The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-02
SOME ODD CUSTOMS
IN ROYAL NAVY
From Fork in the Beam Junior
Middies Flee
FINES OF INCHES OF SOAP
Ships Kept Clean With the Help of the
Scran Bag-Fun Among the
Officers-Quarterdec
Sacred Place.
FINES OF INCHES OF SOAP

From the Grand Magazine.
| In the British navy, to say that thing
is custom of the service is to say thai
| it must be done that way and no other
that the senior officer shall always enter
boat last and leave it first; but the ex-
preston ON a certain captains face might
have led one to believe that one of the
laws of the Modes and Persians had beer
broken when, on taking the newly Joined
chaplain ashore with him on one occasion
he said, Now then, padre, jump in ant
the reverend gentleman politely replied
after you, sir.
This custom is one of the Oldest in the
service. 1t doubtless dates from before
the days of Drake, if not, indeed, from
those of Noah himself, probably the last
to enter the Ark after all his juniors and
proteges had been safely embarked.
The gunroom mess consists of the sub
ficers of equivalent rank and all midship-
men and cadets. Midshipmen are divided
into two lots, Senior and Junior The
former are over eighteen years of age and
are allowed many privileges, such as
smoking and so on, denied TO the uniors.
As a specimen of the customs which
remind the juniors that they are still in
bondage, the one known as Fork in
the Beam" is worth notice. 1t may be
sprung upon it's victims at any time dur
ing or after dinner.
When the president of the mess sticks
4.f.1
head it is a signal for all juniors to
clear out of the mess as fast as legs, arms
or anything else can carry them. The
last out receives several good whacks
with dirk scabbard on the most conven-
lent part of his body as he disappears
through the door. The scramble that re-
suits would disturb the equilibrium of
most older and more sedate diners than
those usually found in a gunroom.
The Useful Scran Bag.
One of the most important and best
known institutions in the service is the
scran bag. 1t is well known that the
allowance of paint and materials for keep
ing ship clean, as laid down by the
British admiralty, is quite Inadequate for
that purpose. My lords are much more
generous nowadays than they used to be,
but the first lieutenant or commander has
still to put his hand in his pocket if he
wishes his ship to look really smart.
The small supply of these necessities
which the admiralty provides for clean
ing brasswork, etc. is augmented from
the takings of the scran bag. A ship
must be spick and span and tidy as any
housewife could wish to see her home.
Nothing must be out of place, and moth
ing must be left lying about; but sailors
lie md
consequently, leave articles of clothing
and personal property in places where
they ought not to. This is an offense
for which they are liable to disciplinary
punishment; but brilliant, though I'M
known officer many years ago devised
a scheme by which all the articles thus
found are promptly seized by the ships
police and placed in the seran bag.
There they remain until the next Thurs
dN " afternoon, which is the time set aside
for men to make and mend clothes. The
bag is then opened by the master alarms.
and the owners may redeem their lost
property by paying fine of an inch of
yellow soap for each article.
The price of this soap is a penny an
inch, and the fine is usually paid in cash.
not in kind Should a man have some
thing confscated without which he can
hol lildHdSt " get Oil III TIE iltAl Ilui
| day he can redeem it at once by paying
double. Not even officers are exemp!
from these penalties.
Some Quaint Rules.
Several quaint rules are enforced in the
officers messes the origins of which are
| lost in the oblivion of antiquity Fol
instance, one rule lays down that no Off
Ger may place his feet on the table unless
| ha hac ca 1a1 q
Cape of Good Hope and the Horn. Any
one not eligible found in this elegant at
| titude is fined drinks around by all The
| members who happen to be in the mess
| The same penalty Is enforced if an of
| fcer happens to unsheath his sword il
| the mess. 1t is very difficult to see why
| this should be regarded as an offence
unless that in olden days. when times
| were harder and men rougher, swords
were sometimes drawn in earnest amons
officers.
| One sometimes hears one officer remarl
| to another: II say, So-and-so, your sworC
| looked pretty rusty at divisions" There
upon, perhaps, the unsuspecting victim
draws the maligned weaponpto prove III
| cleanliness. only to be greeted with a shou
| for drinks.
| Most men at some time in their lif
/ have known the unpleasantness conse
/ quent on discovering that they were walk
T ing about without a necktie. 1t somehow
seems to be an article of apparel that Il
most easily overlooked when dressing il
a hurry. In the navy if one officer meet
i another going into the mess without
tie he may claim the usual drink; SHOULD
the offender get into the mess wthou
previously discovering his mistake TIL
penalty may be exacted by all present
If any one mentions a lady's name o.
makes a bet at dinner before the King
health has been drunk he is liable to b,
called on by the president to pay for
| round of port at dessert.
| When an admiral or captain comes OF
board ship he is piped over the side
| that Is to say, as the boat comes along
| side a boatswain's mate t$ves forth
shrill crescendo pipe and repeats 1t a.
| the officer steps on to the quarter deck
every one present salutlng at the same
time. The origin of this is to be found
In the privilege which az. officers of g
certain rank enjoyed many years ago Of
being hoisted on board in a chair slunl
from the main yard of the old three
deckers. The sacredness of the quarter
deck is we'll known to all; no person in
his matesty's navy goes on to it without
saluting-be he the humblest boy OF an
admiral of the fleet.
The Ruling Passion.