The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-02-12
Naming of Vessel, of the New Navy.

Naming OF vessels OIL the new Navy
The recent Gillian controversy has
aroused popular interest in regard to the
strength Of our new navy. The naming
Of our naval ships is also a matter OF
public interest. We give the following
taken from the Scientific American:
"The present law requires ships Of the
first rate to be named after states aud
those Of the second rate after cities, but
there Is a existing confusion both as to
rating and naming that congress, sooner
or later, no doubt, will modify. We now
have state sponsors for the three big
battle ships of 10000 tons each, the Indi-
ana, Massachusetts and Oregon; for the
armOred cruiser Of 6,64S tous building at
Brooklyn we have Maine; for the battle
ship OF $500 tons building at Norfolk we
have Texas; for the armored cruiser Of
$3.50 tons we have New York. 10 these
1t Is believed will he added California, 10
the name Of the $500 ton protected
cruiser now known as No. 6, under con-
struction at the Union Iron Works, San
Francisco. 1t is thought that the name
Pennsylvania NAV be given to the triple
screw cruiser, No. -, OF 7,40O tons, now
building at Philadelphia. She IS already
nicknamed Pirate, but the statutes do
now allow her to carry that as her per-
manent appellatiOn, and with her rating
she must have the name of some state.
Her sister ship, No. Is, would, of course,
follow the same rule, or otherwise she
might be styled the Corsair. The new
rules are expected to make all vessels
ditplaCing 5000 tons or more first rates.
On this point the senate and the house
agreed In the last congress; aud, further
more, they agreed that al! between 5000
and 5000 tons should be second rates.
They differed on the method Of naming,
and the modification Of the statute as a
whole was postponed. But It is clear
why the $500 ton cruiser will take the
name Of state, and why, on the other
hand, the Chicago OF 1 900 tons, the Bal
tlmore Of 400 tons, and the Monterey
Of 4,OS4 tons have received the names OF
cities. We have now nine new vessels,
ranging from $500 tons to 10000 tons,
named or hereafter to be named after
states, representing all parts of the
union.
Sin the next class or rate we have al
ready named after cities the Atlanta and
the Boston Of 5000 tons each, the Raj
eigh and the Cincinnati of 1888 tons
each, the Charleston of $3.50 tons, the
Newark and San Francisco of 5,0S3 tons
each, the Philadelphia of 1924 tons, the
Baltimore of 4,4OO tons, aud the Chicago
of $500 tons. 70 these we now find
added the Detroit and probably the
Mobile Of 1900 tons each, while the
third 2,G00 ton cruiser building at Bos-
ton will also have the name of city.
"Ihe theory Of the new rating, not yet
authorized by law, makes third rates in
clude everything between 5000 and 1000
tons. To such vessels of the new navy
could be applied, as In the case of the
three l,703 ton gunboQts, Yorktown,
Bennington and Concord, the names Of
battles In our history. Examples of yes
sells In the old navy carrying the names
Of cities are the Lancaster, $3.50 tons;
the Pensacola, 5000; and the Hartford,
2,9O9. The Omaha, 2,40O, will probably
see no more active service.
"Turning to the smaller vessels Of the
navy, the existing rules Ia regard to the
presidents discretion have produced
names no two Of which are Of the same
character, but all appropriate. Thus we
have the Dolphin and the Petrol, excel
lent names for the $500 and sS5 ton gun
boats, eGyh Of which is the only one Of
Its type. We have the Vesuvius, a good
name for pneumatic guncOttOn weasel,
although hitherto it has not been Yes
uviuS In eruption. The torpedo boat
Cushing has been very APPLY named from
the gallant destroyer of the Albermarle,
while doubtless torpedo boat No. 2, now