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"A Medium in Which I Seek Relief": Manuscripts of American Sailors 1919-1940

Schoolship Newport

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.

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Cecil Northrop "At Sea" In "At Sea" we meet Northrop as a cadet on the Training Ship Newport of the New York State Nautical School (now SUNY Maritime College) in June-July, 1921. Apparently his experience as a greenhorn on a cargo ship at age 18 inspired him to continue his maritime career. It is unclear whether these pages was typed by Cecil, or his son, who transcribed some of the handwritten diary entries. The manuscript is available through the Stephen B. Luce Library's digital collections site, though pages 3-8 are missing and the text is cut off at the end. Below are select excerpts from the text.

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June 27th… Everything on this packet is primitive. To wash clothes is a real hardship due to the terrible crowding (page 2).

July 2… Some of the boys are black and blue from beatings by old mugs for various violations of rules. Once again I express my sympathy for and disgust at the brutality of one animal with another (page 9).

July 3… Tomorrow being July 4, will be a little holiday and they will have sports such as boxing and wrestling. Wish I was able to box, but I guess I had better not. Got kicked in the side by accident, and boy apologized; it hurt a little anyway (page 10).

July 4, In about Lat 39 degrees N, 50 degrees W. Long. Some Fourth! and writing this while ship is laboring heavily, so much so that the lockers are capsizing. Running before a heavy gale of 75 mph. Spanker storm sale set. At twelve o’clock midnight when going below, wind was very strong but steady from N.W. Running wind. Reefed topsail and foresail. 4 AM all hands on deck. When I got on deck there’s some change! Were actually wallowing, sea coming over gangway and running level with bulwarks; we could actually slide down the side of the seas. The wind shifted suddenly to south, nearly taking her aback and all but lost the fore. Four men are on the wheel, others heaving away on deck. I grabbed the first piece of gear where men were hauling. Nearly absolute silence was maintained. Some men were stripped to the waist as when they turned in – their white bodies contrasting against the dark gray sea and softened by the pouring rain. Awful pitch and fall of the ship gave the whole affair a supernatural aspect. The sea is a great leveler, Officers, men, “new mugs” and old, doing their duty with that silent determination and upholding all traditions of the sea. “Newport” acted better than I ever expected, rolling and pitching at about forty degrees both ways, but riding like a duck (page 11).

July 6. Hardly moving at present and 900 miles more to go. Today the sea is as calm as a mountain lake. It is hard to realize that this very same sea was raising particular hell just a few hours ago (page 14).

July 7… As I said yesterday have started studies, so we do not have to work all day, which complies more with my ideas (page 15).

Last night I watched the sun set. Well perhaps the sunrise at sea is lacking in the song of birds, light on house tops and hills, and general awakening of living things which makes sunrise on land so inspiring, the sunset at sea is more calming and beautiful, the work is done, everything is fixed for the night. As the sun sets, I watched it gradually sink into the sea, the clouds were streaked with a wonderful fire as some immense conflagration – this golden light is spread over everything, men and all, looking through rose colored glasses is nothing compared to this. The melancholy feeling that is impossible to resist, there is something awe inspiring, which with my poor ability to describe is merely sacrilege. It must be great to be able to describe, with a reality which can be seen over again (page 17).

July 8th. Passed Dutch Steamers Ceres. She altered her course so that she would come within a short distance, and passed our stern very close. Dipped her flag, blew her whistle. Wild excitement on board, trying to get enough steam to reply, got three measly blasts which made every one laugh. A ship meeting a ship at sea is quite an event. A very peculiar feeling. After about three weeks with nothing but ocean, ocean, ocean on every side, to sight a steamer with other human beings gives a sort of security and breaks the spell of being the only living thing on so vast a space (page 18).

I still wish there was a gentleman among them [the cadets] although Furst is about the only one. The others are so infernally selfish, until it is disgusting. Nothing at all like the comradeship of semen, which makes life at sea very pleasant, it is almost necessary when men are thrown together for weeks at a time with no other diversion than games... They...grab best watches, impose on the mild ones, eat everything at the table, never care whether anyone else has anything to eat or not (page 19).

...I have days of sad spells that I am unable to throw off. Sometimes I wonder if I would have been happier if I had died. Another strange thing is that nothing excites me. The other night in that storm and the wind was blowing 75 mph, I only took an outside interest in the goings-on and felt as though I were on the top of a mountain watching ants struggle. I do believe that if the waves had washed me overboard I would not have raised a hand to swim. I sort of enjoy this diary, which I think I will destroy when I finish with the cruise (page 19).

July 9th… Last night...there was a general yell for Northrup to come sit here, no sit here! Now, tell us a tale, we don’t care what kind. I tried to plead not knowing any but it did not work and the mob began to get larger and larger, that I finally in desperation made an elaborate, complicated, blood murder out of my head. Worked fine, I increased from one point to another until I got into my stride, then, believe me, I sure had a “thundinger” of a tale. Tonight I will do my best to get out of reciting. Wish I had a book of strange tales or something (page 20).

July 17th… [After several days of liberty at Ponta Delgada]... I thought that it was only among common crews that all hands got drunk and was a little surprised at this crowd.... The electrician was so drunk that they carried him bodily to the boat and of the gangway. Some of the cadets were so drunk they could not walk straight and fell overboard when trying to step into the running boat. Disgusting! The more I see of this the more I believe in "Pro". I can understand now why any girl will hesitate before marrying a seamen, and good reason too. I wonder if I will be judged such. Some of the boys were so drunk that I gave them a hand in getting into their hammocks. The only persons I saw drunk were Americans- some opinion they must have of us as a nation (page 25).

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