The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-07-05
NAVAL SUPERSTITION
Some Strange Beliefs Entertained
by Seamen.
Over Certain ships Hang Hoodoos
That Cannot BE shaken on, No
Matter what Means Are
Tried.

The crews OF modern men-of-war,
principally mechanics, men trained in
the unromantic din of shops. men who
can work iron and steel TO the thou
sandth part of an inch, should be free
from the senseiess superstitiCns which
possessed the square-rigged Shesi-oaeks
who sailed with PrebIe and Paul Jones,
but they are not.
a certain gun, warped and twisted
during a boring process, requiring
double the usual amount Of work -
complete it, and costing man his JOB,
IS regarded with disfavor.
The gun is watched and its fai.ings
noted. Predictions are rife that it viii
vet be heard from TO its discredit. Its
crew, under the ban of the hoodoo, are
conspicuous in the blacklist gang; soma
of them being always up for punish
ment. They are the unfortHnates who
get licked" in alteration with despised
land.ubbers ssncre-and are iroued for
overstaying their leave on their return
Transfer the entire crew, and the hoo
doc leaves them. attaching itszif TO their
unfortunate SUCCESSORS
The man in charge of a certain don
key engine is warned to look out for il;
"it's hoodoced.'' lie inspects II
thoroughly; tries every nut and bolt;
it IS in perfect order.
Ten minutes later, while varying the
ship to her berth, the hoodoo breaks
down and she rams the pier-with the
admiral looking ON.
y crank pin cn the main engine re-
spends to the minutest tests for me-
| chanical truth and accuracy; out it IS \
with lubricant. il gets hot. causing >
shutdown-while the honorable secre-
tary Is on tour of inspection.
Ii was turned by 4 scab during a
strike.
These mishaps DO rot all occur on one
ship; 10 ship could Withstand such =
load; she could not keep crew.
There are instances of ships that are
pursued by relentless series of mis-
adventures from the laying Of their
keels. They become exceedingly IN
. popular. The ramning of tugs and
ferryboats, coI.iding with wharves, and
/ discover.ng-with their kee,s-not only
charted rocks. bat heretofore unknown
submarine distractions by these I'M
fortunates. can be attributed 10 no rea-
sonable cause Cur naval officers are
the equals of any afoat; they are not
to blame; beside, it is to the ship that
the hocdoo attaches. The batt.eship
Texas IS a case IN point A fine ship
wei manned and differed, her name Is
continually appearing in print assO-
c.ated with accidents so apparently
ridiculous that, were they Penetrable
some one should have been eashiered-
The torpedo boat Somers. recently
purchased abroad, viii hardly arrive
here, except as freight Is any man sc
skeptioal of superstition that he would
willingly serve IN her when she does ar
rive2
The level-hea6ed man, who has never
been cooped within the narrow cOnfne:
of a ship for months, who has not lair
awake night after night, vainly cud
Ceiling 4 brain crammed to bursting
with technical knowledge for remedy
for these things, viii sneer at the sill
superstition. and hint al rascaliy con
tractors and venal government officials
How about the Maine2
She was built by the government
The naval board were on their mettl
in competition with these same vii,
contractors. But this splendid ship. tn
pride of our navy. was-unlucky.
In August, 1896. she fouled her ancho
in Key West, and bent the plates o
her port keel Was that preventsbl
accident? Evidently not, or it woul
\ not have occurred.
The following February, while at tar
get practice. 4 one-pOund shell explod
? ed, injuring three of her crew; yet ther
r is no one thing which receives more al
tention on board man-of-war than tn
care of the ammunition.
Ii is not customary 70 explode shell
among the crew.
In July, 81, TO avoid ramning
crowded excursion boat, Capt. SiRsbe
ran her into an East river pier, cuttin
a barge loaded with railroad ears nsal
" in two.
She was known as an unlueky shil
and this very knowledge contributed I
the uneasiness Of her crew in Hav0n,
She was on delicate mission; an,
though another ship m 'ght have bee
= ali right. the unexpected was liable I
happen tosthe un,ucky Maine at any m,
INIT.
She capped the climax of her unluek
career by furnishing an object lesson |
the world of the facility with whic
these great steel fighting machines cs
be destroyed.-H. c. Hamblen, in Phil
deipkia Press.