The morning times., 1895-09-29

vices at such times as may be indicated
by the captain or commander of the yes
sells.
There is nothing in the regulations of
the Navy to show. how often the Jack
tars ought to be preached to, but there is q
general notion gathered from old sea
tales and such literature that the sailor,
as type Of humanity, is very Goddess
fellow, and that he ought TO be prayed at
and for more than once a week. or such
times as may be indicated by the COM
mander OF his vessel.
The chaplains have, however, other
functions. They are required to figure
in the role of pedagogue. In that capacity
they teach the boys the rudimcnts of read
in, 'ritin', and 'rithmetic." Not only
are they required to teach the apprentice
boys, but '.any other such persons as may
need to be taught these branches"
The chaplain is not very popular man.
In fact. they have peculiar name which
has become imbedded in the vernacular as
as the ''sky Pilot" and they call him this
whether he be OF Rome, Geneva, or
Scotland, Catholic, Presbyterian, Calvin
ist, Of Episcopalian.
The regulations are such that It is i'm
possible for any chaplain to proselyte the
whole ship to any particular faith. Que
of the regulations as read by Mr.. Finney Is
is that, although the ship may be in charge
.of any particular chaplain he is bound
to do all he can to extend the courtesies
( to the ministers of any denomination. This
sets aside the belief which was expressed
nine years ago that the appointing of
chaplain is a cinch for his denomination
on all the souls on shipboard.
There is no such thing as compulsory at
tendance on these divine services An
old sailor, who is now a member OF the
Federation of Labor of this city, said that
he was for some time on board the old
ships Portsmouth and Trenton and that
while he was very religious himself, no
one was obliged to listen to the sermon
OF the chaplain except. perhaps. the young
boys, and this compulsion was more as
matter OF discipline than anything else.
He said that during services there was
perfect quiet on shipboard. The men were
not allowed even to smoke and all OF
the Sunday sociability ceased. Most of the
men took a suooze to pass away the time,
while their chances for salvation were pass
ing away on the half-deck.
Itmust be expected that during the ninety
years of the continuance of the chaplain
service on board the battleships some
deeds ofprowess might have ebeenperformed
by some of the church militant afloat.
Strange to say, they did not know of
a single instance of this kind at the Navy
Department, and they knew of no source
of information to which The Times could
be referred on this subject. 1t Will prob
ably, therefore, not be known until the
next year what are the functions OF the
chaplains In a naval engagement.
The iIlustrieus Sergt Jasper is the au-
thority for the statement that I'VE can't
fight without flag" There is no instance
on record in which any battle was deferred
because the chaplain was ashore when the
enemy hove in sight.
1t is the belief, however, from the
terms of the act of appointment with ref
erence to the age OF the chaplain. that there
is an idea that he may be useful in an
emergency as an actual belligerent. Young.
vigorous men are chosen, but apart from
this, If there is class of men in the world
against whom the charge of cowardlce
has never been brought it is the ministry
of all denominations. The church, 1t will
be remembered, has furnished nearly all
in the annals of history.
A little sketch may be read here With
interest of the three Catholic priests who
have the distinction of being among the
first of their faith TO have been chosen as
the pilots of thousands of Jack Tars In
peace and in war. The facts in the little
biographies are appropriated, but they
are none the less interesting:
Rev. Father John p. Chidwick held his
| first service aboard the battleship Maine
recently. The greater part of the crew
| attended the services, although there was
| q Protestant service held in the library
| room on the Cob Dock.
| Father Chadwick was appointed chap
lain of the battleship when she went into
commission last week. He is the third
Roman Catholic chaplain appointed in the
| Navy, and his first active duty commenced
when the Maine was commissioned. He
received his appointment in March and has
been on waiting orders ever since. He
is thirty-two years old. Already he has
made himself very popular with the men
| aboard ship.
The new chaplain was educated in st,
Gabriers school, in East Thirty-seventh
street, New York; Manhattan College,
and the Troy Theological Seminary. He
acted as fourth assistant pastor of st
Stephens Church, New York, up to ths
time of his active service on shipboard.
| Rev. Father Raney is the second Roman
i Catholic chaplain in the Navy. he va,
appointed by President Harrison In 1891
and has been at sea most of the time since
He was all through the Chinese war or
board the Charleston.