Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 275, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1916 — TRADES MEN LEARN WHILE IN THE NAVY [ARTICLE]

TRADES MEN LEARN WHILE IN THE NAVY

HOW UNCLE BAM HELPB THOBE WILLING TO BTITDY

Many Classes and Bchoela for Various Crafts—Technical Courses Are Offered.

Washington, D. C.—Uncle Sam la anxious to lend a helping hand to the young men in his employ and give a boost toward better things in his service and toward a higher place in civil life. With this end id view the Navy Department maintains schools in more than a doxen trades' which *re open to men who enlist for service on warships. The schools not only serve as a medium for the sailor to advance himself in the navy but equip him to earn a good wage if he returns to civil life. Courses are offered to those willing to learn in electrical engineering, to the artificer, yeoman, hospital service, jjrusiclan, commissary, machinist, coppersmith, aeronautic and seaman gunner departments. Hundreds of young men who enter the Navy take these courses, and thru the work done while they are under pay, gain advancement in the service and provide for the time when they return to civil life. Electrical schools are located at the Brooklyn and Mare Island Navy yards. They are divided into two classes, general and radio. The lengths of the course for both classes is eight and students, either recruits or men from geneeral service, may enter at any time. In order that a recruit may enlist for the electrical branch he must have a knowledge of either general electricity or be an operator of the Morse telegraph code or have sufficient foundation in radio telegraphy to be competent to keep tip with the classes' at school. General electricians must know the names and uses of the various parts of the dynamo engine, and must be familiar with the ordinary, types of switchboards and methods of wiring Applicants for both classes _ must be able to write legibly, must understand elementary arithmetic and must be between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. Applicants for the radio branch must, in addition pass a creditable examination in spelling and penmanship, and the requirements in arithmetic include multiplication, division, simple proportion, percentage and square root. Testimonials as to good character and skill as an operator must be presented by the candidate, either from former employers or from the principle of the trade school where the candidate has been a student In either telegraphy or radio. He must be able to receive twenty words per minute. Such recruits are immediately transferred to the electrical school, where the course of Instruction com prises machineshop work, reciprocating steam engines, steam-turbine engines, internal-combustion engines, Magnetism and electricity; dynamos, motors,’ motor generators, alternating currents and batteries. Members of the radio class are trained in all the duties of a radio operator and are given constant practice in the use of the mechanism employed in radio receiving and sending. The artificer school Is located at Norfolk, Va„ Na,vy Yard and Is composed of classes for shipwrights, shipfitters, blacksmiths and painters. The sblpfltter class also Includes the duties of plumber and fitter. The length of the course is three months for each class, excepting that of shipfitter which is six months, Recruits sre admitted to tfce various classes of the artificer school, provided they know some one of the trades mentioned well enough to pass the examination, for the course of .instruction is not elementary and requires previous knowledge of and aptitude fer the trade. ' An applicant for the shipfltter class rhould have had experience as a metal worker, be able to lay out know how to chip and chalk and drive ilyets; understand the various rules for drilling and tapping; have some knowledge of pumping and drainage snd be familiar with the required tools and their usage and care. Applicants for the shipwright class should have some practical experience in carpentry and know the names of the tools used. The instruction is along the same line as for shipfltter, with the addition of cooperage, joiner work, repairing boats and spars, calking seams in wooden decks and cutting threads on bolts with hand dies. For the blacksmith class, a candidate must have had some experience at the trade. He is taught welding in different ways, “jumping on” pieces, working angle-iron, making shackles, chain, bolts, rivets, mast-hands, eyebolts, pad-eyes, iron work for blocks and all the fittings likely to be required on board ship which would have to be made with a forge. Blacksmiths are also given special in etruetioa in, shackling and unshackling chain. A candidate for painter must have bad some experience as a painter and must know the rules for mixing paint and applying it. He is taught paint ing of iron and woodwork inside and out, cabinet and hardwood work and the mixing of all kinds of paint and stain by the different formulas naM iai the naval service. J