The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-31
SHY PILOTS.
Duties of Naval ChaDIuins in Peace
and War.

Duties of Naval ChapIuins in Peace
and War.
From New York Commercial Advertiser.
The ships chaplain in the United States
Navy is an official Of whom little is known,
and yet he is person Of no little cOnse-
quence in the service, and manifold are
the duties he performs. In time Of peace
these duties are naturally far from oner-
GUS and sare much the same year in and
year out. At such times he conducts re-
ligious service around vessels Of the squad
ron to which he may be attached, and if
he is energetic he may work among the
men just as any minister or missionary
works ashore among his Pensioners. As
rule, however, he is careful not to force
himself upon the bluejackets and marines,
but contents himself with following the
simple duties imposed by his office.
In time of war, however, he becomes
parsonage of far more Importance, visit
ing the wounded in hospital receiving mes
| sages from them for their friends at home,
| comforting the dying and finally when
death comes committing their bodies to the
sea with the simple and impressive cere-
mony of the Episcopal ritual. From ship
to ship he is hurried constantly in redui-
sltlon, going about the peaceful duties of
his office amid the thunder of guns and
din of battle, unarmed and on errads en-
/ ureiy foreign to those O. all about him.
/ Long ago the navy chaplains were OF
coarSer stuff than now, and the hard-drink-
ing, hard-swearng character of the early
! century chaplain has no place in the SER
vice at the present time.
II need be, however, he can throw off his
/ peaceful demeanor and become a man of
war, and officers in the navy are now tell
| Ing, sub rosa, the story Of chaplain who
Is at the present time Stationed off the Gu
ban coast.
He was ordered South to Join Admiral
SIMPSONS squadron but before going he
/ applied to one of the officers at the navy
| yard who happened to be an intimate
/ friend.
Captain, I am ordered to Cuba" said
| he, and / haven't any idea in what sort
of scrape I may find myself You haven't
brace of revovers, have you, that 1 can
| take with me? | want good ones, that you
can depend upon in an emergency"
! Il thought you We're a man of peace"
returned his friend laughingly. you
! wouldn't shoot anyone, would your"
My dear sir said the chaplain serious
/ iy, Il am man of peace and I am, 1
believe, servant of God. This war be-
/ heve to be justified in the sight of the
Most High. 1t is a war for humanity's
sake, for all that is noble, and while. un-
/ der ordinary conditions, l should willingly
/ sacrifice my life do not intend to give
| 1t up to those who are, in my opinion
! battling for the side of wrong and oppres-
/ sion, on the contrary, if I have any op-
| portunity, for the time being the peace
/ loving chaplain will be left in my cabin
/ and my arms will be turned to the service
/ of war"
| There is general impression among
/ those who know little of life aboard ship
! that sailors are men of little religious in
/ clination and that therefore a navy chap
lain is something like the proverbial fitch
] wheel, but such an impression is far from
4 the truth. AS a matter of fact, the per-
/ centage of those religlously inclined
/ among sailors Is much greater than il is
| ashore, and attendance at the religious
| services aboard ship Is general. The men
! are not compelled to attend these re!ig-
| ious services, but do it for the most part
/ willingly, although there are, of course.
/ instances of attendance for the sake of
| appearances" and some few of the men
1 put in an appearance regularly, believ-
! ing that they can thus curry some favor
! with the odd man" as the vessels COM
| mander is called Chaplaius discounten-
ance such attendance. and do oil in their
! power to show the men that they are not
! expected to be present unless they come
/ of their own free will.
There are at the present time twenty
| two chaplains in the American navy 10
| look after the spiritual welfare OF nearly
! 900 seamen. They are appointed by the
! Secretary of the Navy from civil life and
! come of various denominations, no special
| rule being observed in the selection. Sect
/ Is not taken into consideration in anv way.
/ the appointments being purely personal.
| The division by denomination includes five
/ Episcopalians, six Roman Catholics. the
remaining eleven embracing several each
of the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian
| Churches. AS vacancy occur they are
/ filled by the Secretary of the Navy with
! out any reference TO denomination, and a
| Catholic may replace, or be replaced, by
u Presbyterian
! As a rule, a chaplain is stationed on
| each of the receiving ships at the various
| navy yards along our Atlantic and Pacific
coasts, and on the vessels of the larger
! type such as hagships, batteships of the
first class, cruisers of the first-class, and
training ships. They are not assigned by
| any rule, and are permitted TO conduct
| their religious services and teachings ac-
! cordng TO their own will, Il being an I'M
written law, however, that as far as pos-
sible they are TO refrain from denomiua-
tional influence even while conducting
| their work according to their usual meth
| cd.
They are attached to the staff and hold
a rank. ranging from that Of lieutenant to
| captain, buzz these titles are never applied