Evening star., 1933-09-04
M0FFETT HONORED
IN NEW SHIP LIST
Destroyer Will Bear Name of
Admiral Who Lost Life
on Akron.

Names Of high renown in the his
tory of the American Navy will live
anew in the recently ordered destroyers
to be constructed under the public
works program. Only one officer from
the Navy of today was singled out for
distinction in the naming Of the new
ships-the Washingtonian, Rear Ad-
miral William A. Moffett, late chief of
the Bureau of Aeronautics, who lost his
life last April 4 in the disaster of the
dirigible U. S. S. Akron off the New
Jersey coast.
The service, for the most part. chose
Revolutionary, Mexican and Civil War
heroes for the names that will adorn
the low sterns Of the new destroyers
and carry their memories to far-distant
ports of the globe. In keeping with Gus
tom, the Navy picked names of cities
for the new gunboats and cruisers and
chose the names of great fish Of the
deep for its new submarines.
Cruisers Are Named.
For the names of its new heavy cruis-
er and four light cruisers. Secretary of
the Navy Claude A. Swanson and his
asciates decided on Vincennes. for the
historic Indiana city of that name
made famous for the battle fought
there against the British in 1779. to
embellish the lone heavy cruiser. Sa-
vannah for the Georgia city, rich in
romance and history-the third vessel
OF this name. Nashville, for the Ten
nesse city, likewise the third vessel so
named by the Navy. Brooklyn for the
New York busy hive of humanity, and
again the third warship to bear this
name. Philadelphia. for the City of
Brotherly Love. recalling the first Of
this name, which served on Lake
Champlain with Gen. Benedict Arnold.
and this is the fifth time the name of
the Keystone States metropolis has
been painted on Yankee warship.
Two new aircraft carriers are in the
lot-the Yorktown and the Enterprise.
The first is for the historic battle
ground, not so far from the National
Capital, that witnessed the decisive bat
tie OF the Revolutionary War, and this
is the third vessel so named. The En-
terprlse is popular name in American
maritime annals, for during the Revo-
Iutlon ii public and private armed YES
sells bore this name, and this is the
sixth naval vessel so termed.
Subs Given Names of Fish.
The two new patrol gunboats will be
called Charleston and Erie. The first
VIII be for the South Carolina CITY. the
third time this has been done in the
Navy, while the latter honors the Penn
sylvanla city, and is also the third time
this name has been bestowed upon a
warship
The new submarines will be called
Porpoise, Pike, Shark and Tarpon, for
denizens of the deep.
Two new destroyers are under con-
Structton at Boston and PHILADELPHIA
under the 1916 building program, au-
thorized before the United States en-
tered the World War. These bear the
Monaghan, who was killed April /, 1899,
fighting the natives of Samoa and at
tempting to remove his wounded supe-
rior officer; Aylwin for Lieut.. John C.
Aylwin, who died January %, 1913,
from wounds received in action and
who participated in the engagement be-
tween the Constitution and Java and
also in the Constitution Guerrero battle.
The new destroyer Porter is named in
honor of Commodore David Porter and
his son, Admiral David Dixon Porter,
the former recalling glorious exploits in
the early days of the Republic, and the
latter thrilling days of the Civil War,
for he received the thanks of Congress
for cooperating with Gen. Sherman in
the capture of Arkansas Post in 1868,
and likewise he co-operated with Gen.
Grant in the capture of Vicksburg and
again received the thanks of Congress.
Admiral Selfridge Honored.
The Selfridge honors Rear Admiral
Thomas o. Selfridge, who was actively
engaged in blocking off Mobile Bay and
passes of the Mississippi during the
Civil War. Rear Admiral David Nc
Dougal, Mexican War hero and COM
mander of the U. S. S. Wyoming at the
Battle of Shimonoseh Straits, Japan,
July 16, 1868, is remembered in new
DESTROYER of that name. Rear Admiral
John A. Winslow, who commanded the
Kearsage when she sank the Alabama
June 19, 1864, and for this was pro-
NOTED to commodore and who served
gallantly in the Mexican War. is an
other naval hero whose name Will
shine forth in one of the new destroyers.
The Phelps will recall again the
career of Rear Admiral Thomas Stowell
Phelps, who was in the expedition Tor
the relief of Fort Sumter in March,
1861, and at the battle of West Point,
Va, prevented the junction OF force
of the enemy with the main army and
also captured numerous Confederate
vessels.
Rear Admiral Charles e. Clark, who
served in the Civil War with Farragut,
and as captain Of the battleship Oregon
in 1898 achieved fame by taking her
from the Pacific Coast to Cuba in time
to take leading part in the destruction
of the Spanish Fleet, Is another emf
nent officer whose name has been be-