Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-05-17
Doom AWAITING
FAMOUS VESSEL
Old Wooden Frigate EVA.
bash" To Be Reduced
to Junk

Boston navy yard In service "a q ~
oeiving ship for a long time. In TO be
broken up and that which 10 metal
about her vill BE- sold for junk, while
the woodwork will be burned on one
OF the islands in Boston harbor. Ths
Wabash rss been at the Boston navy
yard or more properly speaking, the
Charlestown navy yard. for thirty
seven yen &
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 bombardments OF Hat.
teras Inlet. Port Royal and Fort Fish
er. but OF encounters like that In
which tho old Constitution engaged In
the war OF 1912 the Wabash had none.
When II Ia learned that man-of.
war Is 20 be put out OF commission
and sold or broken up. and there
comes no protest from the people. II
can b. pretty well understood that
little OF sentiment attaches to the YES
sel and that her career vas not one
Of pulse stirring interest n II we're
suggested that the Oregon sbc'-'h ia
given up or that the Olympia
Was Devey's ship in the Man =
tight. we're 20 be sold for juna. o. q
probable that there would be AN IN.
STAN demand from the country that
they he saved
Ohio Mas S,suneh Vessel.
The Wabash. nov abou, TO be brok.
On up. ~as preceded ~ the Charles
town navy gard as a receiving ship BY
he Ohio wooden full rugged chip
without steam auxiliary Every man
on board he old Ohio vas a sailor or
fas' on The eay 10 become one She
was o slow ship not even as fast
~ DE old Constitution. bur she was
soldl} built with oak and ir her day
Vas considered most formidable The
Ohio had a part IN tho Mexican war
End vas on % the ships which coy.
cred the landing Of the United States
troOps on the coast ~ Mexico when
Scott started on his campaign for
tse Mexican capital On one occasion
the Ohio came IN close range Of the
land batteries and 10 show how inef.
fet'iye some OF the old Mexican guns
were the Ohio. while 1t was struck
twice AZ distance OF only q few hun
dred yards. the shots being received
directly and not glancingly. suffered
no material damage.
Another wooden ship which t.ok
part In the Mexican war vas the y (.
Somers. named for a naval officer who
distinguished himself OF the coast Of
Tripoli In the war against the pirates
Of that region II is probable that 70
the Somers had served her time and
II had been suggested that she be
broken up no one would have protest.
ed. Cor the ship we considered IN.
lucky.
The Somers went down In storm
III iiif fHWAA VI MfhliO anu WI N.If
on board vas lost; |, was on the
Somers that there was an attempt AZ
mutlny when the ship was OF the ~
rican coast some years prior 20 the
Mexican war young MILDLY on
board had attempted TO stir up the
crew and 20 induce the members 70
seize the ship and 10 start either on
pirate cruise or on search f0f
treasure. The mHdy and two OF hts
comrades were hanged AZ sea Tn.
young oficer who thus met his fate
was a son ~ the then secretary 81
war. From that time on the Somers
was considered an unlucky ship and
old sailors did not like to embark or
her When she disappeared in the
hurricane and II was known that she
was lost the old sailors said. Il told
you so"
Superstition In the Navy.
Officers OF the navy sometimes re
sent the in;imation OF the landsmeu
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 battieship Texas. now on, Of
commission. The Texas was always
regarded a. a sort OF hoodoo ship
for no other reason than that she had
several minor accidents
Not long ago the government bull q
full rugged ship with steam auxiliary
power for the use OF the midshipmer
at the naval academy. Even in tres,
days OF steam the middies have q
learn oldfashloned seamanship be
cause OF the fine training and th,
confidence which going aloft give,
them So !, Is that the training shiJ
for use at the academy has the ole
square yards OF the ancient man Of
war.
This ship gas named the Chesa
peake. and suddenly there was pro'es
from most Of the naval officers OF m,
country and from many OF the old ADJ.
seamen Who were not officers Tn.
old frigaie Chesapeake was the onll
vessel OF any size which met defeat a
the hands OF the British In the war O
1914. and 90 Il vas that the navy ob
jected TO giving the name Of a De
feated vessel 10 the training ship a