The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-03
How Uncle Sans Naval
Vessels are Named.
Battleships for the States,
Cruisers for Cities.
Steel Mantels In Favor-RGection
OF Cabinet Nominations.

According 60 reports from Newport the
officers of the navy stationed there are
somewhat disturbed by the announcement
that torpedo boat No. is to be named
the Farragut in honor of the great naval
commander These officers appear 20 think
il out Of place 10 give 20 such small boats
the names Of distinguished naval officers
and their notion seems TO Dc that their
memory should Ne perpetuated by nam
ing the big battle ships after them. 1t
seems rather odd that such contention
should be advanced by officers in the
navy for they know or ought 20 know
that the nomenclature of Uncle Sans
ships is fixed by law and that the naming
of torpedo boat No. G, Parragut, is simply
in line with the provisions Of that law.
This law of nomenclature is very simple
and briefly stated provides that battle
ships, of which there sre two CLASSES, shall
be named after the states of the Union;
cruisers and gunboats after cities and
torpedo boats after naval heroes. IL is
clear therefore that the officers at New
port who are reported to be SO much dis
turhcd over the naming of the latest
addition to the torpedo feet have failed
to take the law on the subject into con
sidcration.
This law has been in force since the he
ginning or what is generally called the
new navy and where 10 has been followed
except in few instances. The reasons
for these exceptional cases are very clear.
10 no. of GfilaftA ne Nm in
stance That torpedo boat is not named
nfter naval hero as were the later ones,
The Stiletto it will be remembered was
the first of the torpedo fleet. Moreover she |
was not built under government con
tract, but rs sort Of fast sailing steamer |
yacht for the Messrs Herreshoff. When
she was completed and had shown her un-
precedcnted speed by outstripping the
crack steamers on the Hudson and
actually sailing around them naval
officials became interested in her with the
result that she was purchased by the gov
ernmcnt and since then her name has re-
manned unchanged OF the larger type OF
ships the only one that has not been named
in accordance with the law already re-
ferrcd to is the kearsarge and that vessel
was given her name by a special act of
Congress in order TO perpetuate that of
The original which rendered such signal |
service in the old navy A few years ago
when an effort was made to have one of
the new naval vessels named Rhode Island |
there were some persons who urged that
ais state being small one should be
content with the naming of one of the
smaller boats i'm her honor, but under the
'aw of nomenclature now i'm force and
likely to remain any of Uncle Sans yes
sels named after this commonwealth will ]
be a battleship.
Metal ceilings have become very COM
mon during the past decade and now =
there are metal mantels on the market
which are greatly favored by builders of
dwelling houses. In these, all the surface )
below the Slab is composed of 2O-guage
wrought steel. pressed into the desired r
shape or style by heavy machinery, the c
outside surface being enameled to imi- a
tate any kind Of wood or marble, the
nature OF this cnamcling being such that Q
the material will withstand all changes
of temperature without injury. OF the
advantages pertaining TO such mantcls, i'm
addition to their economy, prominence
Is given TO that of diminished weight. as !,
with the slate or marble man
tel, which they take the place of, one of !,
the latter weighing, say, some 400 pounds. :,
while one of steel weighs only 100, this a
also including seventy pounds for the =
slate slab which is supplied with the :
metal maptelpiece. Such mantols hold =.
their shape II the house settles, as there :,
are no joints To part; they are flreproof, =
md act as a radiator of the heat instead .,
of absorbing it. y
There will in all probability be no rejec- :,
llon by the senate Of the nominations of y
Cabinet officers by President McKinlcv.
such a thing has occurred. although the
Instances are somewhat rare The first