Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-12
FESTIVITIES ON THE WARSHIPS
recollection of the Festival ON
Uncle SANS Big Battle
Fleet.

ION Christmas morning" said Admiral
Evans CFighting Bob, 81 thank Goo that
He made three times as, much water as
land.
'Every old seadog will poin me in this.
The sea is his home; he loves 1t as the
farmer loves his broad acres. Apart from
Il he is restless and dissatisfied, but with
a voyage ahead of him he is as happy az
a clam at high tide. No true sailor would
exchange Christmas at sea for one on
shore. It would be like Thanksgiving
dinner without the turkey.
o all the Christmases spent at sea
the one that rises before me most wildly
is that Of 1865, when the federal army
and the gunboat fleet were trying to cap
ture Fort Fisher. The only presents we
received. and they came fast and furious.
were solid shot and shell from the guns
OF the enemy. But this didn't destroy our
sense of humor. The boys would write
on each solid shot or shell before placing
it in the gun presented by and add the
name of the vessel from which II hap
pened to he fired, Mighty few hurled at
the fort that day lacked this Christmas
greeting. All the gunners caught the
spirit of the grim jest, for the fighting
line Is no place for serious faces.
Despite the excitement Of the fierce
combat we managed to have the mast
heads of all the ships trimmed with
Christmas green's, even though the sailors
had to risk their lives in going ashore to
get them, and you may be assured the
sentiment of the day was not wasted.
Last year Santa Claus followed our
fleet of sixteen vessels. He anticipated
our 10. OO0-mile voyage and furnished us
in advance with the pick of his best. on
board the supply vessels when we sailed
from Hampton Roads were thousands OF
packages containing every imaglhaple
Christmas gift, from a whisky flask to a
smoking Jacket. each package labeled
Don't open until Christmas
'Along with these gifts he sent t"o"-
sands Of yards OF bunting to decorate lno
mastheads Of the battleships. IL "outI
be difficult to imagine a more peau',iu'
sight than these ships lined up CHRIST
mas morning with the sailors pIeaA'nb
out the Christmas trimmings WIN as
r,,cb zast as the small boy displays when
ho TIGHTS the candles on his Christmas
tree.
ms nnckages. This is always a gala oc-
cosion. Not a mar on board would dare
,opora the Instructions any more than
ne would think Of disobeying his superior
officer. II has become custom through
wears Of faithful observance. Always a
bottle Of wine is broken in christening
these tokens from the loved ones at home.
IF ! hadn't been a lieutenant myself
| wouldn't dare give away official secrets.
Last year we practically had two
Christmases. We received our first mail
at Trinidad. West Indies, some time
Christmas week, and delayed Christmas
mail reached US at Callao, when tho ves-
sells were approaching their own country
on the western side.
mo nation provides more plentifully for
the Christmas cheer OF it's sailors than
does Uncle Sam. Each Of the battleship
crews has a dinner Of roast turkey, plum
pudding. pumpkin pie and all the trim
mings which so with IL. The men are
served ia messes Of twenty at ~ o'clock.
and each man rs allowed one snifter Of
grog as an appetizer, In celebration of
the occasion.
1.-THE Officers dine at 6 o'clock. and. as
is the custom when spending the holiday
at sea, are guests OF the commanding
officer"