The Irish standard., 1898-05-21
been carried away by the green seas
that washed the high standing ton gal

i,
a warrant officer, died of his injuries the
day the Baltimore steamed into Homo
lulu harbor, and was buried in the beat
tiful Nuuanu valley of Honolulu. under
naval hcnors.
The chaplain of the Baltimore was a
young Roman Catholic priest. scholar
an athlete. and finished man generally,
born and educated in Maryland. He de-
cided to have high mass as special
ceremony of thanksgiving ON the Sun
day following the Baltimcres casting
her mud hook in the harGor Of Honolulu.
This was as impressive religious cere-
mony as any ever seen or heard in a
great cathedral. 1t was celebrated on
the ships wide long berth deck for
ward. The carpenters gang built an
altar especially for the occasion. Some
of the men got shore liberty and gath
cred the gorgeous wild flowers that
bloom in the woodlands around Homo
lulu. They then decorated the altar,
which, when its ornamentation was
completed, was wonderful blaze CT
color. Two young apprentice boys
served as acolytes. habited in cassocks
and surplices. The fact that these two
chubby boys, strove to be consistent and
emulate rufIians under the ordinary
conditions OF man-Owar life did net
initiate, in the minds of the uninformei
Worshippers, against the impressiveness
OF the mass which they served. Nor did
the rafting Of the double irons of the
half dozen prisoners confined I'D for
ward in the brig" in full view of the
congregation. have any disconcerting
effect
Nearly all of the officers and men OF
the ships company of four hundred and
odd crowded down on the berth deck
ladders to attend the mass The mess
benches Of the men were the seats. The
officers were in their full dress uniforms,
anu the men wore their mastering
clothes. Besides the ships company,
about one hundred of Hon0lulis mes
notable society folk, men and women.
came 10 the snip in shore boats and
steam cutters to attend the man-o'-war
mass. Three of the members of the Ha-
Waiian cabinet and their wives and
daughters We're of this number. These
resident flaWaiians, the most of whom
We're of American English aud German
nativity, with a sprinkling of notable
kanaka men, and exceedingly lovely
"half white kanaka society girls were
fashionably and picturesQuely dressed.
many of them wearing around their
shoulders the woven "laas," or wreaths
of flowers so commonly used for personal
adornment, even by staid middle aged
business men, during the business hours
OF working days in Honolulu
The Baltimore was flagship and
the music Of the high mass, which was
one of Mozart's, was under the direction
or the ships bandmaster, who utilized
the services of his fine string orchestra
to render the music effectively But the
real feature of the music was the sing
ing of some twenty-five Roman Catholic
priests, bearded men of a munastic
order. with its Hawaiian headu,lar-
tiers in monastery on the outskirts OF
Honolulu. The chaplain had invited
these priests to assist him in the cple-
bratlon. They were all trained singers
with noble voices, and the music had
the effect of the male choir heard In the
Sistinc Chapel in Rome One Of the
monks presided at the small cabinet
organ Tho young chaplain was fine
baritone singer, who easily discounted
all OF the ward room officers in the sing
ing OF deep water. heavy weather"
songs at the mess table after dinner. He
sang the difficult mass we'll. and tho
swelling answers to his intonations by
the choir OF priests were beautiful and
inspiring Naval officers of experiences
III every quarter of the world afterward
declared that they had never heard
such music before. Three of the tram
peters of the band sounded the Sane
tus' and the tie Deum."
About only one-third of the member,
OF the crew present were Catholics. and
not more than a fourth OF the ship's
visitors from Honolulu belonged to the
Church of Rome, yet the enthusiasm or
all after the ceremony was over was "a
markable. 1t appeared that the beard
ed priests who assisted in the chantirr
Oh the mass were very rarely seen by thu
residents OF Honolulu. one Of the re-
qulrements OF their order being that
they keep to themselves
The office of ship chaplain in the
united States navy, to whatever reli-
glous denomination he may belong is y
singular one. The chaplain must be y
man OF great natural tact to prescrv, E.
properly his somewhat difficult rcl,-
tlonshlp with officers and men. He il
OF course. an officer, and lives afr amonr
the ward room officers, but the runc
lions of his office are mainly exercisaG
among the men forward. In order tn I'M
or any actual spiritual service tn tha
men forward, he must move omonr.
them, and enter into their ideas. which
are often peculiar and perplexing. Nava,
officers who We're attached to tbo Raft;