Evening journal., 1898-05-09
..HooDooEDn sH1ps.
Good Luck Has In Many Instances
Attended Those Christened
with Water.

"Iam much gratifed," writes a Wash
ington woman, "that the official chris
tening of the Kentucky battleship was
with water, despite some opposition
lest the vessel in consequence should
be a "hoodoo"-a fear which has no
proper basis even in a seaman's super
stition, because the records of history
are directly againstit.
Edward T. Lincoln, late of the
United States navy and past captain
of the Naval Veteran association of IL
linois, has furnished the Union Signal
with the following facts;
"The Constitution, Old Ironsides,
the pet ship Of the navy in the war Of
1912 and thereafter celebrated in song
and story and known and loved by
every schoolboy, was christened with
water taken from a spring on Cops Hill,
where the battle of Bunker Hill was
fought, and a bottle of salt water
broken over her fgurehead as she left
the ways.
The United States ship Hartford
built in the Charlestown navy yard and
launched November %, 1855, was chris
tened by q fair sponsor, who broke
across it's fgurehead a bottle OF Con-
necticut river water, and by another
young lady, who broke bottle OF
spring water, and by the late Admiral
! Prcbl1, then lieutenant, who con-
cluded the ceremony with like guam
tity of ocean brine. No ship except the
Constitution has had anything like the
record of the Hartford. She left the
Charleston navy yard IN 1859, consigned
to the East India squadron. commanded
by Commodore c. X. Stribllng, and re-
turned to the United States December
TO- 1861. She was commissioned Janu-
AIRY 10, 1862, at Philadelphia, as the flag
ship Of Commodore David G.. Farragut,
of the West Gulf squadron.
"She was in tho battles, as is we'll
known, below New Orleans and was hit
over 140 times by shell from the con-
federate works. She also did noble
work at Galveston and Mobile bays.
1t was to her mast that Admiral Farra-
gut was lashed during most of the fight
at Mobile bay, that be might clearly
observe and direct the movements Of
his fleet. She now lies at Mare Island
navy yard, San Francisco, being put in
first-class order for future service. The
! Hartford has a record second to none
in the world as a lucky Ship. She never
had an accident or any i'll luck, and
every old sailor is proud of her and
gives unstinted praise for her services,
and yet she was christened with moth
ing stronger than salt water
In contrast with these two water
ships, lucky, renowned in history and
we'll beloved, the past captain gave the
following particulars as to nine ships:
"The President-A large gun ex-
Ploded and killed several visitors, gov
eminent officials, on the Potomac river.
The Mississippi-Lost on the river of
the same name In the civil war. The
HuroR-Lost off Cape Hatteras, over
100 lives lost. The Ornado-Run into
by an English vessel in Bombay har.
Dor; over 100 officers and men lost
! The New ronsides-Destroyed by
torpedo in Charleston harbor, with
large loss of life. The Tecumseh-Lost
in Mobile bay, with everyone on board
J The Nipsic, the Nandalia and Trenton
Lost in q hurricane near the Samoan
islands, Pacific ocean. The Texas ran
| aground, was sunk, had many mishaps
and is known as the hoodoo of the navy
The Maine, the pride ofthe navy blown
up in the harbor of Havana and nearly
300 men lost."-Washington Star.