Newport Overview
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2020-04-06T16:52:14-07:00
The gunboat Newport was a sail-steam hybrid built in 1896 and used during the Spanish American War. In 1908 it became the floating campus of the New York Nautical School (now SUNY Maritime College), which desperately needed to replace its first aging sailing ship, the St. Mary's. The school had lobbied for a larger sloop-of-war, to no avail. While the Newport was much smaller than desired, it brought the cadets into the age of steam and served the school well through 1931 (Williams 39). A caption for one of the Newport's publicity photos read: "Nobody knows that New York state has a Navy. It is the SS Newport, the state nautical school, on which the students learn everything about ships from stoking, rigging, to navigation, under competent instructors. The boat is now anchored in the Hudson River after it's a long cruise, making stops at Lisbon, Gibraltar, Funchal, and Teneriffe."
This project explores the writings and experiences of cadets Cecil Northrop, Thomas Caldwell, and Edward F. "Nick" Carter, who all sailed on the Newport. Their papers are held by the SUNY Maritime Archives, along with other collections that document the Newport.
