The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-06-25
NAVAL NOMENCLATURE.

naval "
The question which is now disturbing the
mind Of Secretary Tracy is as TO what method
it would be expedient 10 follow in the nomen-
clature of the new navy. There are a number
of vessels of different classes in the process OF
construction in the various ship yards Of the
United States, in Philadelphia, Baltimore and
other seaboard cities for instance, which VIII
soon be sufficiently advanced 10 require that
names shall be given to them. Secretary
Tracy will act wisely if he shall defer this i'm
portant matter until he can obtain the sense
of Congress on It. This, 1t is reported on good
authority, he is thinking of doing,
Naming tho vessels in the national service
is an undertaking of more importance than
appears on its face. Uniformity IN nOmen-
clature is most desirable. As soon as the
name of a Government vessel is mentioned 1t
should be known to what class It belongs. and
this can only be secured by restricting certain
classes Of names to certain classes of vessels.
Formerly a system of this character prevailed
in our navy. and care should be taken that
the sam system shall be restored.
Under the old system the largest vessels,
that is, the line-of-battle ships which
carried from seventy-four TO eighty-four
guns. were given the names Of the States
the Ohio, the Vermont, the Connecticut. the
Georgia. the Pennsylvania. for instance. The
class Of vessels that anne next 10 the first III
number of guns. in tonnage and general
dimensions. popularity known as frigates, de
rived their names from the rivers of the United
S~tates-the Missouri, the Merrimsc. the Cum
berland. the Brandywine. the Susquehanna,
for instance.
The third class, which was referred 10
in general terms as sloops-of-war, took
their names from the cities Of the
Union, such as the Yorktown, the Sara
toga, the Princeton and the Hartford.
Vessels which could not be classed under any
one Of these three heads because they were Of
a miscellaneous or nondescript character and
smaller in size were named without regard TO
any special rule adopted as applicable to them
alone.
When steam was introduced into the navy
as the principal means of propulsion, the dis
tinct classes of ships which had existed so
long. fell into confusion. The lines of differ
ence were in large measure. obliterated, or sufi-
GENTLY so at least 20 render it hard to
designate by special classes of names. This
was particularly the case during the progress
of the war, when every variety of craft that
could carry a gun on deck or turret, was
brought into action by the naval authorities
Of the North.
At the present time the method which has
been strictly followed in our Government ma
val architecture once more renders it easy TO
adopt a system of classification which will ad-
NIT of the re~introduction of a systematic
nomenclature. We have now line-of-battle
ships. armored cruisers, dynamite cruisers
| and dispatch boats. According to the original
custom our line-of-battle ships have been
given the names of tho States. The armored
cruisers are enamel after our large cities. butt
third and fourth classes have not as yet been
named according to any distinct rule. This
will, however, in good time be changed, and
a general nomenclature will be adopted that
will indicate the grades and classes of all our
shiDs.