News From Fort Schuyler

August 13, 1998 - Volume 2, No. 36

CLASS OF 2002 IS ALMOST UNDERWAY - Freshmen begin their indoctrination on Monday, August 17th. The class profile will be posted when it is available.

HERE TO REGISTER ALL THOSE NEW MUGS - The new College Registrar, Robert Pergolis, joined the staff on August 10. Robert comes to Fort Schuyler from Marymount College, where he was Assistant Registrar. A graduate of Hofstra University, Robert also has master's degrees from Boston College and Adelphi. Welcome aboard.

LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT ENGINEER - Nominations are being sought for the second Professor Jose Femenia Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award (or, I presume, "Alumnae"). Nominations for the award, which will be presented at the 1998 SNAME Annual Meeting in San Diego this November, should be sent to: Charles Munch, Class of 1973 (Cmunsch@sunymaritime.edu) or Elmo Baumgart, Class of 1976 (baumgarte@usmma.edu) The first recipient of this award was Thomas G. Connors, Class of 1967.

A MOST DIFFICULT TRAINING CRUISE? The long 1915 cruise of the NEWPORT reminded KEN PETERS '54 of the tales his father, OTTO PETER PETERS '17, told him about the 1916 cruise during which "..the NEWPORT lost her propeller and was ordered to sail home vice repair in Europe becalmed for weeks in mid-Atlantic. Finally out of food and water they made to Bermuda. He told me of a bread truck that came alongside the pier; all hands descended on it and consumed the bread instantly."

According to Captain McMurray's report, it was indeed a cruise fraught with problems. The NEWPORT had been in the Navy Yard for repairs from January until August, forcing the school to suspend instruction for six months. The August 2 departure of the NEWPORT for the summer cruise was further delayed by a week due to a lack of engineers. At the final stateside port of call, Newport, RI, another personnel shortage (instructors this time) delayed departure for the Azores until September 8. Then on September 21 the ship "cast off her propeller and tail shaft while steaming in smooth waters" as she approached the Azores at 1:38 A.M. The ship made it to Horta under sail "during which another gale was experienced and the ship sustained damage to the sails and rigging" and arrived three days later.

At Horta an underwater inspection of the hull showed no damage and it was decided to make the return voyage under sail - a departure which was delayed until October 7 due to unfavorable winds. The next port of call Hamilton, Bermuda some 21 days later, apparently had that bread truck waiting for Cadet Peters and his hungry mates. Finally, the last leg of the trip: "The NEWPORT left Bermuda on November 22, 1916, arriving at New York on December 2, 1916, after a stormy passage during which the ship was blown off shore in attempting to beat up the Atlantic coast. As in previous circumstances the cadets of the school rose to the occasion and handled the ship in a creditable manner, under trying conditions."

RECOMMENDED - An up-to-date list of useful Internet sites with good annotations, "Librarians' Index to the Internet," is maintained by the California State Library at: http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/InternetIndex/ . The annotations are pithy and accurate. Some URLs listed in recent "New this Week/ Last Week" sections include:

Fielding's Cruise Finder - http://www.fieldingtravel.com/cf/

Tides - North America - http://facs.scripps.edu/surf/weatherbody.html#Tides

Hurricanes: Forecasts and Historical Data - http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Protected Marine Species - http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec.html

Seaweed Home Page - http://seaweed.ucg.ie/

FAMILY TIES KEEP ROLLING IN - A new augmented, corrected edition will be posted prior to Homecoming.

HUDSON Siblings: Charlie 90 - Kevin 94

JUNEMANN Family: Stanley 44 - Carolyn 82

Contributors: Charles Hudson, William M. Hayden.

THE VIRTUAL LIBRARY IS VIRTUALLY HERE - In July the first phase of a new SUNY-wide library initiative, SUNYConnect, was rolled out and the Luce Library is connected! We now have access to several additional full-text and bibliographic databases and this number will grow. When it is fully implemented, SUNYConnect will make it possible for any Maritime College student, faculty member, or staff person, no matter where their location on campus (but not at sea - YET) to gain quick and easy access to SUNY library services and print and electronic resources.