The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-07
FLOATING BETHEL'S CHEER.
NO SHARKS BEsEr THE WAY or
THE SAILORMAN THERE.
A Moorsd boat In BROOKLYN That IL Church
and Club aud Galley aud Bunk TO jack
who Is a Poor. weak Critter Ashorc-Warm
Hearts and Hands Are His on the DOCK

hl0OnR tne quaint HiNIllNdi
held In the odd corners Of New York must De
numbered that OF the sailormcn held periodic
ally aboard the Floating Bethel which, year
In and year out, swings in her moOrings of tho
foot of Jor lemon street amid the tall masts OF
many vessels and HARDLY the grim ware
houses that overhang the East River, Little
Is known To the average landsman OF either
the craft or It's work. but along the Eastern
coast the Bethel stands out like a kindly beacon
20 the wanderers Of the sea. and two or three
nights of the week its little deck rocks to the
tread Of as motley a crew "a we're ever signed
on" by shipping master or runner. On
these occasions one may soc eclipsed the weird
glory Of the Fast Side Salvation Army rany
and OF tho Bowery Mission. Then hard fact
and Romance meet barebreasted There -
naught puerile or inane. Bron2ei SONS oil inc
"Scyon Seas" OF all nattonalities and OF many
tongues, quantity garbed and quaint hammered
all are there to havea good time, and although
It n the first and last time on which they vii
ever congregate "a a body what matter? As
Kipling says OF his sailors:
In FultAh Fishers boarding house
They laugh while yet they may"
To the casual visitor the Bethel must appear
as odd as the Biblical ark. There is little ro-
mantle about II. In truth II is a reformed
Canaiboat, broad at stem as mt stern, mast
less and rudderleSs and wholly rooted over
In It's more youthful days II carried grain and
engaged in other worldly pursuits, now when
one passes down It's companionway one might
well suppose ono's self in a little country meeting
place or vIllago clubhouse. only the motion
Of the deck dispels the Illusion. At the farther
end Of the craft ia a dais extending from port
~ starboard. bearing an organ and reading
stand and table covered with hymn books
and overhung by a nag. u model ship
In a glass case. and a framed list
Of the ships officers. Back to tho
companionway extend row upon row Of long,
narrow, news-laden tables. Behind the COM
panionway arc many odd hooks and crannies
slowed With shoes and clothing, and round
about Is the library. Here also is a miniature
post Office for the use Of the men. plus pine
walls crossed by stout stAnchions and studded
with sundry texts and more pert inJunctions
a. to cleanliness: bultheads hiding a snug
cabin. q cool, deep locker and an old-fashloned
galley wherein tasty II not sumptuous repasts
are prepared by the ships company; high win
dows fashioned after the model Of a China
mans eye; open house. hearty welcome, and
above all everything spick and span as an
Admiral's cabin-and that's the Bethel
But to understand It's work one must go
down OF an evening after the roar OF the der
rick has subsidized on tho huge leviathaIs
dashed 20 pier and wharf and eight bells has
given It's welcome message 70 the tar Of tho
splice and the snil-patoh. Any man who Is a
deep-water sailor is welcome. No longshore-
man, fresh water sailors or the rhI-ran that
idle along the wharves are allowed to put foot
aboard. This Is one Of the inexorablo rules
laid down by Hiram l. MeekeT. captain of the
boat and The Good Samaritan Of the Docks"
| Itt IN the aai1or1p mn tho Datial "a nj pnCa what
church. club. library and home are TO the lands
man. II he is religiously inclined, here he
may take part in a broad. manly religious ser
vice, II he is destroys OF a smoke and chat here
he may produce his Pipe and tobacco-if he
lack these articles they are supplied TO him.
does he want to read. there Is a library Of l.eO0
volumes at hand, does he want 10 write. here
Is o card staring him in tho face, Sailors. write
home. A little time spent here viii be enjoyed
there. Pens. paper. envelopes. free"
One evening there was a watermelon
festival In progress. Gayly the little
craft was lighted up. Standing at the foot
Of the oompanionway. dressed In orthodox
frock coat. and with a broad smile on his genial
face. was Capt. Meeker, Everywhere was
good-humored hustle. Here and there fitted
the ofncers-well-known city men. lamps
swung from the stanchions, and an odor never
INV IL NlA' " ~ Nv 'HN NaAV
hidden galley. Mariners from bark and
steamboat came and trooped town the gang
way. As each entered he received a hearty
welcome from the captain, II was How are
ye, Captain; It Is a long time since we met"
and Come ahead. my bold boy, and make
yourself at home They were Of all creeds and
colors-fremen. trimmers. seamen, deck hands,
cabin boys, m~ates-about two hundred souls
In all For the nonce tho old faiths and the
new met In harmony under the Stars and Stripes
and the captains doctrine, Live a straight
life. boys. keep away from rum; be kind to
one another; act a manly part" The meeting
opened with a religious service, Singing
was the main part Of II Every man had ahymn
book and not a few had tunes Of their own.
But, that matters little. Sing mp, boys
shouts the captain from the quarter deck
The sailor enjoys singing with a subtle Joy.
The hmm swells in volume and rolls out over
the dark waters, The captain leads and tho
organ pipes. Young and old join. On tho
port side one may SEQ n grizzlod boatswain
singing like the north wind. on the =tarboard.
a doucs looking Dutch "iore-the-mast" sitting
cheek by iowl with n grimy Liverpool coal
hustler and singing with an earnestness and
vim known only to the Bethel. The decorum
and sincerity OF all ar whnt impress the stranger
most. Prayer follows the song. Then the
captain speaks to his boys. Ills address
Is a. matter Of fact rs thelog, pointed as a winter
blast and full " kindliness and sympathy.
The men look M al him with reverent faces.
Then there Is moro slnSinG-lots OF It. That
watermelon night the men sang nine
hymns one after the other and did not miss
a single verse. Toward the close, rough
voiced men ggt up and tell their comrades
of the benefits OF n good life. By-and-by the
books are laid aside, the table is spread for
light refreshmcnt, pipes are produced and
strange yarns spun. SO the night speeds on
until 10 o'clock when the employed sailors
take thor departure, each. II he wishes. with a
bundle Of old magazines under his arm; the
bedless are cared for somehow or other on board
until morning, when they clean ship for the
accommodates.
One paid man, formed the shlpmaster.
Is always aboard. The officers Of the boat
are business men, regularly appointed. TIE
captain himself when not on the craft ia hustlinc
for the "sinows o. war" with which 10 carry
on his pct campaign. In Is heart and soul
in the work. StIll hale and hearty, and in
variably dressed in frock coat and silk ha',
he might be taken for q Wall Street broker