The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-04-03

watch, or 1l.30 q. m. Inc Custom
q their inalienabie right-nelther
king nor parliament can stop 1t.
Then along came Vice Admiral
Vernon in i740. His nickname was
Old crog. derived from = cloak he
wore which WAS made Of a coarse
material called Erogram. II was
be Who first watercd the sailors
rum, and hence the drink was
called grog.
Ths practice Of drinking rum
the s.sailnr's drinks no haphaz-
ard affair among seafarers-
Great, strict, elaborate and
very ~ are the traditions sur
rsun1ing TIE custom Of serving
rum aboard ship.
II ID 10 be understood that rum
Has never been issued to officers
Of either the American or British
uavies.
CroR In the American navy was
relatively short-lived. On Sept. l.
1862, by act Of congress. grog was
abolished.
Coffee served In both men-o'-war
and merchant vessels when the
watch first turns-to, incidentally.
n . direct result Of the rum stop
page; issued ~ . ''peace-offering
20 the men from the brass hats
Procedure
However. the custom Is still
remembered albeit obscurely.
Here's how 1t works yet IN the
English ships of war:
Every petty officer and seaman.
over 20 years old and actually at
tached TO . ship tno shore duty
counted) daily " given grog or
s'thrupence" in cash.
Prior to 1855. and the British
capture Of Jamaica, scamen were
given . gallon Of beer every day.
The famed island rum soon won
it, plaza, however.
ny mixing onc-elghth pint Of
rrlm with three cighths Of .
pint Of water - the resultant
half-pint h grog.
At IL .. m daily up Spirits" II
piped- Then starts the time-honor-
I'd ceremony.
A warrant officer tno commits
sioncd officers In on this at any
time. mind you). a supply chief
petty officer, sergeant Of ma
rines. the petty officer on duty and
the Captain OF the Hold so TO the
rum lazarette and unlock 1t.
The Captain of the Hold is usu-
ally q marine and actually draws
the rum from the cssk.
They proceed TO the main deck
and remove the grog barrico-a
hardwood tub bound In polished
brass with brass letters proclaim
ing THE King. God Bless Him
from its pedestal.
Chief petty officers and petty
officers are given their rum neat:
the rest II then mixed with water
IN the harrico. A seaman from
each mess presents his fanny" or
mess kettle. and Is given the issue
for his messmates. No monkey
business. meanwhile.
Men entitled to grog but not
present are reported by the Cor
poral Of the Gangway. and the
grog il saved for them.
Grog can be taken from a sea-
man as punishment. but not fo~
more than 30 days. Those who
take cash instead get only four
chances q year to make the deci-
sion: II you're on the cash list. YOU
can't buy greg.
It's ali very solemn and person.
ifies the keeping OF seafaring ira
dition in the best style.
seA-Going Slang
And now FOR .isplicmg the main
brace THE msin-brace is sail
ing vessel gear and isn't ever
xpliced. actually
The term appears 10 have two
inter-mixed meanings; or rather
Il can be applied 70 two kinds Of
circumstance.
In England. again. the order to
-splice the main-brsce- is virtu-
ally reserved for royalty TO CON-
mand. The American tradition
was and ID = more colorful and
common.
ITS the master Of . ship
who orders splice In the
nnaia-braoe BE made. The deed