Evening star., 1937-02-07
of the sea, was a god particularly fond
of horses, unblemished stations were
offered.

of the sea, was god particularly fond
of horses, unblemished stations were
offered.
nURING the Middle Ages it be-
came the practice on English as
we'll as continental ships to erect
shrines to the saints, and new vessel
was always blessed by prelate Of
the church with attendant train of
priests and choristers." Many Euro
pean nations still preserve the elabo-
rate beauty of the medieval religious
ceremonials at launchings. France
has a particularly beautiful tradition
which follows the baptismal rite by
having both godmother and god
father for new ship.
After the Reformation the launching
ceremonies for English ships became
purely secular and remained so until
1875, when H. M. S. Alexandra was
named for the princess who was later
to be Queen of England. She re-
quested that there be religious serv-
ice at the launching, and the Arch
bishop of Canterbury drew up the
form of such a service, which is still
used at all launchings of British war
ships.
In the early days of the United
States the custom then prevailing in
England was followed, and the be-
slowing of name upon an American
fighting ship was purely civil cere-
m0ny. There is on record only one
exception to this. When the Prince
ton Qst) was launched in 1843, prayer
was offered by a clergyman.
When the Oklahoma was launched
in 1914, the president of the Society
of Sponsors cat that time Mrs. Rey-
mold T. HalD requested that prayer
be offered. Since that date, through
the efforts of the sponsors, the custom
of having prayer at a launching has
become we'll established. The prayer
used is the same which was offered
at. the launching of the Princeton in
1843.
ALTHoUGH women bestow the
names upon our fighting craft,
there has been but one vessel on the
Navy lists ever to be named for a
woman. That was the Harriet Lane,
named for the niece of President
Buchanan, ship which was trans
ferred to the Navy from the Treasury
Department.
The naming of vessels of the Navy
is governed by statute, the first Of
such statutes having been passed by
Congress in the year 1919. Under
the laws existing at present, battle
ships and armored cruisers are named
for the States of the Union; cruisers
for cities; torpedo boat destroyers for
distinguished naval officers, for heroic
enlisted men, for Secretaries of the
Navy, for distinguished inventors and
in few instances for United States
Senators and Congressman dis
tinguished in the naval committees.
Mine sweeperS are named for the
various birds, while submarines are
designated by letters and numerals.
The first airship to be named and
christened was the Shenandoah, the
Indian name meaning Daughter Of
the Stars"
A bottle of wine has been broken
upon the bow of the majority Of our
Navy vessels at the time Of naming,
but in some cases water has been used,
and in few instances both wine and
water. A bottle Of whisky was broken
over the bow of the Princeton and
over the frigate Raritan in 1913; q
bottle Of brandy was used at the
launching of the San Jacinto in 1850
and also on the New Ironsides in 1862.
It is recorded that "a fair young wom-
an sponsor broke bottle Of pure Irish
whisky over the bow Of the Shamrock
in 1868, bestowing the name"
Most of our American sea customs
derive from the English navy, and so
it is interesting to know that the Eng
lish adopted the practice of breaking
bottle of wine on the bow Of q ship
in the year 1890. Before that they
used the ceremony Of the cup. which
has been described in accounts Of the
launching Of the Tudor ship, Grace
Dieu. Henry the Eighth "stood on her
deck with q joyful face, as she took
the water, and drank royalty from Q
great silver goblet to her good fortune.
The cup was passed by him among
his attendant knights, and when
emptied was thrown overheard"
THIS habit Of tossing silver goblets
into the sea was too expensive to
suit the frugal notions Of the lords Of
the admiralty, who abolished 1t, SUBJ
stituting the custom Of breaking q
bottle Of wine. The new custom seems
to have been followed without mishap
for more than o hundred years, until
1911, when it became the English
fashion for . lady to christen the ships
Of the navy. It h related that one