The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-07-01
NAMING OF THE MONTERREY.
Story of the Manner In Which the Moni-
tor Received Its Christening.

Cor hecetVed Its Christening.
Tho story of the naming of the big
coast defense monitor Monterey has
never been told in print. When prepa-
rations for her launching were being
made at San Francisco, Irving M. Scott,
general manager of the Union Iron
works, was at Washington, and num-
Der of Californians wired him to use his
influence with Benjamin F. Tracy, then
secretary of the navy, to have the ship
named for some California town, and
Scott hit upon Monterey as a name that
appealed to him as appropriate, and the
request was accordingly preferred.
I'm see what l can do, said the
am1able secretary, and, ringing a bell,
he summoned the head of the depart
ment having the matter in charge
When the matter was explained, the
chief of bureau replied
But you know, Mr.. Secretary, the
rules require that ships of that class
shall be named in honor of some naval
battle in which the Americans have
participated. So far as l know there has
never been battle of Monterey"
This rule has been changed since, but
Mr.. Scott, seeing the corner he was in
as the matter stood, retorted promptly:
eyes, it is true that there has never
been battle at Monterey, but let me
tell you a story. In 1916, when we were
having our little unpleasantness with
Mexico, an American man-of- war was
lying i'll the harbor of Mazatlan. Near
him lay an Englishman, who had an
uncomfortable way of keeping her guns
pointed in the direction of the Amer
lean. Now, that Yankee skipper, who
was typical Of his class, got it into his
head to raise his fig at Monterey, Cal,
which was the capital of that territory,
and it so happened that the Englishman
got the same notion about the same
time. The Yankee suspected something
of the kind and made up his mind not
to be outwitted.
Late that afternoon he sent lot of
his men ashore and when the boats re-
turned without them the Britisher made
up his mind that they would not be back
until the following day. Satisfied with
LIS COuClISlUly u6 SdU uOWu W WulU
But the Yankee was a hustler, as Yam
kee sailors always are. The night was
as dark as a stock of black cats and
along about 10 o'clock the American
boats with muf1ed oars rowed the crew
back to the ship and in the inky dark
ness that Yankee skipper slipped his
cables and warped his ship out of har-
Dor without the fact even being suspect
ed by the Englishman. When day broke,
he was so miles up the coast, scudding
along before ten knot breeze.
1.-THE other fellow saw he had been
outgeneraled, but he made an effort to
rectify his blunder. He had a smart crew
and fast ship. There was no reason,
he figured, why he might not overtake
his rival and beat him to Monterey. He
tried it and came very nearly making
success of it. He sailed into Monterey
harbor just two hours behind the Amer
lean and dropped his anchor in time to
.seo7She stars and stripes rise to the head
of the flagstaff in the plaza and flutter
to the breeze. Monterey and California
were ours. y
Don't say another word, Scott,
said Secretary Tracy "That ship shall
be the Monterey. Chicago Chronicle.