Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1894-02-01
LIFE ON A RUSSIAN wARsHlP.
Religious Services Morning and Night and
Vodka Twice Day.

Religious Services Morning and Night and
Vodka Twice Day.
Life on board ships of the Russian
navy differs in many respects from life
on board British men-of-war, but in
each case it begins at an early hour
every morning The men are given no
beer, wine or coffee, but are allowed
tea in the morning. At dinner and
again at supper before sitting down to
table they pass in front of an officer,
who calls each by name and gives him
u little glass Of vodka.
Each seaman takes off his cap as he
swallows his allowance. The men, who
show no signs of insufficient feeding,
get on alternate days meat and
vegetable soup in which large quanti-
ties of broken biscuits are stepped.
From noon to two o'clock work is sus-
pended except for the watch, and
at half-past seven in the evening 'out
lights" is sounded. The first thing in
the morning and the last thing atnight
there is rather long service, consist
ing of prayers, psalms, and the ma
tional hymn, led by the pope if there
be one on board.
At the conclusion of each service the
pope solemnly blesses the ships COM
pany as the men PROSTATE themselves
before him. At these times the scene
is very impressive, the religious feel
ings of all concerned being evidently
most profound. All ships have on
board fine portraits of the Gar and
Czarina and numerous icons.
The wardrooms in Russian ships are
generally large, as indeed the numbers
of those messing In them require them
to be. The captain lives apart, but
the second in command, whether he be
commander or lieutenant, messes
in the wardroom, as with us. &c. also,
do the sub-lieutenants. The first lieu
tenant and the lieutenant who has
charge of the principal battery never
keep watch, so that a medium-sized
Russian ship has proportionately more
lieutenants than an English ship.
The Imperator Nicolai has seven, not
counting the two aides, or flag lieuten-
ants, who are attached to Admiral
Evelan. There are no paymasters, the
work done by our accountant officers
being done in the Russian navy by ex.
ecutive ones; but there are numerous
engineer officers, and there are, more
over, officers of the corpse of marine
artillery and of the corps of naviga.
ton. These two special branches are
to be allowed to die out, but the repre-.
sentatives of them are still borne in
seagoing ships.
The artillery officers look after the
guns and instruct the gunners, but dc
not command any battery at quarters
or in action. Their uniform is mainly
Distinguished from that of an execu'
tive officer by the fact that a red
edging appears upon their shout
der straps and epaulettes and
that their caps have black
velvet bands. The ranks in this corps
are the same as those in the army
The navigating officers, who approach
ing extinction is regarded with much
misgiving by the service, do almost
exactly tho work Of our staff command
ers and navigating lieutenants.
They are distinguished by silver
braid upon their uniforms, but, though
they receive certain advantages in tn,
way of pay, they can not rise to ranl
superior to that of colonel Their du
ties, and those of the artillery officers
will in the future be carried out by ex
ecutive officers, who, in virtue of thei
special qualifications, wear appropriate
badges. There is also special qualifi
cation for torpedo officers, who wear a
badge on the breast two little meta
torpedoes in satire. London Times.