Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-10
WARSHIPS OF SAME NAME.
American Navy Has Had Five Bostons
and Four Philadelphia.

"The recent i'll luck of the new battle
ship Maine and the 'hoodoo' that is sup
posed to envelop the Texas recalled to
my mind the objections that have to be
overcome sometimes in the selection of
a name for new man-o war" said a
well-known naval officer recently to a
reporter of the Washington Star. Super
sttion is the reigning cause of all the
trouble we have in this regard. This
superstition is not confined to the sailors,
but is shown by reputable citizens all over
the country. Why, only the other day
| ran across a lone petition dated July
l, 1889, signed by some of the most prom
inent citizens of the Pacific coast,
NJ. Scott of the Union iron works, who
recently died in San Francisco. protest
ing against the name of cruiser No. 8.
then in process of construction at the
Union iron works, which it had been de-
| termined to christen San Francisco.
The petition recounted disasters that
had befalen vessels in the merchant ser
vice which had borne the name of San
Francisco. and stated that these calarni-
ties were too numerous and regular to be
merely condolences, and as q matter of
fact mere humanity to the men who
would be required to man the vessel and
as n matter of duty to the citizens of the
United States who had paid for the con-
struction of the vessel, cruiser No. )
should he given some other name or
'hellish disaster would result No atten-
ton was, of course. paid to the protest,
and as yet the San Francisco has not
been visited with great disaster.
Other names among the Warships of
the United States navy reproduce those
of vessels that have met disaster. The
first Philadelphia, the namesake of the
armored cruiser now on the naval list.
was sunk in battle with the British on
Lake Champlain, and the second was
yrprl<pI off 'rrpO1j and her officers nd
crew were taken prisoners, while she was
recaptured by Decatur only to be burned.
The other two Philadelphias ended their
careers more quietly.
There have been several Baltimores in
the navy. one of which, after capturing
an English brig during the War of 1872.
WIS herself captured by the enemy. The
others have no hard luck record against
them There have been several named
VeSuviuS. the name of the dynamite
throwing terror now on the naval list. The
first was a bomb vessel and lost her guns
the first year of her purchase, while yet
another, also bomb vessel, had better
fortune. The first Yorktown was wrecked
on the Cape de Verde Islands. although
eventually recovered, while two priva-
teerS of the same name. after doing n
good deal of damage to British commerce,
were themselves captured.
"Sixty years ago the navy had Con-
cord, when was 1851 on .ne east cuas. ii
Africa. There have been many Doiphins
in the service, taking privateers and the
regular navy. Several of them We're cap
tured. but many more OF them were
Bostons i'll the regular navy. one of
which was sunk in battle, while a sec
ond was captured by the British at the
surrender of Charleston, and a third was
burned at Washington in 1914, 50 that she
might not fall into the hands of the
British when they entered the city. The
fourth Boston was wrecked and lost in
the West Indies. Then there is the Kear-
sarge, named after the famous ship
wrecked on the Roncador reef.
THE Navy Department might not at
tach to vessel the name of the Inflated
Huron when a thousand others were
equally available, but it could not afford
to examine the records of thousands of
merchant vessels. in this. and other COIN
tries, in order TO be sure that name it
might select had never at any time been
associated with disaster"