Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1861-05-24
Interesting "reminiscences of
the War of 1912.

Interesting "reminiscences O.
the War of 1872.
What the North has Done-What the Nortl
Can Do.
The tourist who for his summer recrea
tion passes over the beautiful waters o
Lake Ontario, and enters the little bay o
Sackett's Harbor, will be surprised to fine
at that place vast ship-house, such as il
seldom to be found, unless in the grea
dockyards of nation. If he enquire
the object of such an unusual building, he
will learn that it contains at once the sole
relic and the significant monument of oul
nations prowess in the naval contest wag
ed on our Lakes with Great Britain dur
ing the war of 1912.
Should he have the time and curiosity
to enter the building, he will be gratifed
with the sight of the half-fnisbed struct
ure of line-of-battle ship pierced for l2C
guns, of unsurpassed model, the work oi
the great Henry Ecktord. If he be in
quisitivc enough or sufficiently int crested
in the history of his country to enquire
into the cause of the building of this I'M
mense ship, for the waters Of small in.
land sea- he will be informed of series
Of events which speak proudly for the
honor of an infant nation, and will learn
the following facts, to wit =
That the most important line of strate.
getic operations during the war of 1872,
was the northern boundary of our country
which divided us from our British neigh
bors that is, the line formed by the great
chain of inland waters from Lake Super.
ior to the lower St Lawrence. Nocessa
rily the lakes Erie, Ontario, and Cham.
plain, whose shores alone were populated
to any extent, became the scene of a Wig.
orous naval war, and as neither nation
possessed a navy on those waters, an ac.
tive rivalry for supremacy in squadrons
cnsued. The promptness and energy Of
the Americans enabled them on lake Erie
under great disadvantages, to put their
small feet on nearly an equal footing with
that of the enemy, and on the memorable
10th Of September, 1912, Perry's Victory
taught the proud Briton, that in contest
of fleets, as in single combats of ships
American skill and courage could win the
palm of victory The same causes LED
to the same results in the succeeding year,
and on the llth of September, 1913, Com
modore McDoNoUGH won the noble victo
ry of Lake Champlain.
But. Lake Ontario was the great field
of contest. Possessed Of the control O
its waters, the enemy could throw invad
ing armies into the State of New Y ork a
four or more points of attack, separate
the Eastern States from the Western, ant
cooperate with an invading army from tn,
head waters of Chesapeake Bay, within
which British land and naval forces were
operating.
To meet this exegency, the British
Government placed at the head of theil
Lake Navy Commodore Sir JAMES YEo
an officer of rare energy, sagacity, vigil.
ance, bravery and prudence. The Amer,
lean Administration opposed to him Com.
modore ISAAC CHAUNcEY-a man every
way the equal of his antagonist in the
qualities OF seaman and commander
Each Government possessed small squa
dron of small vessels at the commence
ment of the war. The British availing
themselves of their great facilities al
home, sent out the frames of ships moul.
ded in their own dockyards, and ready tc
be set up by scores of shipwrights sent out
with them, showing determination to
place on the Lake powerful feet with a
speed beyond the ability of the Americans
to equal, This challenge to a race Of
skill and speed was promptly accepted.-
The Government sent to the aid of Commo.
dore CHAUNCEY, HENRY EcKFoRD, ship.
builder from New York, who had distin.
guished himself by the construction OF
several of the finest ships of that port.
He was furnished not only with ship
wrights proper, but with body of axe
men and sawyers, to provide the building
direct from the forest.
Never did the famed Yankee axe win
greater triumphs than upon that occasion;
never did American skill and vigor dis
play its ability more gloriously, than in
the great work of the creation of the Ma
Wy, as it were by magie--the timber for
the intended navy standing in the forest
when Mr.. Eckford commenced his opera
tions.
In November of the year 1912, Mr..
Eckford put upon the stocks 24-gun ship,
the Madison, and in twenty-four days she
was launched and ready for her armament
On the Sth of April, 1913, he commenced
a 2S-gun ship, the Pike; on the 18th of
June she was launched. She was followed
by the Sylph, of IA guns, built in twenty
one days. In February, 1914, he put on
the stocks frigate of so guns, the Su-
perior, and two brigs Of % guns each.-
These vessels were built in less than nine
ty days. On the launch of the frigate,
another, the Mowhawk, was laid down and
in thirty-four days.
BY the middle of the season, the Amer.
lean Navy had been made superior to the