The times., 1898-08-01
NO GROG ALLOWED.
How Splicing the Main Brace Began
and How 1t Was stopped.

Every landlubber understands the mean
ing of the term splice the main brace"
but 1t Is not generally known that the
order Is never given now in the United
States navy. The San Francisco Can OBJ
serves that they didn't splice the main
brace" the other day on the Nashville
when that gallant gunboat had raced
through the sea, with every human pulse
a-beat, and captured the first prize of the
war. They won't splice the main brace
on the oregon, even If all hands should
have the strain of that seemingly impos-
sible thing, an all-day's running fight with
a fleet of Spanish cruisers.
Splicing the main brace" is. or rather
used to be, serving an extra allowance OF
grog to all hands on a naval vessel after
an engagement. This explanation is so
old that it will be news to many in these
days. If things were as they used to be,
how naturally it would have happened
that when the Nashville had captured her
prize and when every heart aboard was
aglow with the success the boatswain and
his mates should have piped through the
ship the order. "All hands for grog." AT
the beginning of any other war in our
history "Grog or would have resounded
through the ship. But
They've raised his pay five cents day
And stopped his grog forever.
A notable event was the invention Of
grog in 1740. According to learned ar
ticle on the subject published in the Unit
ed States service by Admiral Meade in
1884 the honor is due to Admiral Vernon,
of the Royal Navy. In bad weather Ii
was his fashion to wear on deck a grog-
room cloak. from which he acquired among
the men the sobriquet of "Old Grog."
About the year mentioned, while in COM
mand of the West India station, he orig
mated a new and satisfactory official
beverage composed of rum and water, the
serving of which began on his flagship,
the Burford, and thence spread. The bev-
erage was dubbed 'grog" and the word
has lived.
When our navy began its illustrious ca
reer amid the Revolution liquor was, Of
course, as necessary part of the sup
plies as sea biscuit and powder, and we
find Paul Jones on sailing from Ports
| mouth in Ill., bewailing. among other
shortages. only thirty gallons of rum
In 1881 Congress took an advanced step
by providing that all in the navy who vol
UNFAIRLY relinquished the spirit ration
should be paid 8 cents day. In 1912 the
ration was cut down to one gill. but the
alternative of half a pint of wine was
added, and the Communication price was
fixed at cents.
The first year the civil war brought a
greatly increased naval force and increas-
ed trouble from strong drink. Moral sem
timent had progressed, too. In July, 1862
Congress revolutionized the American
navy by passing the historic law provid-
ing:
That from and after the 1st day of
September, 1862. the spirit ration in the
navy of the United States shall forever
cease, and thereafter no distilled spirit
uous liquors shall be admitted on board
of vessels of war except as medical
stores, and upon the order and under the
control of the medical officers of such
vessels, and to be used only for medical
purposes From and after the 1st day of
September next there shall be allowed and
paid each person in the navy now entitled
to the spirit ration cents per day in
communication in lieu thereof, which shall
be in addition to the present pay"
And since that day there has been no
grog in the United States navy