The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-12-31
NEPTUNE To VISIT FLEET

&
Day-Morc Than One-Iialf OF the
Aen in the Fleet VIII Cross the
Equator for tie First Time, on
Which Occasion They VIII, Accord
Ing to Ancient Custom. Get n Shave
by Neptune's Barber
fUrt-oI-opaln. trinidad. December
s6.-Loaded Ito the gunwales with
the roast turkey and other d~elicacies
served TO them at the great Christmas
feast on board the American fleet,
now In the harbor here, the tars OF
Uncle Sans navy are today seeking
by means of violent exercise. TO pre-
vent a consequent attack OF indiges-
ton. All of the Jacks on shore leave
are taking part in sports of various
sorts provided for them by the people
of Port-of-Spain. and several exciting
games of football, baseball, cricket and
polo are in progress. Coal is being
loaded from the collie, into the bunk
ers Of the sixteen battleshipS and the
auxiliary vessels, preparatory to the
start for Rio Janerio. This run will
be 3.100 miles in length. the longest
of the voyage. Leaving here Satur-
day, the fleet is expected to reach Rio
Janerio on January 18th. Shore-leave
will be granted to the men, about 5000
at a time. While the officials Of the
Brazilian government and the city
fathers and influential citizens of
beautiful Rio" are preparing a slo-
rions reception for the feet, it Is
known that the officers entertain fears
that the b~luejackets may, in their en-
thusiasm to be entertained. create
disturbances.
On the trip from this port to Rio
one of the most interesting events Of
the cr"ise will take place and the
older and more seasoned sailors are
already laying their plans for the
high jinkE. From time immemOrial
it has been the custom to initiate
sailors who have never crossed the
line, Or the equator, and more than
half Of the men or the fleet are due
to receive a not Very gentle haZing
when the line is reached on the trip
southwark TO Rio. Father Neptune
to the number of Is, will board each
battleship and AXE command, and
then the greenhorns will get what is
handing officers will be exempt from
the haZing programme, but they will
have to step lively when Neptune
gives the word. Those officers who
have not crossed the line will be al
lowed to compromise by setting Up
haar fn tho aY~Nuy6 " nnu nfSnnr
should refuse to pay, he may be dl-
lowed to be initiated, while the other
officers, who are content not to inter
fere with the customs of the sea, will
obligingly be deaf and blind. Alto
gether, about 10000 men are to be
lathered and shaved by Father Nep-
tune, who uses a barrel hoop razor
for the job.
All of the old timers who have
crossed the line one or more times.
have their certificates of initiation IN
to the mysteries of Father Neptune
AS for the rest nothing can assist
them. Every ship has on board a
full assortment of paraphernalia for
Neptune and Miss Amphitrite and the
pages and courtiers and all the rest
of Neptune's court
When the happy day"-a happy
one for the old timers-arrives, Pa
Their Neptune will come over the bow
Of each ship and take command. The
officers will turn it over to Neptune,
will name a captain and put a
quartermaster at the wheel. Miss
Amphitrite and the rest of the corrt
will assist Neptune in the ceremonies
which will follow. The neophytes are
caught and examined by the doctors
and are then dragged, naked, shiv- |
ering and trembling, before Neptune's |
barber. The lather used is a mixture |
Of oil and grease and paint. and the
is a barrel hoop. After the |
shaving process is completed, the VIC
will be tossed into big tanks to
wash. AS the water in the tank will
be six feet deep, the initiates will !
have to swim out. Charlotte Chronicle.