Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-06-25
1TAIssb[Tp WORSHIP
HOW JACK "RIGs CHURCH" IN UNCLE
SANS NAVY.

HOW JACK aRIGs CHURCH," IN UNCLE
SANS NAVY.
Divine Service Oh Sunday on Board e
Cn.;.t, States a;an-of- war and How 1t Is
Conducted-The Church Ensign and Its
Meaning Chaplain.
When there is seen flying from the
gaff of United States man-of-war Il
small, white triangular pennant, bear
ing on its field Il blue Greek cross near
the pike OF halyard, it is signal that
divine service is being held Oh board.
rig church !" is one of the regular ma
val orders, issued usually at about 1890
on Sunday morning.
Church is rugged" in various places
according to the construction of the YES
sci and according to the weather condi-
ticus. If the day is fine and not too
cold, the quarter deck will probably be
selected, although i'll some ships it is
customary TO hold tho service on tho
forward part Of the gun deck. In stormy
weather o. berth deck below is used,
where tho men may be under shelter,
though they are more cramped forr room.
Assuming that the service is to DO
held OH the quarter deck, the arrange
mcnts for it will proceed about like
this: When the bugler gives the signal,
the "church ensign" is hoisted to the
gaff. and some OF the men, under the
direction of an officer, bestir themselves
briskly i'll making the simple prepara-
tions which are necessary.
y table or desk, covered with tho
American flag, is placed at the end of
the quarter deck for the chaplain. a few
wardroom chairs are brought up from
below and ranged along the starboard
side, where the officers arc to assemble,
and benches or capstan bars resting on
buckets make seats for tho crew on tho
port side.
The organ-fcr every ship that has Il
chaplain is provided with an instrument
of this naturc-is put i'll a convenient
place If there is n band, and its scrv-
ices are desired, 4 few musicians are Sc
lected and stationed near by. Then the
ships bell is tolled for about five min
utcs, giving the officers and men, wher-
ever they may he on board, sufficient
time to asscmblc, if they are so inclined.
The boatswain may call down the
hatchways silence, fore and aft dur
ing divine scrviccr' but it is we'll un-
dcrstood by the entire crew that the
ship must be quiet now for about three
quarters of an hour. Finally the bell
stops, the captain, after Il glance
aronnd, makes a sign to the chaplain
that all is ready, and the arvice begins.
How it is conducted depends upon
the denomination TO which the chaplain
belongs, and various Sects are represent
ed among the naval clergymen. The
singing, accompanied by the organ,
which is played either by IN officer or
by some musician among the crew, is
generally fine. The men enjoy it, and
their voices ring ont strong and fresh i'll
the open air.
I/UA lilt~ liz lN-'.. NA'' w. <tAS
to remove their caps, but throughout
the rest of tie service they may remain
covered When it is over, the order TO
Pipe down. is given, and church is
"unrigged. Sometimes an evening
service is also held, but this is not the
general custom.
Attendance at church on the warships
is of course not compulsory but the Off
GERS are expected to attend by way of
furnishing an example, and most of
them usually do, accompanied by per-
haps about half the crew-sometimes
more and sometimes less.
But by no means all the ships of the
navy arc provided with chaplains. For
the GO or mere Wal vessels HOW effective
for service there are fewer than 30
chaplains, CT less than one for every
two ships. They are attached to the lar
gest and most Important vessels, where
their lniuistrations may reach the great
est number Of persons.
a queer incident happened few
years ago, when one Of the modern
cruisers WIS pun llIu VJ-iiii4SStoiI. IL
had been intended that she should carry
chaplain, but when the officers quar-
tiers were completed it was found that
bis room had been entirely overlooked.
No accommodation for him thus being
available, tie ship put to sea without a
chaplain and did not have one for at
least TWO Years.
In an action the chaplain duties are
with the sick and wounded. Occasion
ally, however, lis aid has been required
at the guns, ana in many instances the
chaplains have proved themselves hero
ic fighters as well as coed preachers. In
the old days Of tie navy the chaplain
wore the fail uniform Of his rank-lieu
tenant, lieutenant commander or COM
mander-but it is now customary for
him to wear a suit Of black on the regu-
lar costume Of whatever church he rep
rescnts. sometimes with the insignia of
his rank upon his sleeve.-Ncw York