New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-22
THE RITE OF IMMERSION.
Handed Do5Un from Early Times
Once Most Elaborate Ceremony.

According to a well known Baptist clergy
man of this city the majority of the persons
baptized by immersion are still immersed in the
primitive manner in pools and streams out Of
doors In the country even the churches
are not provided with baptisteries 1t is only in
the cities where open water is not easily reached
and the celebration of the ordinance would be
little too conspicuous for many persons, that
the Baptist churches are fitted with tanks placed
behind the pulpit and all the modern con-
veniences."
Immersion as a religious rite is practised IN
almost every cline. Even at the fiattened ends
Of the earth 1t probably would be performed if
there were any converts to the belief OF those
denominations which require immersion The
Esquimaus showing evidence OF contact With
water do sometimes get wet without i'll results
when fishing In their kayaks, and they doubtless
would not find it too great hardship to go In
ell over.
While Christian immersion Is practfsed chiefly
n the zone Of the pine, yet some OF the rec
ords foz immersion have been made in that OF
the palm. On hot day in July. 1873. the day
before the boys of the United States on this side
Of the world began blowing off their fingers IN
honor of the Declaration of Independence, 1T
persons stepped down into the shallow waters OF
the GUndlakamTna River India, ten miles above
Ongole and were dipped beneath its placid sur
face All told, in June and July Of that year,
STs1 chocolate skinned Indians were immersed
at that place.
More than a thousand Congo negroes giving
I'D their kIeptomania and other habits which
made them undesirable neighbors, were Inn.
rnersed in one season in pool In the shade on
a tropical underground The yellow sk1nnea
Chinarnan Of the little known central and west
ern parts Of the Celestial Kingdom, the natives
Of Assam Burnaah and Siam, watermen almost
nv nature the dark browed Negritos and tbs
natives of Panay and the musical tongued
natives of the Hawaiian Islands have all par
ticipated in the rite which is held to be SO es-
sentiaI By certain denominations OF the GIFTS
tan faith
Tho dry nrairies Of the West are not favorable
for the performance of this rite but way Is
usually found to get around the obstacle the
.+-v Sc told of q eroup of converts in a West
arm .r,oor7'' town who were not daunted by the
beenca of pools and streams The BaptlsI
Home Missionary Society has several passenger
cars fitted up as chapels. These are moved from
o,a churchIess town to another Tor the ho4uInS
o4 religious services At town where services
had been held on one Of these cars 1orIy or
e<4v nersons became converted and wanted 10
he Immersed There was no stream OF even
moo, of water In the neighborhood The men
DUO grave" eight feet long and filed from
the water tank of the railroad.
Even winter has no terrors for some "ouiu NC
E2sn+ists without a shadow Of turning they
,rir;,glv enter the water through the ice The
clergyman referred to said that he had never
heard Of an instance of any one suffering any LII
erec+s from such an experience Unlike some
however. he said he did not ascrfbe this fact 10
=. snec4al act of Providence 1T can be explained
from a scientific point Of view, ne declared:
-4T-bs candidates are IN exhfarated st%'e aiNA
I'm a condition to Withstand the SHOCK
No one knows when immersion as rehsD"
act was adopted Il Is said that the old Egyptian
priests and some early Hindoos pract1seo II ins
Jews used to baptize proselytsA