Devotion on the Deck of the USS Yorktown
A group of Christian Endeavorers received special permission from the ship's captain to hold a religious service aboard a U.S. Navy vessel in Seattle Harbor.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Ten of the Christian Endeavorers of the city went aboard the man-of-war Yorktown yesterday morning and held a prayer meeting, which was well attended by the crew. William H. Lewis and M. H. Ropkey on Saturday afternoon obtained permission to hold a meeting from Capt. Valger, who is a personal friend of Mr. Lewis. The captain sent a boat over to the Madison street landing at 10:30 yesterday morning to carry over the endeavorers, who were well received by all on board at 11:45. Their flag denoting that a religious service was being held was hoisted, and remained out till the meeting was over. The meeting lasted forty-five minutes, and was conducted the same as the regular Christian Endeavor meetings, which consist of singing, prayer and speaking. The singing was joined in heartily by the crew.
“Their flag denoting that a religious service was being held was hoisted, and remained out till the meeting was over.”
The presence of US Navy vessels in Elliott Bay was a frequent occurrence in the 1890s, cementing Seattle's role as a naval hub. The interaction between local religious groups and maritime crews highlights the social fabric of the city's early waterfront.
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