Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-12-06
chaplain Tells OF
TRIP ON TRANSPORT
Rev. w. Cosby Bell Describes
Services ID Dimly
Lighted Hold
WONDERFUL TENOR
LEADS IN SINGING

On interesting letter telling OF Incl
Gents on a transport through the. sub
marine zone has been received from
the Rev. W. Cosby Bell by Mrs Bell.
He was a professor in the theological
Seminary Of Virginia until he volun-
ieered as chaplain for a Virginia rcgi-
ment. He was assigned TO France in
October Chaplain Bell is well known
IN Wilmington. having preached IN this
city several times Mrs. Boil Is @ sis
ter Of the Rev W. H. Laird. W. w
Laird. Mrs. Caleb Stabler and phuip
Laird, Of this city. Ths letter a. Chap
lain Bell in part says
Il am having today a series Of ser
vices somewhat different from any that
ever had before. First there has been
the efleers -service--there arc probably
$50 Of them. on board ] held it In the
aft messroom. and mosi Of them were
there We are we'll inside the danger
zone. so all either wore or CARRIED life
preservers, overcoats. canteens and
blankets. We had prayers and My
Country. 'Tis Of Thee. etc. And none
Of us, ! think. ever rellzcd before the
full naming Of those prayers for our
country, for times of war, for the tleet
and armies. for the absent and so on.
The phrase From the violence Of the
enemy falls dead on Tire car when you
have motored down to a city church.
It blazes with meaning when any in
slant may bring the rendnS crash Of
torpedo against the vessel. Then
had service for one company and
found It impossible 20 have any more
during the day, as the men are fed IN
relays and the ship is stirring all day
long. so ] arranged to start operations I
about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, Just .
after dead lights / went down 10
Company d lrst and in the course of 1
the singing ! noticed one fellow back
IN the dark somewhere with one OF
the loveliest tenor voices J ever heard.
After the service called him forward,
and found that he was q chap named
Barbour from Sacramento, who had
been broupht up on deck earlier I'm the
voyage TO sing for the officers So
got permission for him 10 60 along with
me, and thereafter we worked together
We held 1--WE services IA an between
and s o'clock. This will stand for a
description Of any one OF them. for
hey were all alike;
4 would so down into compart- 4
ment and the officer ON duty would
blow his whistle calling The company
10 attention. That was the church
bell. Then the parson would take his
stand beside q dim green light placed
on an inverted water bucket. That
was the pulpit. The light Just en-
ables you TO see how 20 read II you
hold the hook close 20 g. and know
what you are reading pretty we'll. II
Is the only light In the compartment
and II seds dim and altoghether
chastity illumination for about eight
feet around. The compartment Itself
IS large room near or below the
water line, filled full with cots IN
three TO four tiers, fastened on iron
uprights. with a few square feet OF
clear space around the light 10 Is
pretty much the same effect az the
stock room Of q library, with COTS In
place Of shelves and men in place Of
rows Of books. The men, go OF them,
would crowd forward, forming q circle
around the light filling the spaces he
tween the cots, crawling UP onto the
nearest cots, fading out into The
black dark beyond
THE congregation being assembled,
The services would begin, the parson
wearing a life preseryer slung over
his shoulder instesd Of a surpllce.
After ! had made a minutes talk
about The queer circumstances Of the
service-to break the ice and make EN-
laugh once or twice. we would begin
with My Country, 'Tis OF Thee. Bar
bour leadins. Wen. you should have
heard them cut loose on America.
They al know ihe words by now, and
7 don't believe a man IN our company
failed TO singer yell. Then came a
ten OF flfteen-minute talk which broke
all the rules Of homiletics. BY this
time the strangeness Of the situation
would be having its effect, and the
men would listen with strained in
fentness-not a sound, not a move
ment-the shadows full Of eyes.
won't go into what ] said, Il would
sound commonplace. u was about the
Job that faces us, how, and what kind
n religion can help us. 10 put it
across. how 20 get help from God
when you are IN any kind Of a hole,
and so on. a plea FOR deconcy Of con-
duct az the end. Then Barbour, who
Is one Of natures own artists. would
sins By himself a simple, plain and
unutterahly sweet little song about
how, though Jesus has left the earth.
YOU can stil 80 10 Him in PRAYER
almost Ike a child's song-Stevenson
might have written If. And with that
would come smiling from all over the
compartment. After Barbour had IN
ished we would have prayers for our
country, FOR the armies and navies Of
ourselves and our allies, for ourselves
and our fleet, ana finally for the folks
at home. I'd say Boys, the folks at
home have prayed FOR us today. Let's
.xird up with a prayer FOR them. and
ynen / stop everybody say Amen.
And TIE Amen that came woulC
shake the cots. Then we'd all sing
Barbour leading. Jesus, Lover Of NJ
SOUL Then the benediciion, an'
.5ood-nieht, boys. and good luck.
Goodnight, Chaplain: goodnight an'
hank you. sir 'Good-night, sir, and d.
9 again from all over the com
,artment. Then up and down into the
next compartment, and do il again. il
The three hours ] spoke TO approx
mately one thousand and four hundred
men. 1 needn't have bothered about
whether I could find any work to do
there IS enough for half dozen men.
And 7 wouldn't trade my regiment for
INV in 4ne army %