The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-19

silver service presented by the people
of Florida to the namesake of your
great commonwealth.
She is battleship that we are proud
of and this appropriate token in recog-
milton of your appreciation of the
honor conferred is highly chara cteris-
tic of the patriotic people of this state.
1t is eminently fitting that this most
powerful dreadnaught afloat should be
named as she is, for when the Panama
canal is completed the fighting base
for the operations of our fleet will be
shifted to the waters of the Caribbean
Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and the
Peninsula State Of Florida will be the
nearest unit of all the states to that
base.
I will not now dwell upon the elabo-
rate techniealities or efficient qualifi-
cations of this complete product of the
shipbuilders' art, but suffice to say
that whatever duty she may be called
upon to perform either in peace or
war she will under the guiding in
fiuences of her trained officers and
men be capable of giving a good ac-
count of herself to not only you people
of Florida, but to the entire people of
these United States.
Historical Significance.
do not know if the early historical
events that took place upon this mag
nificent bay and its environments were
taken into consideration when Pen
sacola was selected for this beautiful
and imposing ceremony. 1t is never
theless the most appropriate selection
that could have been made, as it was
here that the celebrated sea rover
Hidalgo Narvaez built at place now
known as st. Marks, five small vessels
of pine which he caulked with pal
metto fibre and pitch and made the
sails from their tattered wearing ap-
parel. These small boats, crudely
built-as they were, they were never
theless the first effort at naval con-
struction within the present limits of
these United States.
In these five small boats Narvaez,
in the fall of 1928, sailed into and dis
covered Pensacola Bay, q discovery
that preceded by nearly one hundred
years the entrance of Henry Hudson
into that magnificent river which to-
day bears his name. Now if that old
sailor were permitted to return from
the realms beyond and witness the two
great leViathans now at anchor in Pen
sacola harbor, he would be able to see
the most typical illustration of prac-
teal advancement in the shipbuilding
industry.
Twelve years after this important
discovery Maldanado, in command OF
the Spanish feet. brought Fernando
de Soto to Pensacola Bay, and from
here as his base that distinguished
pioneer forced his way through the
forests of Georgia, Alabama and Mis-
sissippi to find a watery grave at the
| bottom of that mighty river.
| Pensacola First Settlement in United
States.
The glowing account of these two
voyages induced the viceroy of Mexico
and the bishop of Cuba to petition
| Charles V of Spain for permission to
| fit out an expedition and they dis
patched Don Tristram de Luna in COM
| mand of a fleet with some two thou
sand followers and supplies of al
| kinds. De Luna entered this bay and
| in August, 1859. he established a set
| Element on the bluff of what, is nov
known as Barrancas. To this settle
ment de Luna gave the name of Pen
| sacola, after a small fortified town OF
| that name on the south coast of Spain
| and it antedates the settlement at ST
Augustine by a period of four years
1 Hence this ceremony today Is being
| held in the oldest town in the United
| States.
| There are other important events
that took place about this historical
locality during the period when the