The evening times., 1898-08-05
NO GRoG ALLOWED
How Splicing the Main Brace Began
and How II Was stopped.

Every landlubber understands the mean
ing of the term splice the main brace.
but it is not generally known that the
order is never given now in the United
States navy The San Francisco Cali 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 II all hands should
have the strain of that seemingly impos-
sible thing. an all-day's running fight with
a feet of Spanish cruisers.
Splicing the main brace" is. or rather
used to be. serving an extra allowance OF
grog to all hands on naval vessel after
an engagement. This explanation Is 50
old that it will be news to many In these
days. II 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 o. 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 I740. According to a learned ar
| ticle on the subject published in the Unit
ed States service by Admiral Meade in
1854 the honor is due to Admiral Vernon.
of the Royal Navy. In bad weather 1t
was his fashion to wear on deck q 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
| plies as sea biscuit and powder, and We
| find Paul Jones on sailing from Ports
mouth in III. 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 6 cents a day. In 1872 the
| ration was cut down to one gill. but the
alternative of half pint OF wine was
4
\ fixed at cents.
| The first year the civil war brought a
| greatly increased naval force and increas-
| ed trouble from strong drink. Moral SEN
| 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 snch
vessels. and to be used only for medical
purposes. From and after the 1st day of
1 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.