The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-10-14
Com. Perry's Flagship.

The Cleveland piaindealer says:
After the Lawrence had become dis
abled in the battle of Lake Erie. it
will be remembered that Perry left
her during the engagement and made
the Niagara his flagship until the
close Of the fight The Lawrence,
with great difficuitv, was gotten into
the port OF Ere, (t,e port at which
she was built, aud after rounding
the peninsula foated up Misery Bav
unmanageable. The next year, 1914,
she was rcfued and sent against the.
forts at Mackinac. Proving unsea-
worthy from he terrible dIubbiug OF
the English the year previous, she
was brought back to Eie and sunk
in Misery Bay, and has lain there
ever since, doing duty as house for
the numberless black bass which
could always be caught among her
imbers, and point Of interest to be
visited by curiosity hunters. Enough
Flagship Lawrence canes" have
been sold to build four such vessels,
besides the real canes, etc, that have
been made from her iimbers. The
vessel was built by Daniel y 1bbins,
whose widow now lives, or did live,
few years ago in Erie and who,
while her husband was getting out
timbers, etc., fir the fleet, boarded
Commodore Perry aud his staff
When the writer of this saw her last,
in 1871, she was a smart old lady, 81
years old, and bids fair to live To
hundred. We quote from the Erie
Dispatch, which, we are sorry to say,
does not give as full details as de-
sirable, because all would like to
know the names Of the proprietors,
ETC., Of the hull; and in this connec-
tion We suggest that our Historical
Society secure some portion Of the
Lawrence as relics. The Dtsgotch
says;
"The glory of one OF the chief
points of interest in the harbor Of
Erie-,hat which hung around the
place hallowed by the remnants OF
Perry's victorious flagship, he Law
rence-has departed. Hrr remains
have been lifted from their quie'
resting place uuder the waters of
Misery Bay and carried shoreward to
the edge of the peninsula, bringing o
view the historic relic"
The removal is looked upon with
aisfavor by the majority of our cii-
zens, and it is not to BE- wondered at,
as the Lawrence has been living
there SO long that she was accounted
public property, and in The summer
lime was visited by hosts of stran-
gers-the framework on one side be-
ing visible-to whom. as we'll as to
our own citizens, it was an object of
great interest.
The remains are queer looking
mass. The port side has been cut
down nearly TO the keel, plankins
having been torn off and ribs sawed |
off by those who thought it was no
harm to steal piece of wood off he
and this has been kept up
until at least third of her bottom
mas gone. The Lawrence lay on her
side, aud that side is toll
erably whole to the deck beams
upper works all gone years ago).
md the timber, in general, sound and
u good condition, but is purple
olack--the result of the action of the
water.
Of the twenty seven killed in tha,
naval engagement TWENTY-FIVE were
killed in the Lawrence, on board Of
y hich was the intrepid Perry, whose
ornaments our public |
'quare. The Lawrence was 100 feet
ong, % feet beam, and 9 feet depth
of hold. In her time she was model
war vessel, but in these days of iron
,lads, monitor rams, and heavy arma-
nent she would not last as loag in an
as yawl boat in hur-
ricane. She fulfilled her mission,
however, and gave our English cou-
sins cause to remember her contem-
porary with Perry's famous victory.