Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-12-25
"O1d TrOpsideS >

Vlu lIVASluCS.
The United States frigate Constitution,
better known as ''Old Ironsides," has been
lately thoroughly repaired and coppered,
and will soon be ready for sea. A CORES
pondent of the Boston (Journal) says that
the planking outside and in, has been taken
off, and between six and seven hundred new
timbers have been put on in place of the
rotten ones removed, and new plankiDg,
ceiling, clamps and decks take the Old
"Old Ironsides'' is now as good as new
when first launched in Boston, sixty years
ago. She will be fitted with heavier bat
terry than shcfhas hitherto carried, and with
all the improvements Of the age, while the
model, of course, remains as she was origi-
nally constructed.
American sailors have great faith in the
fortunes of this vessel, and it is justified by
her remarkable and brilliant career. She
inaugurated that wonderful series of naval
victories which snatched from Britain the
sceptre Of the deep. The first time in thir-
ty years that Great Britain had lost 8 frig-
ate in anything like an equal conflict, occur
red on the 10Th of September, 1912, when
the British frigate Guerrero, thought to be
q match for any vessel Of her class, and
numbered among the largest in the English
navy, met the American frigate Constitu-
ton, Captain Hull. So confident was the
Guerrero of her capacity to cope with any.
thing that walked the waters under Amer
lean bunting" that she had for some time
been in search of an American frigate, hay
ing given formal challenge to all our YES
sells of the same class, and had at one of hel
mast heads flag, on which her name Was
of gasconade. and on another, the words
mot the Little Belt" in allnsion to the
broadside which the United States shi,
President had given that vessel, before til,
war. In this insulting guise, she had look
ed defantly into several of our ports, and
exulted in the expectation of being the frs
to take the conceit out of the Yankees
When the Constitution shoved in sight, th
Guerrero at once backed her maintopsail
and waited for her to come down. She di
not have long to wait, and in one short hal
hour after Hull laid alongside the braggar
Of the seas, every mast was gone, the hui
shattered to fragments, and the ''stripee
bunting" bloating in stern triumph over tn
surrendered Captain and hulk. The mum
Der killed was more than twice that Of the
Constitution, and her wounded nine time
as great. It is worthy Of notice that Capt
Hull did not permit his men to answer the
enemys' broadsides till he got him to clos
quarters, and that his sailors were repeated
ly wounded and killed at their guns, befor
the Constitution opened her iron mouths. -
Indeed, the manoeuvering and occasional
firing had occupied three-quarters of an hou
and broadside upon broadside was afterward
continuously poured out upon the Constitu
ton, before Hull permitted his men to fir
single gun When, however. his vesse
was brought exactly to the station intended
he gave the word, and it is said that fro1
that moment to the end Of the action, tn
fash and roar of the Constitutions gun
was the most uninterr upted and appallin
blaze and thunder ever witnessed in a nava
combat Such was the beginning Of the car
eer of "Old Ironside," and of the late wa
upon the ocean:
GRAND AND GENERAL TELEaRApH1o Con
soL1DAT1oN.-Negotiations have been goin,
on in the city Of New York, for ten day
past, between F. 0. j. Smith, chief owne
Of the Union line, the Magnetic Telegraph
Company, owning tho Morse lines between
this city and New Orleans, and the Ameri.
can Telegraph Company, with view tc til
consolidation of the Magnetic and Ameri
can companies lines South, and the pur
chase of the Union line between New Yorl
and Boston. It is also understood that sat
isfactory arrangements have been fnall
made between all the parties interested ir
the various lines south Of New York, b
which these lines pass under the control 9
one company. to be known as the Ameri
can Telegraph Company, on the 1st Of Jan
nary next; but that all negotiations wcr
broken off with Mr., Smith because Of hi
alleged unreasonable demands.
! On the LIST Of January, therefore, Their
will be, for all practical business purposes
a complete union of interest between tn
following telegraph companies, which will
their connecting side lines, embrace all tn
! wires in the Atlantic States and the British
provinces excepting only the Smith or Uniol
line above referred to- which runs betweel
New York and Boston, viz: The New York
Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Com
Ipany, the Atlantic, the New Brunswick
the Maine, the American, the Magnetic
Washington and New Orleans, the Hous
Washington line, the New York, Albany
and Ruffalo line, the Montreal or Canadian
lines, the Western Union, the Atlantic ant
Ohio, the National, or New York, and New
Orleans line, the Illinois and Missouri lines
ETC., etc.
TELEGRAPH 70 CUBA. We understand
that contracts are completed, and that worl
will be Immediately commenced at Savan
nah, Ca, for the construction Of tele
graph line to Ferandina, Florida, thence
by land to Cedar Keys, and from there tt
Key West by submarine cable. From