Evening star., 1898-06-03
NAMING THE MONTERREY.
story of the Way In Which the MOni-
tor Was Christened.
From the Chicago Chronicle.

fi"iu Tue thlcaso thlohlcle
The story of the naming of the big coast
defense monitor Monterey, that is on guard
how at San francisco. has never been told
IN print. When preparations for her launch
Ing were being made at San Francisco Irv-
Ing NJ. Scott. general manager of the Union
iron works. was at Washington and a num-
ber OF CalifoTnians wired him 10 use his in
guence with Benjamin F. Tracy. then Sec
retary Of the Navy to have the ship named
for some California town. and Scott hit up
Pm Monterey as a name that appealed TO
him appropriate and the request was ac-
cordiug preferred.
III see what l can do" said the amiable
Secretary. and. ringing bell, he summon
ed the head OF the department 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 bat
tie Of Monterey
This rule has been changed since, but Mr.
Scott. seeing the corner ne was in as the
matter stood. retorted promptly:
Yes. il is true that there mas never been
q battle at Monterey. but let me tell you
story In lSi6, when we were having our
little unpleasantHesS with Mexico an Amer
lean mdu-of-war was lying in the harbor of
Mazatldn. Near him lay an Englishman
who had an uncomfortable way Of keeping
her guns pointed in the direction of the
American Now. that Yankee skipper. who
way typical of his class. got ii into his mead
TO raise his flag at Monterey. CAL which
was the capita! of that territory, and ii so
happened that the Engiishman got the
CIIne notion just about the same time The
Yankee suspected something of the kind
ana made up his mind not TO be outwitted
Late that afternoon he sent a lot of his
men ashore and when the boats returned TO
the sEip without them the Britisher made
up his mind that they would not be back
uutH the following day. Satisfied with his
conclusion, he sat down 10 wait. But the
Yankee was a hustler. as Yankee sailors
always are The night was as dark as a
stack Of black cats, and along about 10
o'clock the American boats. with muffIed
oars. rowed the crew back to the ship and
In tn inky darkness that Yankee skipper
slipped his cables and warped his ship out
Of The harbOr without the fact even being
suspected by the E.nglishnan When day
broke ne was fifty miles up the coast. scud-
ding along before a ten-knot breeze
The other ssllow saw he had been out
generated. out he made an effort to rectify
his blunder. He had a smart crew and a
fast ship There was no reason. he figured
why he might not Overtake his rival and
beat him TO Monterey. He tried IL and came
very nearly making a success of 1t. He
Faiied into Monterey harbor just two hours
behind the American and dropped his an
thOr in time TO see the stars and stripes
rise to the head of the flagstaff in the plaza
and fiutter to the breeze. Monterey and
California were ours"
Don't say another word Scott" said
Secretary Tracy. That ship shall be the
. Monterey"
And Monterey she Is.