The Eddy current., 1898-03-26
THE HERO or rnn MAINE.


conildeaee stood by Them Nobly
In ThfIr Hour Of Need.
After Captain slgsbes, The one man ho
,coms % ha 5e ATTAINED heroic hgure m
b. incidents VI thc tragedy Vi tue uvstiu, e
| iJu of the Maine, is tho chaplain, falhtf
/ iuhu Il. Ihidwlck. All accounts AHr
hat he showed himself luli) equal " Va
nust exacting demands Ui the emergency
ic was one Uf the last 10 leave the yicinit
u the wreck, and only sought IN shuf,
ppsslulitV nl regcuinH anpihef ~ his weil
loved ''b0yE' In the hospitals he was tirs-
IL d. % st4 tutututttak atiu uctptug tuu Wuunui t
.uu cunsiiug and mtktng ready Tor ihril
last voyage the gallant men whuse live
Srfe sHcriuceds "a the awful ealamii
nis WRa the central figure Ui the imVusln
0ustq qules Ui the honoured dead. Hc saw 1
% that each uOdy received the proper mark
| II tleuunratiun aud that each graVt
could be here after specially located.
H. Additiuu 70 ail tnis, the remainder o.
Father Chidwick'a time was chiefly spei I
a. the Aachina ducki where the inanRleu
tud battered DUdies Ut the dead were drawn
,shurr, seeking amid the must repulslyt
and f0rbiddlng environment, the smalcs
siEh tuf ideniihratiun, and the last shd
lnemeutuH fpr the f0Ycd nnes Tar nway
tie has Indeed proved himself an Idea
.,sky plot give aim 1he familiar sea title
Bat in this there Is no surprise for the
iegioE OF the ciergyman's friends aud nd.
miTera IN New YORK city. 1he recuru
only renlizeY the estimate they long siuv,
formed Ui hun aud predicted Of him anp
predicted ut his career when he accepted
iis commission ia the navy at President
Cieyelanda appointment IN March, 1895.
Although mnfe than 40 per cent ut the
nru ln the service are Catholics, Of the ~
ehaplains Ia the navy only three are min-
lsleIs ui that church, lhc majority are
Baptist. The Navy Dept. takes no cog
ulzancc Of religious belief
According 10 An absurd aud anomalous
custom II assigns sue chaplain 70 his stat
luu without any regard Tor the dOcirina
Dias Of the men. The chaplain Is merely
Oae oi the ships company, lust rs there
must be- engineers, lcutenHuts ct al, ~ u.
Hence the place vas generally used 10
give fat berlhs 10 ministers Of the denom
inatlon most IN favor daring the current
administration.
A chaplain ranks as lieutenant For the
irst i've years be draws 8 800 year iuf
shore duty, 1880 iOr sea drty aud el,20O
while waiting orders ill. rank and pay
increase with years Of service. After hyt
years he gets $500 Year, aud lac can re-
tire with the allowance 0t his rank 10 the
age limit. A glance ut the naval register
chaplains had long terms but little sea sell
wee, Those WIN have families are natut
ally adverse 10 the sepaftlnn u would ~.
yulye anG the mOuotony OF the very Iiyii
duties life pn board ship would mean iut
them.
Une Chaplain's name, for Instance, was
on the pay roll for twenty-five years with
unly thTee years sea service, another,
ranking as captain, with $4,000 year pay /,
had SIX years Of sea during twenty, seven.
A Third retired as cnmldure, at $1,000
| year, had only seven years Oi hea going
IN the tnial uf 30 Oi his service, while q
luckier hith had no sea record ut all during
q tn,ity TOUR years term.
The injustice Uf denying 10 Catholic
| sal OTs VIM form 50 large portion Ot the
navy, the miniAttati0nS Ot priests Was seen
| 10 1887 by President Cleveland, VINO np'
pointed the Rev. Charles Parks as the hfs'
Catholic priest ~ receive chaplaln's com
mission in the navy. lie ias the chaplain
1f ths Vermont, at the ma yard Tor three
years then was detailed 10 he Philadelphia
and Is now abroad on tht san Francisco
| The second priest appointed was the Rev,
w. "A 4, Ralney, whose iAther had also
served Ia the navy. lie went ~ sea AZ
once ami was for aeyral years on the Aslalic
station lieis now attached 10 the Vermont,
At the Brooklyn navy yard. The third and
last Catholic chaplain ~ tie hero Of the
Maine episode, Father Child wick, tic Was
uiuheu iiitO ne duties at the Hayy yard by
Father Parks, aud joined tnc Name when
she " as put IN commission alii served with
her ever since.
Father Chlawick was born m 81 Ga
briel's parish, East Thirly.tvyenlh street,
New York, 80 years ago, liis father, the
late John B Chidwick, whu lied short
time alter hs sons appOlnl ent as chap
lain, enjoyed the distincuun the Uulun
IN both tie army and na, dnrug the
I'll "A.
the upper section ul the city. lie has one
brother, William B. Chldwics, who 10 ~
business here, aud a sister, WIN Is u nun ~
the convent Of the Sisters Ol ST. Joseph,
pcterbOrU, Cunada.
Young Chldwick grew az under the
waickful eye ui the founder VI 81 Ca
brlels the venerable Father William
81. ClOwFy, well remembered as one OF
tha pioneer priests Of the East side.
His early years were spent in the pa
ruchal school, where ne had tllg Christian
Brothers as his instructors.
lie was an apt and dlligeni pupil, and,
though loving his books, was equally eager
% participate IN all the boyish sports and
ventures Of his comrades When he hat
finished hls term IN the parOchial school,
he was sent 20 Manhatlen college, whence,
after the classical course, he received hih
bachelors degree, aud was graduated with
the lss of 1883 lie then elected to give
himself a. the service nf tha church, ana
being received as diocesan student went
70 make his theological studies at J0seph's
seminary, Troy These were completed ~
the subsequent four years, and he was
ordained 4 priest by by Bishop Nc Nelrny
ON December ", 1851. Archbishop Cnrrigah
then assigned him Tor duty a. an assistant
tn the Rev. Charles n. Cotton, rector Of 81.
/ stephens church. East - -, where he
/ remained until his appointment % the navy
March 20, 1875.
When / asked Father Cotton yesterday
% tell me something about the now fam.
Ous chaplain's personality, i answered.
"Well, there Is nothing too good that
you could say ot him During the eight
years be was with me here | found him an
ideal priest ] know many young priests
who have special characteristics hu' few
| who unite 30 many attractive and brilliant
| personnel Eaiia lie has cheerful. winsOme
/ temper and most simple aud truaiiul va
tufa. llia Wit ls keen ana ready, bat u ls
never used 10 intiiet the slightest pain on
any one.
"neis an elOQent and nucnt speaker, aud
hls clever, handsome face reflects q we'll
balanced, bright and talented mind. The
zealnusness and iaithiulnrssO Of hrs atten-
ton tn the sick and poor II The parish here