The times., 1898-06-20
NAVAL ETIQUETTE.
How TO Behave I'm Visiting n MAN.
of-WaR

war are distinctly worth public interest.
From the moment an officer or man steps
aboard until after he has left he must
observe conventional ceremonials of many
kinds.
In the first place, in going aboard or
leaving the ship the starboard gangway
is reserved for the use of the commits
stoned officers and their visitors. All 9TH
ers must use the port gangway.
Upon stepping aboard the first thing to
be done is to salute the deck by touch
ing or lifting the hat or cap. This is
meant as a mark of respect TO the coli
ors, and is acknowledged by the officer
of the deck. The quarterback is sacred
to the officers, and the side of it occupied
by the officer of the deck is generally
avoided even by them. No enlisted men
are permitted to go on the quarterback
except on duty.
One of the prettiest of naval ceremonies
takes place when the colors are hoisted
at a. m, and again when they are low
cred at sunset. These two functions are
accompanied by appropriate military mu-
sic, all hands, officers as well as men,
who happen to be on deck at the time
standing up "a attention" facing aft
and uncovered until the colors reach the
flagstaff head or are lowered into the
arms of the quarterma--er who receives
them, as the case may be.
1t Is customary for officers always to
salute the captain when passing him,
but not 10 salute each other on board
ship. when merely passing except when
on duty, an official communication is to
be made. The junior always saluUes first.
the senior returning the salute. The men
always salute an officer when addressing
or being addressed by him.
Officers below the grade of commander
are always addressed as plain mister"
with the exception that the surgeons are
called doctor" IL the familiar unofficial
intercourse the chief engineer is address,
ed as chief and the paymaster as
pay Usually the marine officer is
jocularly spoken 10 as major" or col
onel."
Commanders and captains are always
called captain, and commodores and
admirals are addressed by their titles
But the commanding officer OF a vessel.
no matter what his rank, is always ad-
dressed by those under him as captain"
Many small vessels and torpedo boats are
commanded by lieutenants and even en-
signs. yet they are called captain" as
long as they retain command.
Unlike civil. life, the Navy regards 1t
as compliment to drop the mister" in
personal conversation between officers.
The application of that prefix implies
wide disparity in rank, and a Junior thus
feels fiattered by the elevation 10 equal
ity made by a senior in dropping it.
The most striking illustration of this
popularity is TO be found at the Naval
Academy, where the fourth classmen are
fl
ters," and the mister is always used
in addressing them. When at the end Of
their plebsdom, they enter the third
class, they gleefully welcome the drop
ping of the prefix in conversation with
the other upper classmen and the worst
snub first or second classman can give
10 one OF the third class is TO make use
of the old mister" again in speaking TO
him.
There are certain interesting formali-
ties in entering. leaving. and sitting in
the ships small boats. Entrance goes
according TO rank, junior first in con-
formity with the principle that the cap
tain is always last TO abandon his ship.
In sitting in the boat, the senior sits
farthest aft, the others ranging them
selves forward of him according to grada-
tiOn of rank. On leaving the boat the
senior goes first, which suggests the rule
that in an attack on shore, or a board
ing party. the senior leads the way.
There are three principal ceremonies
attending the official arrival on board or
the departure from a ship OF persons of
rank One is the piping over the side, -
consisting of the attendance at the gang
way of from TWO to eight side boys and
the long shrill piping of the boatswain as
the person honOred comes or goes OVER
the side For commanding officer, ad-
! miral or other high functionary, the ma
rine guard is paraded on the quarter
deck, presenting arms. with the field mu-
sic giving the appropriate number Of
''ruffies' as the functionary passes along
the deck 10 and from the gangway. This
is the second honor. The third is the
firing of gun salutes, the number of guns
depending upon the personal rank. The
President Of the UniTed States and men,
| bers of royal families receive twenty-one
guns, the national salute, which is the
highest number officially recognized
Other officials receive varying numbers
below this, the following being exam
pies: Admiral, seventeen guns; vice
admiral, fifteen; rear admiral, thirteen;
commodore eleven. Governors of States
cabinet minister's diplomatic representa-
tlves, generals of the Army and consular
officers are all entitled to gun salutes.
The salute is not fired until the object
of If is in his boat and pulls ahead of the
3 S-l4ps N1th tilt AISl gun i uFeu and MS
flag Is unfurled from the masthead to be
pulled down with the last gun WnIle the
salute Is in progress the visitors boat
stops, proceeding after the last gun.
1t is a marked breach of courtesy to
! fire either more or less guns than the
person saluted is entitled TO. and when
such is done his representative prompt
ly calls upon the saluting ship for an ex-
PLANTATION, and If this Is not satisfactory
criNr
There Is ceremony even in marking the
passage of time board ship There is
a clock near the captains cabin, which
the captains orderly watches and each
half hour he goes on deck. and saluting
reports 10 the officer of the deck the num-
Der Of bells. such as zone bell sir. -
three bells. sir" and so on The officer
returns the orderlys salute, says Very
good" and then directs the messenger
boy to strike the proper number of bells
But at a. m. noon and S p. m. there
is a marked difference. These hours are
reported TO the officer of the deck, not as
eight bells" but as "eight o'clock" or
twelve o'clock" The officer then tells
the orderly to report the hour to the cap
tain. and the eight bells are not struck
until the captain directs it, through the
mediums of the orderly, the officer of the
deck and the messenger. 1t is not a m.
noon, nor p. m. officially until the cap
tain orders Make it so.'' 1t not in
frequently happens that the captain
plays Joshua and postpones the hour, if
he sees fit.
No one board can see the captain in his
cabin without first sending in his name
by the !atter's orderly. An officer cannot
see the captain on any official business,
of his own initiative, without stating it
to and receiving permission from the ex-
ec1tfVe officer Enlisted men must oh