The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-01-20
DISCIPLINE IN THE NAVY. NJ
Is Not Preserved by the Old System OF
FlOgEing.

1t seems that, after all, the ancient
system of disciplining by flogging is
still 81 iaatitution of the British navy,
though}it has fallen into more or less
allegiance. 1t may interest Americans
to- know that this brutal sort of dis
eipline was abolished in the United
States navy as late as 1872, and was done
then by act of congress.
When this act was passed heard an
old naval officer, retired, and of the old
school say: THE service is going to the
dogs. sir. In my time the crew was
piped to prayers as regularly as to
meals every Sunday, and the cat O nine
tails lay alongside of the Bible on the
capstan, sir!"
AS Minerva sprang full armed from
the head of Jove," so the American navy
sprang from the British navy, ard. un-
like the cautious Athena, turned around
and licked the stuffin'" out of her pro-
genitor. Nevertheless, the United
States navy preserved for a long time
the traditions of the British navy, and
as late as 1885 pike drill was carried
out relgiously aboard American men,
of-war according to the formula that
made it effective for the repeIling of
boarders in the days of Radney. The
steel-pointed pixies were kept in racks
on the berth deck and given all the care
that was given to the rifles of the ma
rines by the ships armorer and his as
sistants.
But change came one day. The
It'll 4
in the British navy long before, and it
soon went out of the American navy
upon the building of the new ships.
Grog was abolished in the United States
navy while the civil war was in prog
ress and tiogging in 1850, but both OF
these diversions, the cause and effect,
are still maintained in the British navy.
Both are remnants of the days when
"press gangs" used TO roam about the
English seaport towns kidnapping all
able-bodied youths to serve his mai
esty on the high seas. In those times
flogging was necessity and tricing w
an everyday occurrence.
Those were the days of the gentle
and joyous system of "keelhauling,"
when a refractory sailor was lowered
over the bows of ship with three ropes
attached to him. One led aft under the
keel and two served as guys to keep the
man in his proper place. He was then
hauled aft and fished up from the stern.
the barnacles on the ships bottom hav-
ing cut him cruelty in transit. He was
generally dead when he appeared over
Pie taffrail. If he was not he was sent
forward to his duty.
In the American navy keelhauiing
was never much in favor, but substi-
tutes were found for it, Midshipsman
Spencer was an officer on the American
man-of-war Somers in 1912, and was
tried ind convicted on board that shin
for melting that crew to mutiny. His
father was secretary of war, but Capt
Mackenzie hanged him at the yardarm
his officers standing with drawn swords
alongside the men toed off to pull on the
rope which strung the young man up
| ready to cut down the man that refused
to pull. a boatswain's mate and a.
sailor were hanged along with Spencer
When the SOmers arrived back in New
York harbor, a brother of Secretary
Spencer challenged Capt. Mackenzie to
duel, which was fought and resulted
III Mackenzie killing his man. Nova
days things are different.
1t takes good man to be even an
enlisted man in the United States navy
now, and an officer who cannot main
tain the strictest kind of discipline
without resorting to cruel punishments
generally has the felicity of facing
court of inquiry, which is the stepping
| stone to a court-martial.
Bowman H. McCalla, in his meteoriC
| career as captain of the Enterprise
| found this out when he came back from
his European cruise to face a storm OF
public Indignation and the sentence of a
court-martial. In some branches of the
naval service. such as the coast survey,
the only discipline method in general
| practice is a threat of dismissal from
the service, just as an employer would
dismiss an incompetent or refractory
employee.
Under the present law a commanding
| officer can intlict upon sailor the fol-
lowing punishments: Solitary confine,
| ment not to exceed ten days, solitary
confinement on bread and water not to
exceed seven days. extra duty, dis
charge, reduction of rating, loss of pay
or confinement in irons. But he can
not put a man in solitary confinement
on bread and water and in irons also.
A summary court-martial can put
man in solitary confinement for 20 DAVIS
or give him any of the penalties which
the captain is competent to infict.
To the power of general courtmar-
tial there is no limit, except that man
cannot be sentenced to be fogged,
branded or tatooed. A general court
martial can hang a sailor, but can't fog
him. V Press.
Men and Horses Killed in Battle.