US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Tbe First Tbi~ty Years 23
cellence. Other than in conduct, in which he stood number 65, he was not
lower than 27th in any subject.
To Midshipman Turner, Second Class Year was “one of turmoil,” with
1907 graduating in three sections, the largest number 86, in September 1906,
a moderate size group of JO in January 1907, and the last 72 from the
academic bottom of the class, in June 1907.”’
FIRST CLASS CRUISE
Of that cruise, it need only be said that it was the most pleasant experience
of our Naval Academy career. Jamestown, Norfolk, New York, Poughkeepsie,
New London, Baltimore and Wmhington were all on the itinerary
md everyone thoroughly enjoyed the yachting trip.fi:
The visit to Jamestown was occasioned by the 1907 Jamestown Exhibition
and participation by the Midshipmen Practice Cruise in “the most noble
pageant of recent years,” a Fleet Review by President Theodore Roosevelt.
The Class of 1908 made its pleasant but unglamorous First Class
Midshipmen’s Practice Cruise during the SLUTUTH’ of 1907 in three monitors,
the i4v,kansas, Flo~ida, and AT~tada, all less than five years in commission,
and in Dewey’s flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay, the fine armored cruiser
Olympia of 8,500 tons, The famous Olympia, initially commissioned on
5 February 1895, mounted what, in l’j07, was still considered a modern
battery, consisting of four 8-inch 35-caliber guns and ten 5-inch 40-caliber
guns.
On the other hand, the low powered and awkward appearing monitors
were never popular with the seagoing Navy for they dived under more
waves than they rode over and according to the 1908 Lzc.ky ZLzg “rolled
through 3650 at every swell.” They mounted six guns on their 3,200 tons
displacement. These monitors were built during the 30-Year era when Con-
gress legislated the detailed characteristics of our naval ships, and during
the early years of that era when Congress was unwilling to authorize seagoing
ships capable of offensive action in the sea lanes of the world and authorized
only “sea going coastal line ships” or “harbor defense ships. ” ‘c
w (a) Turner; (b) .N’umzlRi.q,,ter, 1908.
= h{-ky Bug, 1908, P. 279.
WDicliondry of Ameri(an Nd? a[ Fi8hiing Sbipf, Vol. I. pp. 189–91, 203, 207. A~alJalAci of J
Aug. 1882, Ndva[ A(-I of 3 Mar. 188>, Naval Act of 3 Aug. 1886, Natal Act Of19 Ju1. 1892,
Naval Act of 2 Ma~. 1893, and NaI al Art of $ May 1898.