The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-11-28
A SAILORS BURIAL.
An impressive Service at Sea on Board a
Man-of-war When a Seaman Dies

~" service at Sea on Board a
Man-of-war When a Seaman Dies.
when maritime Jack dies he is buried
without much undue ceremony. A brief
prayer, a shotted hammock, the lee rail
and all Is over. But on board a ship-of-
war a sailors funeral is pathetic in its
dlgn1hed simplicity. No muster of the
Snlps company Is, naturally, SO sad as
thlH. and You can see it on the faces Of
al when the subdued shrilling of the
bos"ns whistle is followed by the lory
drawn ont aud modulated call Of "Au
hand. bury tle deadr'
Inc men come aft quietly and take
thor allotted stations. To leeward. if it
DC 1t sea. or upon the port side of the
quarter deck. if not III port, the seamen
ar" range! III the front rank; behind
them arc :hc ordinary seamen and in
the rear Of both the apprentices and the
iandsmen. In the gangway forward Of
the malnmast on such ships as still have
sail power senior petty officers stand at
attention. Around the coffin, folded in
the jack or national ensign, are grouped
the p~aIlbearers. selected usually from
he dead mans mess or gun division.
$50 80 ~ manu-. CoLIiIA OI dIIlS. lit
marine guard is paraded. Nearest the
coffin are the chaplain and the captain,
and then III order Of their rank stretch
aft the other officers Of the ship.
The ensign at the peak on staff flutterS
tremblingly at half mast, and from over
mead the yard aud stay tackles swing
iazily, ready u lift the coffin cupboard.
When the weather permits the way of
the ship Is stopped, and, it may be, little
tilcker5 Of idling steam curl upward and
10 lceward like incense, and the wind in
the backed and fretting topsails muir
murs a dir2e. The order to uncover
Is passed gently, and while the beauti-
ful words of the burial service are being
cad the hush of the living is accen-
tGated by the low accomplishments of sea
sounds-Dy the rulnple of eager waters
eadying s~ternward, and by the surging
Cf the breeze iii the hollOws of the can
vas and through the rigging and gear.
When the closing prayer is said, the
last blessing given, the tackles are
manned. the coffin IS stripped of its flags
II slung III straps, and slowly, rever-
emily IS hOisted above the rail and clear
81 the ship until it is poised over the bill
lows. Tie marines load, aim, fire, in
ali three vClleys, that awaken rafting
echoes III the hidden spaces Of the ship:
the buSle sounds taps tenderly and
swcctly, with a newer meaning of sleep
and rest; the coffin swings further out
and is lowered gently until the foam
and sp0ondrift moisten it; the tackles
are detached with sudden jerk, and in
an instant the weighted box shoots
downward, beddod i'll foam and bubbles.
and all is over until the sea gives mp the
dead.
Ia Il little while the CHEEKY whistles
lrilI ont a call to duty; the half masted
ensign climbs to the dasher block; the
ships brought TO her course, and dazedly
the men take mp the wcarying routine
Of the lives 50 sadly broken. An I'M
usual quiet TCatS upon the vessel and
around the mess tables. but i'll the groups
gathered to smoke during the supper
hour and after the hammOcks are piped
down the virtues-thOse heroic and
honest sea ViItuvS-Of the dead sailor are
recalled. ana with a tenderness born of
Il comrudcship closer than any other
men except soldiers may know.-New
York Tablet.