The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-12-31

ed at night the Cyane, "a guns, l95 men,
and the Levant, 21 guns, 156 men, the
Constitution now mounting 52 pieces and
being manned by crew of 40. She took
both vessels after brief engagement, los
ing Is men killed and wounded, the Eng
lish loss being variously represented from
Al to n, but an English squadron came up
subsequently and the Constitution had to run
for it once more. The Cyane was brought
to New York in safety, but the Levant was
recaptured. In May, 1915, the Constitu-
ton went out of commission at Boston; it
was said that she had seen so much service
that her sides threw off no splinters when
an enemy's shot went through them. She
was extensively repaired and thereafter used
on miscellaneous sea-service. In 1884 oc-
Cured the memorable scandal over the fig
urehead. The vessel was undergoing re-
pairs at Charleston Navy-Yard, and Com
modore Jesse D. Elliott, an ardent Democrat,
removed the fiddle-shaped billethead which
had replaced the carved bust. of Hercules
as her fgure-head when this last was shot
away in the Mediterranean. Commodore
Elliott substituted figure of Jackson, to
the immense horror of the Wings, who
summoned indignation meetings, circulated
pamphlets and posted up placards of the
most vehemently denunciatory sort. "Jack-
son shall not go before the Constitution"
was the cry, and finally one ardent young
man sawed off the head of the effigy one
stormy night. 1t was recovered but again
removed, and finally, according to contem-
porary chronicles, the President ordered his
admirer to sea in command of the Mediter-
ranean squadron quite as much to save the
fgure-head as for any other reason. On
Elliott's return, it may be said, he was
court-martialled and suspended from duty,
for having, to quote another chronicler,
filled his gun-deck with jackasses on his
homeward voyage and set on foot testi-
monial service of plate to be presented, not
to the President, but to Commodore Elliott. !"
The fgure-head was, however, suffered to
rest in peace and followed, unmolested, all
the subsequent fortunes of the ancient ship
until its arrival at Philadelphia, to be set
in order for the Centennial Exposition,
when the figure of the President was re-
moved and sent at the request OF the Su-
perintendent of the Naval Academy to An
napolis, where it was erected on suitable
pedestal on the grounds of the Academy.
The figure is bareheaded and wears dress
suit of the time, over which an ampl cloak
falls, gathered at the throat with the usual
cord A roll of manuscript is held In his
right hand and the left is buried in the
breast of his brass-buttoned and voluminous
waistcoat. The likeness which the features
bear to the original is not bad and the hair,
at any rate, stands up with perfect archao-
logical accuracy. Shortly before the out
break of the civil war it was intended to
dismantle and break up the old vessel, but
the proposed action of the Government
raised a storm of indignation and provoked
DIR. Holiness well-known lyric, and the
Constitution was respited and continued as
a training or school ship at Annapolis and
then at Newport. In 1875 she was again
repaired, and in February, 1878, sailed to
Havre loaded with American goods for the
Exposition at Paris. On her return voyage
January II, 1879, she went ashore on the
English coast, but was got off and towed
into Portsmouth, and on the 18th of Feb
ruary she was towed into Lisbon, hav
ing broken her rudder in a gale in tn
Bay of Biscay. Last year she was on ex
hibition in Brooklyn for some time, ant
was visited by large crowds of spectators
and interest was once again revived in he
in April, 1881, when she was reported mis-
sing for several days, but finally arrived a
Piney Point on the 18th, having suftere'
considerable damage.