Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-03-11
THE FRIGATE CONSTITUTION.

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There In at least one interesting and
important circumstance connected with
the career Of the old frigate Constitution
during the war OF 1912 which has on.
capped the historians. The exploits Of
the American navy during that war COM
menoed with tho escape OF the Oonstitu-
ton from an English squadron. On the
twelfth OF July the frigate, completely
equipped and we'll manned, left the
Chesapeake bay bound for New York.
On the seventeenth she discovered the
British squadron, consisting OF the
Africa, sixty-four; the Guerrero, Shan.
non, Belvidera and Rolus, frigates, with
/ brig aud . schooner. The Belvidera
was within gunshot; the day was calm
and spent In towing, maneuvering and
firing. On the morning Of the eighteenth
light breeze sprung up. when the Con
stitution spread all her canvas, and, by
outsailing the enemy, escaped conflict,
which she could not have maintained
with any hope Of success against force
no greatly superior. The chase was con.
tinued sixty hours, during which the
whole crew remained at their stations.
All the officers OF the British squadron
applauded the conduct OF Captain Hull,
and though mortified at losing 80 fine a
ship, gave him much credit for his skill
and prudence in managing the frigate.
On Sunday, the twenty. sixth OF July,
the Constitution arrived in Boston har-
Dor. On Tuesday, the twenty eighth,
Captain Hull came up to town. On his
landing and reaching State street he was
received by his fellow citizens with re-
peated huzzas. The captain, in accept
ing the complimentary tributes of the
Bostonians, paid handsome tribute to
the services Of Lieutenant Morris (after.
ward commodore), and also to the men
comprising the Constitutions crew.
At time when the wind was very
light the sails of the Shannon were all
fuIled, and the boats of the squadron
were all put to tow her directly to wind
ward toward the Constitution; at the
same time Captain Hull was "kedging
his ship forward faster than the enemy
was able to advance by towing. He had
gained considerable distance before the
enemy, who constantly observed him
with their glasses, perceived the manner
in which he was leaving. They then
"kedged" in their turn, but not with
the same rapidity, owing probably in
some measure to the precaution observed
by Captain Hull, when his boats came
home, instead Of making them fast to
the ship, of hosting them up at the da-
Wits. This maneuver of hedging" a
ship at sea, in twenty-five or thirty
fathoms OF water, was an ingenious
and novel experiment. It was first sug-
gested, it is understood. by Lieutenant
(afterward commodore) Charles Morris.
The matter of "kedging" is probably
not generally understood by the average
individual, and even to seafaring men
the manner in which it was employed in
tue case of the Constitution was an in
teresting novelty, and circumstance
which well illustrates the truth of the
old adage, that necessity is the mother
of invention" When vessel becomes
becalmed, and circumstances render it
desirable that progress should be made,
even in the absence of wind, hedging
is resorted to by taking the anchor in a
small boat and carrying it long dis
lance in the direction desired, and
throwing it to the bottom, line or haw-
ser connecting it with the vessel. The
anchor once fastened to the bottom is to
some degree almost permanent, and by
hauling in the line on the deck of tho
vessel, the ship is thus moved in the d.
rection of the anchor. The anchor is
then taken up and again carried forward,
and the same process repeated, and thus
slow but steady progress is made. OF
course hedging in this manner is not to
be resorted to unless the water is suf1i-
GENTLY shoal to allow the anchor to be
easily bottomed, and this was precisely
the misfortune which presented itself in
the case Of the Constitution. The enc
my's ships-half dozen in number
although becalmed in like manner,
were somewhat lighter than the old
f1igate, and by towing and rowing some
small progress was made toward over
hauling and capturing the Constitution.
1t can be well surmised that the situa-
ton on the American vessel was very
grave one, and unless progress was made
an engagement, and perhaps the capture
of the ship and crew, were imminent.
It was in this emergency that the inven-
tive genius and prompt action of Lieu
tenant Morris and his brother officers
and men secured to the American navy
a bloodless but important victory, which
history failed to record. Three huge
parachutes, which could be readily
opened and closed after the fashion of
an umbrella, were Immediately rugged
up from some canvas, which was fastened
to framework of iron, and by an in
genious manipulation the old frigate was
kedged" along at rapid rate until a
friendly breeze sprung up, and then she
was so far in advance of the British yes
sells as to be enabled to distance them
in heading for the friendly port of Bos.
ton. These parachutes, fully twenty.
five feet each in diameter when spread,
were carried forward in small boats, then
spread out and thrown into the water,
being connected with the frigate by
hawsers. The resistance which these
novel coptrivances afforded in the water
when the crew pulled on the lines was
such as to allow the Constitution to
kedge along in a manner so rapid as to
mystify the officers of the British YES
sells which were pursuing, and it is,
therefore, not strange that they spoke
in complimentary terms of the ingenuity
and skill of the commander and officers
of the Constitution.
In view of the fact that the billet head
of the old and renowned frigate is to be
ono NJ tho fpat,1rau If the Centennial az