The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-21
NAMES OF TORPEDO BOATS.
Heroic Deeds and Men Recalled by Som,
of Them.

~ SCssc
Of Them.
What's in a name?" Well. it all de-
ponds. In a rose it may not be a
matter of much importance. but in a
warship, for example. the inspiring eff
feet of a name enriched by heroic as
sociations adds a generous percentage
to the efficiency Of her crew. The
American navy is coming to have
many of these inspiring m Take,
for instance, the boats of the torpedo
fleet. They are likely to afford the
greatest opportunities for the display
of heroism and personal daring, and
they present a galaxy or names re-
vered by every Jackie in the navy.
Could a torpedo boat have a more
appropriate name than the Gushing,
which commentaries the gallant union
lieutenant who destroyed the ironclad
Albemarle at the risk of almost GER
tain death. and whose work was the
forerunner of hat which his steel
namesake is expected to do? On board
the little craft the name of Gushing is
held up as a constant source of emula-
ton to the members of the crew. and
a better motto than is furnished by
the brave deed of that gallant sailor
it would be impossible for them to find.
The Porter bears u name that fills
the American tar with pride and re-
calls the only sea fight hat eve o
place between the United States and
Spain. 1t was in 1906 that Commodore
David Porter. then only 26 years old.
fought IL Spanish gunboats with the
single ship Enterprise and gave them
more than they wanted. The engage
ment tool place lust on Gibraltar. and
although the Enterprise made no cap
lures her plucky commander emerged
from the unequal contest with a whole
skin and an uninjured ship, a remark
able record under the circumstances.
The Foote is named for the brave
and pious old admiral who first taught
the celestials that there was a nation
on this side of the world that knew
how to fight. 1t was in 1856. when the
English and Chinese were at war, that
the Chinese forts fired on Foote'S
ships. which were there to protect
American interests.
The doughty commander demanded
an instant apology. When ii was not
forthcoming he n his men and
led them against the -four forts. Their
seven-foot walls of granite were pro-
tected by many guns and contained
5000 Chinese soldiers, but Foote cap
tured them with 400 Americans and
lost but 40 men. against the enemy's
loss of 400.
The Dupont is named for the naval
ltdutT Oh the MEXICAN war n tne
Winslow for the commander of the fa-
nous old Kearsarge. The Rodgers
commentaries one of the naval heroes
of 1872. The Ericsson bears a name
which revolutionized naval warfare
when its owner built the Monitor and
sent her against the much feared Mer-
rimac in Hampton Roads. Our newest
torpedo boat. the one which was re-
Gently bought in England and Which
=. A. ~
of the Atlantic, is called the Somers.
The name of Commander Richard
Somers is not so familiar as that of
Cushing, yet IL Is connected with an
action as glorious in its courage and
more unfortunate in its outcome than
nat which made Lieutenant Gushing
famous.
In the year 1904, when the United
States was fighting the Barbary pi-
rates. Somers manned a nre-ship load
ed with gunpowder and combustibles
and sailed her into the harbor of "Trip
oil at night to destroy the enemy's
ships. Before he started or his peril
u mission he salt to his little crew
of volunteers:
Let no mar go with me who does
not prefer death to surrender" Not a
mar of the crew drew back.
The ship and it's men fioated silently
away IN the ana tnelr COM
rades waited long ana anxiously for
some sign to tell of their fate. At last
the enemy's batteries on shore began
to fire, and a pickering light was seen
in the direction which the fire ship had
taken. In al instant 1t blazed up into
a flash that lighted the whole harbor.
and there was an explosion which
rocked the American ship a mile away.
Then the darkness settled down again.
In the morning one Of the enemy's
ships had disappeared, and two others
We're disabled. but Somers and his bold
companions were never seen again. 1t
is believed that Somers blew up the
magazine of his ship with his own
hand and persisted in order to accom-
plish his object.
The battleships of the American
navy are named from different states
of the union. except the Kearsarge,
which continues a name made famous
i'm the civil war by the be-
tween the old Kearsarge and the Ala
bama. The cruisers are named from
various cities. and the monitors bear
Indian or other historic names more
or less striking in sound and signif-
canoe.
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