The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-05
NAMES OF NAVAL VESSELS.
Regarded as Unlucky to Take Those
 of uenomous Things.

From the New York Tribune.
 Man-o' -warsmen have a strange preju- dice. not to say antipathy, against nam ing vessels after reptiles and stingIng things. and the absence of such names in the nomenclature of vessels of the Amer ican navy suggests that the superstition among sailormen has had attention. There are only three vessels of the American navy bearing the names of yenomous things-the Adder, the Moccasn and the Scorpion The first and second of these almost became total wrecks by stranding near the South Currituck Life Saving Station in November last, but the Adder got off almost at onco. and the Moccasin was fioated only few. days ago. Follow ing so soon after tn loss of the Cobra and the Viper. torpedo boats of the En- glish navy, It has strengthened the belief among sailors that vessels so named are sure to be unluclky Some have attempted to show that the Moccasin bears an In dian name. but the majority insist that she was named after the poisonous snake which Is to be found in the southern part of the United States. and that such name is suitable to the character of tor pedo vessel The Adder is also torpedo boat, but the Scorpion is one of the yachts purchased in the time of the Spanish war and converted into gunboat
 If one should be so bold as to charac- terize the superstitious sailor as silly. he would at once declare that there is suffi- cient reason for his belief, and would pro- ceed to prove that war vessels named after stinging and venomous things have been unlucky and that the country should not be SO indifferent to the men who fol- low "a life on the ocean wave" as to or ganize a mosquito fleet That Snake is regarded as an unfortunate name for a vessel is shown by the fact that two of that name have been lost, one In 17S1 and the other in 1s47; but no vessel bearing that name is known to exist now. Ser pent, which Is only substitute name for snake, is an unlucky one also, for the one wrecked in 1892 was the fourth British war vessel of that name to meet the same fate. Viper has been an unlucky name in the British navy. The first one was wrecked in 17s0, but the admiralty would not swerve, and so it kept the name on the list, each vessel meeting its doom, and the fourth was lost only recently. The French navy has also been unlucky with vessels so named. The Viper used in the British service after she became a prize from the French, was lost in 1793. The second was lost a year later the third in 1797. and the fourth was recently lost In collision off Guernsey.
 The Cobra, another British war vessel, was lost recently, at the same time as the Viper. Among other vessels similarly named which met fates other than in battle are the Rattlesnake. 17S1; the Ali gator, in 17S2; the Crocodile, in 1874; the Adder, in 1846. three Lizards. two Dragons and one Baslisk. All of these were of the British navy The list could be made larger by citing the records of other na- vies. The Norsemen, who were so fond of naming their vessels against the laws of superstition. and using hdeous heads of dragons and reptiles on their high prows, were less unfortunate. and these did not meet with frequent disasters They did have belief, however that 1t was unlucky and a sacrlege to select such a name as did Lord Dunraven for his first yacht to challenge for the Amer ica's cup the Valkyre And this belief was strengthened when she was sunk by the Satanita. The second challenger, with the same name. gave trouble, and she was cut to pieces only after a short ex- istence.
 In the matter of selecting names for navy ships Lieutenant Bainbridge- Hoff has made some suggestions in favor of re- verting to the old names and perpetuating them. after the manner of some foreign countries. Under the present law provid- ing that ships of the first rate shall be named after states, five names only re- main to be used-Delaware, North Caro- lima. North Dakota. South Carolina and Utah. It Is suggested that the names of the old frigates be used for the larger ships and instead of naming the cruisers and smaller craft after cities the names of victors In sea fights be used: also old honored names. such as President, Con- gress. Washington. etc, which arouse inspiring memories. Then there are the names of vessels captured or destroyed
 in battle, which make up a long list From the British alone the captures in equal combat were. by surrender, five frigates' twenty-nine soops and brigs and twenty-three small craft in addition to the privateers-British, French and Neapolitan. Of all of these the names of only five are now on the navy list the De- troit, the Jason, the Frolic, the Boxer and the Alert.