The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-18
ETIQUETTE OF THE NAVY.
Numerous Regulations Observed on
Uncle Snm's Ships.
From the san Franclsco Cam.

Tie many niue points OF etiquette Cd
served on board an American man-of
war are distinctly worth public interest.
From the moment an officer or man steps
aboard until after he has left he must
observe conventional .ceremonials of many
kinds.
In the first place in going aboard or
leaving the ship the starboard gangway
is reserved for the use Of the commits
stoned officers and their visitors. All others
must use the port gangway.
Upon stepping aboarb the first thing to
be done is to salute the deck" by touch-
ing or lifting the hat or cap. This is
meant as a mark of respect to the colors.
and is acknowledged by the officer of
the deck The quarterback is sacred
to the officers, and the side of IL occupied
by the officer Of the deck is generally
avoided even by them. No enlisted men
are permitted to go on the quarterback
except on duty.
One of the prettiest Of naval ceremonies
takes place when the colors are hoisted al
s a. M, and again when they are lowered
at sunset. These two functions are ac-
companied by appropriate military music,
all hands, officers as wen as men, who
happen to be on deck q the time, standing
up at attention. facing aft and uncov
head or are lowered into the arms of the
quartermaster who receives them, as the
case may be.
IL Is, customary for officers always to
salute the captain when passing him. but
not to salute each other on board ship,
when merely passing, except when, on
duty, an official communication is to be
made. The Junior always salutes first, the
senior returning the salute. The men al
ways salute an officer when addressing or
being addressed by him.
Officers below the grade of commander
are always addressed as plain "Mr" with
the exception that the surgeons are called
doctor In the familiar unofficial in
tercourse the chief engineer is addressed
as 'chlef" and the paymaster as pay"
Usually the marine officer is jocularly
spoken to as major or Colonel"
Commanders and captains are always
called captain" and commodores and
admirals are addressed by their titles. But
the commanding officer of a vessel, no
matter what his rank, is always addressed
by those under him as captain" Many
small vessels and torpedo boats are com
manded by leutenants and even by en-
signs, yet they are called captain" as
long as they retain command.
Unlike civil life the navy regards 1t as
compliment to drop the 'NIr" in per-
sonal conversation between officers. The
application of that little prefix implies
wide disparity In rank, and a junior thus
feels lattered by the elevation to equality
made by a senior In dropping it.
The most striking illustration of this pc
culiarity Is to be found at the Naval Acad-
envy, where the fourth classmen or "plebs"
are ostentatiously termed "msters," and
the Mr." Is always used in addressing
them. When, at the end of their plebe-
dom, they enter the third class they glee-
fully welcome the dropping of the prefix
in conversation with the other upper class
men, and the worst snub a first or second
classman can give to one of the third
class is to make use of the old Mr." again
in speaking to him.
There are certain interesting formallties
In entering, leaving, and sitting in the
ships small boats. Entrance goes accord
! ing to rank. junior first, in conformity with
| the principle that the captain is always
| last to abandon his ship. In sitting IN the
| boat, the senior sits farthest aft, the 9TH
! ers ranging themselves forward of him
! according TO graduation of rank In leav-
ing the boat the senior goes first, which
| suggests the rule that in an attack or
| shore, or boarding party, the senior leads
| the way.
There are three principal ceremonies
| attending the official arrival on board, OF
! the departure from a ship, of persons oil
| rank. one is the piping over the side,
1 gang
way of from two to eight side boys, and
the long, shrill piping of the boatswair
| as the person honored comes or goes over
/ the side. For commanding officer. ad
! miral or other high functionary, the ma.
| rine guard is paraded on the quarter deck
| presenting arms, with the field music Civ,
| ing the appropriate number of "rufiles'
as the functionary passes along the decl
| to or from the gangway. This is the sec
ond honor The third is the firing of gur
| salutes, the number of guns depending
| upon the personal rank. The President o
the United States and members of roya
1 families receive twenty-one guns the ma
tional salute which is the highest hono
number officially recognized. Other OH
Gals receive varying numbers below this
the following being examples: Admiral
seventeen guns; vice admiral, fifteen; rea
admiral, thirteen; commodores, eleven
governors of states, cabinet ministers, dip
lomatic representatives, generals of tn
army and consular officers are all enti
tied TO gun salutes.
The salute is not fired until the objec
of it is in his boat and pulls ahead of tn
ship, when the first gun Is fired and hi
flag is unfurled from the masthead, to b
pulled down With the last gun. While tn
salute Is fin progress the visitors boa
stops, proceeding after the last gun.
1t is a marked breach of courtesy t
fire either more or less guns than the per
son saluted Is entitled to, and when sucl
Is done his representative promptly call
, upon the saluung ship for an explanation
and if this is NOT satisfactory serious of
Tense is given
There Is ceremony even in marking tn
passage of time on board ship. There is
! clock near the captains cabin, which tn
2 captains orderly watches, and each hal
| hour he goes on deck. and. salutlng, re
ports to the officer of the deck the numbe
of bells. such as "One bell, sir" "Thre
bells, sir" and so on. The officer return
the orderly's salute, says ''Ver
good" and then directs the messenger DO
to strike the proper number of bells
But al S a. m, noon, and q. m there
E a marked difference These hours ar
| reported to the officer OF the deck, not a
eight bells1k but as IS o'clock" or 81
o o'clock" The officer then tells the ord
= erly to report be hour to the captain. an
: the eight bells are not struck until tn
captain directs Il, through the mediums G