The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1875-08-27
A Venerable War Ship.

|
The frigate Constitution, or "0ld Iron
sides, as she has been familiarly called,
after having lain on the stocks at Philadel-
phia for several years dismantled and
apparently rotten hulk, has, at last, by
special order from che Navy Department,
been placed in the hands OF the carpenters,
and is now undergoing repairs, with view,
it is said, of being exhibited during the
Centennial year. There is nothing remain
ing of the vessel except the bare hull, and
woIkmen are now engaged in erecting the
necessary staging in order to begin the
work of replanking her ribs. After she
has been got in condition for the water,
she will be launched, and the rest of the
fitting up will be done after she is in the
water, 10 is the intention of the govern
ment to have the original appearance Of
the vessel, both inside and outside, repro
duced as nearly as possible. The hull is
already coppered, and it is thought that
the remaining repairs can be completed in
a comparatively short time.
Considerable interest will be doubtless
felt by the public in the question as to
whether any of the original timbers laid in
the vessel when she was constructed in
1897 remain. There is tradition among
naval constructors that there are some of
the original timbers now in the vessel, but
there have been so many repairs to her,
and she has been SO frequently overhauled
that it is almost impossible to ascertain
definitely whether such is the fact Or not.
| The vessel is said to have suffered greatly
at the hands Of relic hunters, for it is
asserted while she was undergoing repairs
at various wharves it was no uncommon
thing for a carpenter who had discovered
piece of old and "historic-looking tim
ber, to appropriate it and have it turned
into cane or some other article to be
preserved by himself or friends as relic.
These depredations, together with the
necessary removal of large amount of
decayed or insecure timber, has almost
transformed the vessel into new ship.
1t was proposed by the naval authorities
when it was found on the adjournment of
the last Congress that no special appropria-
tion for her repair had been made, to break
her up, as it did not appear that she would
be of any further use to the navy. A SINH
lar proposition was made once before, and
was the cause of the well-known poem,
written in protest of the act by Oliver
Wendell Holmes, beginning with
cay tear her tattered ensign down."
/ The Constitution was built at cost of
over $500, 900 at Hart's shipyard, in Boston,
and was launched on the 21st of October,
1897, in the presence of vast concourse of
people. Special care was taken in her con-
struction to use the best live oak timber,
and the bending of the planking was done
without steam in order that it might be
the harder and more durable.
Her first commander was Captain James
Nicholson, and she started upon her first
cruise in July, 1898. In 1904, she was the
flagship of Commodore Preble during the
bombardment Of Tripoli, and in the action
of tho Goth of August before Tripoli, she
was run to within short distance of the
Notifications, and after fierce contest
silenced the guns.
On the 10Th of August, 1912, the cele-
| brated combat between the Constitution,
carrying forty-four guns, ana commanded
by Captain Isaac Hull, and the British
| frigate Guerriere, carrying thirty eight
guns, and commanded by Captain Dacres,
| took place off the American coast, in the
present track of the vessels from New York
to Liverpool. After considerable manau-
vering, the vessels came together late in
afternoon, and the rigging of the two
vessels having become entangled both crews
prepared to board. While Lieut.. Morris,
of the Constitution, was making an effort
to lash the vessels together, the Constltu-
ton shot ahead of her antagonist, and it
was then found that the Guerrero was
badly shattered. Boon after. tho foremast
and mainmast of the Guerrero were carrie ed
overheard, and the vessel was left helpless.
A few moments after, her commander sur
rendered. .as
The next action in which the Constitution
was engaged was an engagement with the
British frigate Java, of thirty eight guns,
commanded by Captain Lambert. This
action took place on the Goth of December,
1912, off the coast of Brazil, and lasted fol-
three hours. A large number of the guns
| of the Java were disabled, her masts were
shot away, and her hull was badly damaged.
| The Constitution, on the other hand, was
scarcely damaged at all. Of the crew OF
the Java, numbering 400, twenty-five were
| killed and 102 wounded. Her commander
was among those mortally wounded. The
loss ON the Constitution was only nine
killed and twenty five wounded.
/ On the Goth of February, 1914, while or
her way from Bermuda to Madeira, ths
Constitution, commanded by Captain Chas
Stewart, fell in with the British vessels
Cyane, thirty-six guns, and Leyant, twent!
guns. After an engagement lasting NO
quite two hours the Cyane surrendered
and two hours later the Levant, which hat
endeavored to escape, having been over
taken, was also compelled to surrender.
Of late years the CONSTITUTE on has beel
used a school ship at the Naval Academ.
at Annapolis, and for long time, Will,
lying at the foot of the sslong wharf, y she
has been N familiar object at the Academy
The fgure-head of the Constitution ha
been for number of years wooden statue
of General jackson, which it is proposed
to place in the grounds of the Naval Acade
my at Annapolis.
A Doctors Diary,