The daily gazette., 1880-09-25
FIFTH EDITION.
THE OLD CONSTITUTION.
AN INTERFERING sKETcH OF A WAR
SHIP THAT HAS BRAvED THE STORMS


OF OVER NINETY YEARS.
Correspondence of the Gazette.
u. s. TRAINING SHIP CoNsTI-
TIoN, OF Lewes, Del,
September 22d, 1880.
We arrived here to-day from New
port, Rhode Island, which place we
left on the 16th. During the entire
passage we had head winds and calms.
We will leave for Yorktown, Va, soon
as we have communicated with the
shore, and while at that place will put
our ship and boys in trim for the part
we are to take ia the annual drill of
the training ships. AS there will be
considerable competition between the
officers and crews of the different ships
we will have plenty of drilling from
now until il is over. q
The first day of the drill will occur
October 9th, and will last through the
several days that the Secretary of the
Treasury may wish to spend with us.
Our old ship was quite a curiosity to
the people who have visited us in the
many places we have stopped at dur
ing our cruise along the coast to Hall
fax and back. Her mizzen-topsail-
shut-bitts are the only portion of the
original ship left, and | often think,
when standing with my hand on one
of them, if the hand of any of her old
commanders was ever placed ON the
same spot. AS you may not be able
to call to mind all the events this old
relic of The war of 1912 has passed
through, will here give you a brief
synopsis of some of them. OF course,
all her glory is confined to the days
that have long since passed away,
therefore l will write OF those days
only.
She was built under law approved
by President George Washing on on
laid AZ Charleston, Mass, aud would
have been the first ship Of the perman-
cut navy in the water, but for an aeci-
dent, she having stuck on the ways in
launching. She was finally successfully
placed in the water OH the 10th of Sep
TENDER, 1897. The Constitution was
toe first ship Of the permanent navy
moved under canvas, and was command
ed by Captain Samuel Nicholson. At
that time, 1897, the Captain Of such a
ship received but 500 per month salary
and eight rations, or ~ per day. The
Lieutenant received $40 per day and
three rations, and a MILDLY $40 and Que
ration; able seamen, SIT, ordinaries, SIP.
Commodore Talbot relieved Nicholson
In 1893, and proceeded TO what was then
called the ST. Domingo station. Hull
sailed with him as First Lieutenant
While cruising to the windward of st.
Domingo, Talbot fell in with an English
frigate, the commander Of which he wa
acquainted with.
The Englishman expressed a great
admiration for the new Yankee Graf,
paid her q visit, and after few friendly
wo IDS proposed a ra 9, the lose tor forte 1
q cask OF wine. The race came off, al
per agreement, at sunrise each, fired d
gun at the starting signal, and stood
away on bowline until sunset, when
guns were again hired. At that moment
| the English frigate was huh down dead
| to laaward The Constellation put nI
her helm and squared away to JON hei
| friend, threw back her malntopsail tC
the mast, and the English cap ain, al
prompt to pay as TO play, came OH boart
with his cask of wine.
| Shortly after this race Talbot fittet
I out small sioop and gave the com
mand of IL to Hull, with orders TO go in.
to the hatbOr of Port Platte and "cu
OUT the Sand Wich, a French letter o
marque; Hall soon fulfilled his commis
SION. This was the first victory OF tn,
Constitution.
In 1903 PEBBLE took command of he
and sailed for the Mediterranean. Aite
doing good service we find her about
year later-August Sd, 1904, off TrIpoli
with the rest of the fleet, bombardi1g
The way the old ship went iuto actor
ON that day has often been the theme o
praise. Her brilliant career on TIL
coast of Barbary is we'll known, ant
although she was under close fire 70
about forty days she suffered very little
and not at all in the hull. This i
where she got the name of "Old Iron
side" During these hostlities she cap
tured several prizes.
The old ship then had a comparativ
rest for a few years.
In 1911 Capt. Huh took command O
| her and in the course of the same yea
he was ordered to Europe with dr
Barton, our Misister to France, oil
| board, and $500 900 To pay the lnteres
on the Dutch debt. The trip was safel
accomplished, after which she returned
home.
Immediately after the declaration @
war against England she went to sea
and soon after clearing the land a sal
was sighted which proved to be tn
Gaerriere, 3S guns. The decks of tn
Constitution were cleared for actiol
when night set in. As the day opene
Hull found himself almost snrrounde
by Eng ish frigates, and of course h
had TO "cut and CO." which he DID, an
by his superior seamanship aided by tn
energy of his crew, kept out of gu
range until evening, when asquaIlsweI
down, before which the old ship, wit
every sail set, soon left the Englisbme
far behind. Afterwards Hull had hi
revenge ON the Guerrero, by capturin
her off Bermuda after asevere and men
orable engagement.
cambridge relieved Hull, and 500
after taking command captured the Jazz
British frigate of thirty-eight guns.
Stewart relieved Bainbridga, and cal
n tured "A schooner of four 5een guns Just
q try his hand. He then cruised arouh
. and fell In with the Cyane, twenty gun
0 and the LeU0.t. eighteen guns. "OI
. Ironsides" pushed in between them an
0 | captured both, but only after a terribl