Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1893-07-02
NAMING VESSELS
A British Pinp for porpotuatina
tho Fnmo OF Herooa
Simplicity OF hss System In Vogue In the
Cnited state. SAvy-hbout tho
Custom, Of Other
SatlcnR.

----
"NShy do foreign nations give such
odd and oftcntimes fnuciful names TO
their warships?" Is q question that has
often teen asked since the visiting
feet arrived In New York. Tho sys.
tom OF nomenclature In the unitcd
States navy Is very simple. The great
battle ships nra naned after states,
md the frst-class cruisers after. largs
citica The latter arc represented by
the philadelphia, the Chicago, tho
Newark, tho Atlanta, the baltimore
and the San Francisco. Tho guuboat3
urS christcned after smaller towns
where celebrated battles havo tcca
fought. The bennington und the Con-
cori nrc instances Of tho naming OF
this class of vessels y popular idea
about the naming of the British ships
Is that Englishmen select names for
their war vessels ms they do for their
inns At first glance the MaSicicnne,
the Tartar aEa other YES els bearing
cvcn moro fanciful ain secm to
have rs rluch rraSon for their titles -
do the Crown, the Magp:e, the Arti-
choke, the Queen, and; other quantity
named inns Of old England The idea,
however. Is erroneous, According 10 she
New Ior!; Times The United States
method Of naming vessels Is modelled
after that of L British navy. The
name OF each vessel is an index to It's
class, capacity, number Of guns, ctc.
The English, however. have diviicd
their ships Into D number of classes
ana divisions, which makes their sys.
tenn 1T first n little confusing. Then
ngnia. for some special rason,
they admit to q peculiarly naIaSL
class n vessel with another
title. The hattie ships representing y
tonnage Of fourteen Gaoasaal ore
either called after ~soycreisns or an
given names having some some special
attribute Of the nation, rrcfisri BY the
word Royal" The Royal Sovereign
and Empress OF India are two OF Eng
lands great battle ships The Flake.
the flag ship Of the English feet in
this country. belongs ~ the admiral
class and Is named after one of Eng
lands greatest naval heroes The al.
miral ships arr iirt-claSs cruisers q
inorcd ships, the British call them.
Blake was the pride OF England dur
ing the days OF the commonwealth.
Charles l. had been lcsally-accordir;
to the Interpretation Of the times
murdered, and his sons, the dui;c o;
York and the priacc, aitSrw20l 10 -
Charles H., had taken refuge with
their French cousins, To prevent ~.
king coming over the water" rs tie
Oil Lacobitc saying ran, Blalic IN;
from highlands shore the ~rova!Isi c.,
and defeated it in . great battle in -
waters Of the TG-us. In 1859 E!aii.
gained = victory over Van Tram. after
n running fight Of ihrSc days along tbs
the = Of Holland. His last great
exploit was the capture o! Santa Cruz.
until then considered By the Span.aris
rs their imprcgnahlc fortress \ To
mGrkablc fact connected with Tlakc's
CAREER wss tina. Lc G:a not become q
sailor until he was fifty years OF age.
As long rs iASrs is I British navy. 80
long Will there b n ship named after
him. II the national gallery in Lon
q there hangs q picture ~rcp-cScniinS
an old war ship ba;.le-scarrcd
a2d t:mc-worn, being towSa to
hcr last anchorage 10y \ tug. Therc Is
socicthic. very pathctic in this PIC.
turc, and il is one OF the Nos; popular
in the cniirc collection. The English
'-AsS = AVA NaClE VIZ GAbIAC sEllEN al
most the same affection G., ;hcy
hnvs for the heroes who commanded
them. They sR 20 them living crca-
turrS, and long after they hare been
aiJGaautlcd and broken up thci- c.aes
are retained in the memory Ct = crate
iEl country. The British rayy has
certain ella SOS in which ;hcss raIzcs
gre Invariably given 10 new skip
The names are facciiul. bat they orig.
mated in an age OF poetry. The
fTcnchriaa. the Jean iiaTt, Is named
C;te- ae Nelson of France. o1e o! her
earliest and g~nratcst naval captains
the > &; n fisherman. The FCaSh
system OF nomenclature Is based Cd
the design Of the ship and tha: of tire
service fo= hich il Is intended. The
Dutch ship Van SPcyk is named after
thc Dutch admiral who, after may
visscricS found h;nssl: pursued b. Tic
enemy ard blew rp his ship, wish
cvcrycae On Il, rather than &c coz.
qucred. Italy enSSlrls The o.
Giovanni EausSn in the handsome
Cruiser wASh "a no sirargJr 20 New
Norss- Italy. Russia ard the Neither.
lands have followed the English sys-
ten in naming their cruisers Of = coz
tain class after their s6uirals- Spain
uarncs Efssr royalty, Brazil after y:ur-
iaecS and the ATcntiEs Ecpahlic cei-
eera:cs the 2th Of Jnly. 1855, her natal
day, in her 6Ss. Steel cruiser.