Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-26
MANY HERO CHAPLAlNS.
ara
Father Chadwick Of the Maine a familia,
Example.


a perfunctory person. bent on nothing
save drawing his salary. Now our splen-
did fighting machines have on each of
them a number equal to a large par
ish, and all men.
They are more and more recruited
from the ranks of American homes
homes in Illinois. in Missouri. in Penn
sylvania, in Ohio. the northwestern
Jacks are now required to be native
born or naturaliZed American citizens.
The chaplain is a friend to all of them.
And if the chaplain be the right sort of
man. all the men are friends of his.
There are "a chaplains in the navy.
They must be, upon appointment, or
dained men, and in good standing in
their respective communions. They are
free to use any form of service-that of
the denomination to which they belong.
AS a matter of fact, many of them use
the book of common prayer.
There are two reasons for this. 1t is
well adapted for the purpose and Meth
odsts, Presbyterians and others often
turn to it as an available supply of IA
very apparent need. And the influences
of England. to which the prayer book
primarily belongs, is enormous on the
seas.
Rig church,. is one of the regular
naval orders. The captain issues it, and
the rigging is done on deck or else
where. according to the season of the
year or the latitude of the ship. 1t con-
ssts of much or little, according as the
chaplain is Methodist or Roman Catholic,
Baptist or ritualistic Episcopalian.
When rugged the ships bell is tolled.
Attendance at church is quite voluntary
on the part of all. 1t rarely happens that
fp a 6 the
Generally half on shipboard attend. some
times hreefourths, Sometimes the band.
accompany the singing, but generally
some officer or perhaps an able seaman,
plays the organ. with which all ships that
have chaplains are provided.
Sometimes Sunday evening lectures are
given. Other services are prayers ON
weekday mornii gs, or perhaps instead a t
dress parade at evening. Here atten-
dance is compulsory, but the service is
very short. BY far the greater part of
the work of the chaplain is pastoral
When a Jack dies the funeral. unless
circumstances prevent, is exceedingly
formal Recently while the training
squadron was at Barbados. boy ap-
prentice dropped dead on deck. The
funeral. held on Sunday. could hardly
have been made more formal. All the
shipping in the harbor had flags at
half-mast. and the funeral procession. a
long one. was made up OF ships boats;
bells on all ships near were tolled. every
body was assembled on the spar deck and
stood throughout the service The inter-
ment was in the seaport cemetery.
In the minds of most people navy
chaplain is Il rather ornamental person
age who reads an occasional service and
lives IN comparative luxury at sea. with
COOL pay as an extra inducement The
impression is wrong. OF our ii chaplains
10 are Methodists. and the remainder are
l3piscopalans Baptists. Roman Catholics
Presbyterisns and Disciples Of Christ
There is no more trying life of which one
can conceive than that of a navy chap
lain. He ought to be prepared TO handle
CutlaSS. he must restrain himself from
the least suspicion of wrong night and
day, he must be an example to men and
officers.
He is under the eye of the officers and
crew at all times. and suspicion is fast
ened on him very quickly. Life on ship
board means plenty of moral freedom.
which will pass unnotced among the
men themselves. But the chaplain
must beware of all license. He must
He must know how to unbend but he
must not pass the breaking point. The
average chaplain aboard shrinks from
the very thought of entertaining a civil
clergyman. The lan1Sman cannot seem
TO appreciate to come in touch with the
strange surroundings. He is likely
curious women. who seldom show tact.
one Scotch minister's first remark on
coming aboard one of our warships was,
Have you anything to drink? | be
lieVe in taking the good things as they
come along.
The chaplain of today is an altogether
different parsonage from the chaplain of
30, 40 and 20 years ago Then he was re-
quired To wear the uniform of com
missiOned officer. with a sword at his
side. He passed the bowl with as good
grace az any. He knew the why's and
wherefores of aces and spades. His SER
vices were brief and few in number. Only
when the ship was cleared for action and
the great guns roared, and the cockpit