOOLS.
Section I.
naviqation.
Jlassachusetts Instituto of Technology, at room IC, Rogers Building, 491 Boylstor.
Street, Boston, Mass.
51i Exchange Street, Portland, Me.
Council Chamber, City Building, Rockland, Me.
enoineerinq.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
Section II.
navigation.
429 Customhouse, Baltimore, Md.
The Polytechnic Institute, Brooklj-n, N. Y.
571 Jersey Avenue, Jersey City, N. J.
8 State Street, New.York City.
25 South Street, New York City.
Navy Y. M. C. A., Norfolk, Va.
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.
engineerino.
The Polydcchnic Institute, Brooklj-n, N. Y.
Bourse Building, Fifth Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
Section III.
navigation.
Royal and Conti Streets, New Orleans, La.
engineering.
Tulane University, New Orleans, La.
Section IV.
navigation.
Ferry Building, San Francisco, Calif.
engineering.
I
University of CaUfomia, Berkeley, Calif.
Section V.
navigation.
Portland Railway, Light & Power Co. Building, First and Adler Streets, Portland,
Oreg.
University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. ^
(26)
engixeeeinq.
University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
Section VI.
n.wigation.
35 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
Old Courthouse, Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio.
engineering.
Armour Institute of Technology, Chicago, 111.
Case School of Applied Science, Cleveland, Ohio.
Scruhbiiig (lowu decks on one ut truiuiug ships.
(27)
Preparing for sea.
(Taken Pom an address l)y Pear Admiral W. S. Benson, Chairman of tho I'nited States Shipping Board,
delivered at the National Marine League dinner April 13 1920.)
"A MERCHANT MARINE TO BE SUCCESSFUL MUST HAVE THE
SUPPORT OF ALL AMERICANS.
" Tlio only wa}' it will have the support is to liave tho opportunities
for advancement in our ilerchant Marine so great that American
hoys in largo numbers will 1)0 attracted to again enter seafaring life
as they did in the early history of our country. We must strive for
the daj' when wc can honestly say we have an all American maimed
and owned Merchant Marine.
"Every hamlet has been reached in an effort to get the boys from
interior towns to sec life from a shipping point of view. Boys of
vision should see the life as it is on board ship to know what fine
training for future material happiness lies in store for them in the
service of our merchant ships. It is easy work to secure men to
man tho sliips, but it is another matter to get men who are ship-
minded and who enter tho ranks with the hope and ambition to
succeed as a ship operator. Many of those who are now serving
arc arousing our hope that they arc in this class. The future will
tell.
"The American boy at sea is no new thing to me. "Wlicn one has
put ill 46 years of the hardest kind of service he may be expected
(28)
Training Station at West Seattle.
to speak with some authority about the men who sail our ships.
They arc a splendid class, big in heart, strong of body, and keen
witted at all times, especially in face of danger. No better type
of American manhood can be shown than that developed in the right
sea service.
"It was in May, 191.5, that I became Chief of Naval Operations,
after more than 40 years of service in the Navy. In those two score
3"ears I personally saw our Navy develop thousands of American
boys who came to us as raw recruits. As Chief of Naval Operations
during the war, under my direction there were hundreds of merchant
ships engaged in overseas service, manned b^' American boys, many
of them trained by the Ilecruiting Service of the Shipping Board.
Thousands of men from the Naval Ilescrve also came under my
direction and charge.
"I recall an instance which well illustrates tlu! grit and pluck of
these boys. It was in the early days of the wai- when we had to
send a dozen submarine chasers from New A'ork to southern wat(U's.
We turned to our men of the Naval Reserve to man these shi[)s.
They made the trip through heavy seas, but not a inoment was
lost, and wlum the boys wer«; n(>ede,d most tlie.y we.re on hand with
their ships.
"Hundreds of our sliips manned and sailed through the sid)niarine
zotie with nuriarkahly small loss of lihî and propei'ly. Tliesci were
manned by Americans, who with few exceptions, liad never before
(29)
sorvod at sea. if lliis pcrformaiico of (raiisj)ortiiig American
soldiers and tlieir sup])li(is and e(piif)ment could be accomplislicd
in times of national stress, establishing a record never before equaled,
there, is no reason whatever why our merchant ships can not be
manned by Americans in peace times.
"iSince the signing of thci armistice our experience with the mer¬
chant ships has shown tliiit tlui American boy will go to sea and stick
if h(! is given right treatment on shÍ2)board.
(30)
Traiuing station at San Francisco.
3 5556