The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-25
CAPTAIN AND MIDSHIPMITE
Soc nj Krlntions Between the Quarter Deck
Au:ocrnt and tho Ward Room Mess.


| Au:ocrnt ana tho Ward Room Mens.
When British Admiral and midshipmite
OF - or thereabouts nlppsd u coin to 500 who
sh ould take an odd place in n game Of tennis
| at Norfolk United States naval officers looked
on with somo nsonishmont. When another
British midshipmte plucked the sleeve OF his
Captain at Chicago and said. We're going to
| see the town; don't you want to go along 7
Nobody will know you" and the Captain de-
clined. good -naturedly. adding to a bystander.
Dye hear tho youngsterT" American naval
officers wondered how soon u naval cadet
would uttompt such familiarity with tho COM
mnnder OF n United States man-ot-war.
II tho Lieutenant Is tho typo OF tho limo on
Ger. tho Captain may DO cstoemed q typo Of
himself The Lieutenant is essentially and
necessarily greEnrioua. Ho must live at close
quarters with other men Of varying ranks
above and below him, and must accept the dis
cipline that such life i'm plies II he Is to con-
tinue In the navy with any degree OF comfort
to himself 1t is u fortunate thing that tho
Captain. as Lieutenant and ensign. must have
encountered this discipline. else the lie that
naval reg ulations impose upon him must de-
veloP the Captain into a peculiarly unpleasant
person. AS soon as a United States naval OIL
Ger steps from the ward room to tho cabin. a
whole set OF habits. the growth of thirty years
in the service. drop from him as a cust-ofT gar
ment. From the social being. penned between
four narrow walls with dozen OF his kind. and
dining always in company with his fellows
from the subordinate, looking to some higher
power for instructions as 10 the very coat he
shall put on, he becomes u lonely autocrat. for
biddcn by naval regulations TO share his mind
with his shipmatcs. required to make the line
of domnrcation between himself and all else on
board nrnistakab bic and impossible.
The American commanding officer Ia the
hermit Of the sea; His cabin is sometimes
nearly as large as tho ward room that shelters
dozen subatern officers. Uo has his own
cook; his own steward. his cwn cr!er!ies. his
own b9ont's crew. t" take him whithersoeycr he
will. His iowot is absolute anu autocratic. and
he is intended to be Just what he is. m uwe-in-
feows and ostcnati"Msiy sarrounde9 By al
the marks Of form and rank. 1t mattors not
Mhn' H max hayS been II the ward
and tho commander who should seek by famil-
IIaritics to chang. the outward aspec. Of hisre-
imrroDriety. and might encounter tho disap-
prevail Of his superiors.
strictness with which thoy carry out the auto
nn ys to D In AMI then
tho executive oi,ieer Who sits Of the head Of
tho tn table This invitation Is always given
cruise. The Captain unbends on such occa-
alter IS routine. Most C"p.alns. from t Tine 10
time. invite one subordirnte or another to a
% tine IN tho the ss
been prescribed to al! on board by the Captain
early in tho morning. II the meal De dinner
the guest ordinarily presents himself IN full
drrss! uniform. With some Captains thcsl in
vitations are, frequent. but with many they ar,
seen nearly ten years OF sen service says that
nc has not taken three meals in the cabin dur
at least half a dozen commanding officers.
Some. Captains now and then go ashore with
suIHRhlerns but this is 9 rare case Of unbending
really ono OF considerable interest. especially,
he is Santsin that ilyos up to al Ms prIy
SEQ him safo into his boat THIS practice ia
less came down frcm time when the conven-
fences for getting OF and on u man Of war
four boys we're Intended to sos that the he. Cans
y fns Sa$p ana
omitted to two boys. Tho Captain's gig is |
ususily manaed by enough ga iIormsn to insure
no commissioned officer accompanies the |
boats crew. and tho Captain acts always as his |
whistlipg as tho Captain goes and comes. and |
proper per military salute. Tho Captain must be
deck must be sGluted though the Captain be
nowhere Il;.y visible; That sacred precinct is a
NO one may loitcr on the starboard side whom
IN port or to windward when at sea An officer
n nSe no reprimapa9I Tor reading letter oyen
" tne port sue. IL does not comport with dis
rinlno that u subordinate come betwiAt the
WIZ Il IL ana ma t = c. S,nntains nobility;
EsTs'f I'D t@af " oP ho
uI,hrt, In nautical phrase is what no ships for.
TIC has IN executive oilicer to police the shin.
nachinery and un o 10 nttehG to his o oiciaI
NrltlGg. 1! thes" men do well the Captain 10
sSry by Dc y thu S ra ana s;
oerhans millions md tho safety Of .hundreds
committed to his care" tho Cantaii,ni lives
{ TIE dsy ant nig e ppop Tho BRIDE:
,ratSn siso i {|rtnisEt Siaay cartains II:
light when !, lght is made. whether a1oat or
shore "4ltln@ Lteutonnnts IRE fond Of saying
na s M sosthms y nera o ssi r"aa be-
ause they reach command when raet their
rhine and afictt passing their best years as
'aptains, tho Ink on his new c,9mmission
c@rcHly dLy can not bS many months short OF
hree years ago, Even tho commanders who
re Captains hy-rouresy whom in command OF
hips arc rom 20 70 ~ yePrS Of re-" c,o,.
INTO iiItntorlal attitude that T. not alto
:ether abandoned oven ashore and in ,domss-
nd in civiinn dr"sS Ii" s"ssi" u CIVILIAN.
hey AFRO 10th mcrrly .Eontiemen. but the
thoughtful civilian would hc careful to aBcer- |
ain The captain $ feeling upnn he subject Of
Meeting tho ensign ue.ore Inviting them to:
ether, II would DO u caddish Captain md
snobhish, ensign who, should. ON lni-
ng themselves ~. accident guests at the
aine table. permit anything In their CON
uct to letray tho consciousness of diiIor-
nee IN rams. 4 few OF the genuine old ssn
till retain the carly nautical belief that 1t be.
ONES the commanding officer 10 damn the
Yes or any other offending feature ~ pcrsouB
mes ashore even In the domestic circle.
hcse arc tho mon VINO recall u tiino whom u
Rptain may inlet tho penalty of Heath upon
mntineer. power that disappeared after n
lutinous son ot n Cabinet officer swung ono
loFnInE from thn yarl arm nj mn m | 4