The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-06
HOW VESSELS ARE NAMED.
Some OF tho Curious Titles Selected by
American Craft Owners


American Craft Owners.
People who are called upon to name ves-
sells sometimes have strange ideas as to
the fitness OF things, and the list of mer-
chant vessels sailing or floating or being
pushed of dragged along under the Amer
lean flag shows how affection, gratitude,
political preference, imagination and hui
NOR are all used to furnish names for sail
ing craft. System is adhered to only by
regularly established lines, and by only
few OF them. even the big steamers of the
American line, the New York and Paris,
having been named before they hoisted the
stars and stripes and "City Off being
dropped when that interesting ceremony
TOOK place. The largest list of strictly
American vessels where a system is follow
ed is in the case of the Southern Pacific
tleet, running between this city and New
Orleans, the names of the steamers all be-
ginning with the Spanish "El, while the
Ocean Steamship company, running to
Savannah, called upon cities and rivers
ct Georgia for names for its vessels.
While the comparatively small number
OF steamers flying the American flag pre-
cludes any great latitude in nomenclature,
the sailing fleet makes up for the deficien-
cy, with room to spare, and with that
part OF the nations commercial marine
the name finder had good time, Judging
by the results of his efforts A Texas man,
apparently doubling whether he was or
not, asks the question by naming his lit
tie five ton schooner Am 1, while some one
in Noank, Conn, drew on the Peauod
tongue and named his little two master
Aquopimoquk. A man in Westerly, r. l.,
had a pain and recorded it by calling his
sloop Backache, while Chief Justice c. p.
DAILY is the name of sloop hailing from
Sag Harbor. Norfolk county, Va, recalls
other days i'll New York by calling sloop
the Helen Josephine Mansfield, but who
F1iomina Ciccaluga, who has q schooner
named after her. may be is probably
known only to the man who wrecked a
pretty Italian name when he christened a
Cow Bay IN. Y. schooner the Gully Elma
Chincoteague, Va, has a man who is
probably an agnostic, rs his lack of knowl
edge is blaZoned on his schooners stern,
which bears the name and information,
Don't Know. Port Huron, Mich, has n
name which it is we'll to recall when n
collar button is lost. 1t is on mn 8 ton
schooner called the Go Look George w
Childs has so tons of shipping named aft
er him, George B. Mcclellan was good
enough for four vessels aggrcEating less
than $50 tons, the Little John rrott floats
around Crisfeld, Md, the Oval Agitator
halls from Chicago, while the Mississippi
river Mt New Orleans floats Il lighter call
ed the Puddicinctlda Citrolu.
Wcllfcct, Mass, rcjoices in n sloop
which is known as the O They Know Me,
and the other end OF TIE country has, at
Port Townsend, Wash. Il man who had II
narrow escape and celebrated it by nam
ing his sloop He Never Touched Me How
near Deer Isle, Me, and Norfolk Joined
hands is shown by the Maine boat Nawi-
gawaw and the Nirginian Nassawadtlux
Names where Mary, either alone or in
combination with other words, appears
are borne by more than 500 United States
sailing craft.
The mutinecrs of the Bounty are recall
ed by the name Pitcairn, borne by YES
sci built, so the record says, ut Benicia,
Cal, but now mailing from Detroit. What
Proof Glass is is probably known to the
New Workers who own Il sloop of that
name. One of Cooper's works is recalled by
the Baltimore schooner Wishtunwish, and
Michigan man struck combination OF
Petroleum V. Nasty and Josh Billings
when he called his two master the Y 10
U S.-New York Tribune.