The National tribune., 1907-10-03
NAMES FOR BATT1ESHIPS
frontipuad from, nape oneN

But the first battleship, Maine, was de-
Stroyed in Havana Harbor, and new
Maine of 12.300 tons displacement was
voted in the naval act of 1898.
The Indiana and Massachusetts,. au-
thoriZed in 1880, and the Iowa, author
ized the following year, are now said
by ambitious Navy officers to- be good
for little else than the junk pile. Dur
ing the Cleveland Administration States
that had voted the Democratic ticket
were given recognition in battleship
naming, including Kenucky and Ala
bama. BY special provision of law one
of the ships authorized in 1895 was
named the Kearsarge. because Of the
| splendid record that the old frigate of
| that name, which went down finally on
Roncador Reef, might be perpetuated.
Once the Monitors Were Fav0rites.
| For awhile there was something of a
rivalry among the States for naming
monitors, which at one time were ex-
pected to be great factors in the naval
warfare of the future. Several of thes3
monitors. now classed by the Bureau
of Navigation as third-rate vessels, were
built, but only four of them were named
after States. These were the Arkansas,
the Florida the Nevada and the Wyo-
ming. All four were authorized in 1898.
which year Congress provided that
hereafter all first-class battleships and
1
shall be named for the States, and shall
not be named for any city, place or
person until the names of the States
shall have been exhausted"
The following year Congress began
to authorize "armored cruisers" which
under the rating of the Navy Department
are the same as battleships. The Cali
fornia, the Pennsylvania and the West
| Virginia were started in 1899 as the
| first of the big armCred cruisers on the
same law with the battleships Georgia.
Nebraska and Virginia.
| The names of other States that have
been applied since to armored cruisers
| are: Colorado. North Carolina. Mary
land, Montana, South Dakota, Tennes-
see and Washington. The most power
| ful of these are the Montana, Tennes-
see and Washington. each of which has
a displacement of IA 500 tons. The New
York, authorized by Congress in 1888,
was rated as an armored cruiser. altho
much smaller and less formidable than
days.
While the President and the Navy
Department would be empowered. un-
der the present law, to name battle
ships after next year for any citN.
place or person." it is almost certain
that Congress will interpose with some
further legislation on the subject The
ships have already been pre-empted.
The first cruisers of the new Navy were
named after cities, and every munich
pality of first rank in the land is now
represented.
Congress will be very chary about
naming battleships after persons Some
of the Presidents might be so hon
ored. The names of the Terri
tories, including Arizona. New Mex
leo, Alaska and Hawaii, might be
used. as might the names of certain
lakes, rivers and mountains. A lively
controversy and probably much public
comment is expected at the Department
before the policy of nomenclature is
finally disposed of.
The first law about the naming of
battleships was passed in 1858. 1t per-
mitted the use of the names of States
in that connection, but very few ships,
named for States, were in the Navy 90
years ago. An old-time warship now
at the New York Navy Yard and rated
as ''unserviceable for war purposes" is
called the Granite State" 1t was for
merly the New Hampshire. The name
was changed two or three years ago,
that one of the 16,000-ton battleships,
authorized in 1904, might be given the
name of that New England State. The
l6.00O-ton battleship Michigan, author
lied in 1905, was named in a similar
HidtiHtF All Olu snip VI the IOuTtu rat
ing, now known as the Wolverine, was
formerly the Michigan.
Cities Named These.
There are no gunboats, protected
cruisers or torpedo-boat destroyers or
submarines named after States. They
have generally been named after cities,
with the exception of the torpedo boats
and destroyers, some of which have
been named for naval heroes The sub
marines have been given such sugges-
tive names as Adder" Pike" Moe
casin," SHARK" and "Plunger."
Eliminating the four monitors named
for States, the protected cruiser New
York and the 10 armored cruisers. and
.he coast-defense ship Texas, which is
a second-class battleship, there are 28
battleships, now built or building, that
bear the names of States of the Union.
Some of the armored cruisers are not
completed, those under construction be-
ing the California, North Carolina, Mon-
tana and South Dakota.
The Vermont, Minnesota, Kansas and
| Nebraska are the latest of the power
full battleships TO be put into commits
| sion. The Michigan. South Carolina,
New Hampshire. Idaho, Mississippi,
! Delaware and North Dakota will be
| following them at intervals in the next
two or three years. These are now
| the foremost names In the world OF
United States battleships. They are the
ships that will be bearing the bruat
of any naval battles this country may
have to fight five or 10 years from
now, and would be found at the head
| of the line.
The leaders in the battleship fleet.
now preparing to go to the Pacific, are
| the Connecticut and the Louisiana,
ships of 16,000-ton displacement and Is
knots speed, but the Vermont, Kansas
and Minnesota are virtually sister ships,
and may bear away the palm as far as
the fleet is concerned. BY the time
the great fleet returns to Atlantic ports.
and perhaps before. these leaders will
be almost battleships of the second
class, for the Delaware and the North
/ Dakota will be much more powerful
| fighting machines.
| Editor National Tribune: Will you
give me the history of the 18th u. s.,
7 a,,I f.JSi I., ~ ", Ta,,,