The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-05-20
WABASH IS DOOMED.
Old Wooden Frigate at Boston
Navy Yard Condemned.
RECEIVING SHIP FOR YEARS
Her Predecessor, the Ohio, Helped %.
feat the neutrality-suspicious.
Of Navy Men Revealed In
Naming of New Vessel.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

~ ~
Naming Of New Vessel.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-The old wooden frig
ate Wabash, which has been at the
Boston navy yard in service as re-
oeiving ship for a long time. Is to bs
broken up and that which 10 metal
about her will. be sold for Junk, while
the woodwork will be burned on one
OF the islands in Boston harbor. The
Wabash has been at the Boston navy
yard or, more properly speaking, tho
Charlestown navy yard, for thirty.
seven years. ~~~ ..-.S
There are not many stirring asso-
citations connected with the Wabash.
She saw service during the Civil war,
but was In no wing and wing" sea
fights during that conflict. } She was
present at the commandments of Hat
teras Inlet, Port Royal and Fort Fish.
er, but of encounters like that in
which the old Constitution engaged in
the war of 1872 the Wabash had none.
When it is learned that manor.
war is to be put out Of commission
and sold or broken up, and there
comes no protest from the people, It
can be pretty well understood that
little of sentiment attaches to the yes
sci and that her career was not one
OF pulse-stirring interest. II it were
suggested that the Oregon should be
given up or. that the Olympia, which
was Dewey's ship in the Manila bay
fight. We're to be sold for junk, it il
probable that there would be an in.
slant demand from the country that
they be saved.
Ohio Was Staunch Vessel.
The Wabash, now about to be brok.
en- up, was preceded at the Charles
town navy yard as a receiving ship by
the Ohio, a wooden full rugged ship
without steam auxiliary. Every man
on board the old Ohio was sailor or
fast on the way to become one. She
was slow ship, not even as fast
as the old Constitution, but she was
solidly built with oak and in her day
was considered most formidable. The
Ohio had part in the Mexican war
and was one of the ships which cov-
cred the landing of the United States
troops on the coast Of Mexico when
Scott started on his campaign for
the Mexican capital. On one occasion
the Ohio came in close range Of the
land batteries and to show how inef.
fective some of the old Mexican guns
were the Ohio, while it was struck
twice at distance Of only few hun.
dred yards, the shots being received
directly and not glancingly, suffered
no material damage. -"
Another wooden ship which took
part in the Mexican war was the brig
Somers, named for naval officer who
distinguished himself of the coast of
Tripon in the war against the pirates
of that region. 1t is probable that II
the Somers had served her time and
it had been suggested that she be
broken up no one would have protest.
ed, for the ship was considered I'M.
lucky. =.
The Somers went down in a storm
in the Gulf of Mexico and everyone
on board was lost. It was on tho
Somers that there was an attempt at
mutiny when the ship was of the A.
rican coast some years prior to the
Mexican war. A young MILDLY on
board had attempted to stir up the
crew and to induce the members to
seize the ship and to start either on
a pirate cruise or on search for
treasure. The MILDLY and two of his
comrades were hanged at sea. The
young officer who thus met his fate
was son Of the then secretary Of
war. From that time on the 6omers
was considered an unlucky ship and
old sailors did not like to embark on
her. When she disappeared in the
hurricane and it was known that she
was lost the old sailors said, 81 told
you So" III
Superstition In the Navy.
Officers of the navy sometimes re-
sent the intimation Of the landsmep
that they are more superstitious than
men in other callings, but there are
things which show that sailors are su.
perstitious. Take the case of the sec
ond-class battleship Texas, now out Of
commission. The Texas was always
regarded as sort Of a hoodoo ship,
for no other reason than that she had
several minor accidents.
Not long ago the government built q
full-rigged ship with steam auxiliary
power for the use of the midshipmen
Ut the naval academy. Even in these
days Of steam the middies have to
learn old-fashioned seamanship be-
cause Of the fine training and the
confidence which going aloft gives
them. So 1t is that the training ship
for use at the academy has the old
square yards Of the ancient man-of-
war.
This ship was named the Chesa-
peake, and suddenly there was protest
from most Of the naval officers of the
country and from many Of the old able
seamen who were not officers. The
old fripatn Oh oSo nooLn woo <ho o~1r