The Osceola times., 1882-01-14

band to heel. Hull, nothing Disconnected,
gave orders with perfect coolness, and
only changed his tights VIXEN the British
commanders sword was given up. The
effect of this victory could not be over.
estimated, a it was the first fight Of the
war and won single handed by the rep
resentaives of new navel power
against that of power deemed invnc-
BILE al sea. II should always be borne in
mind, however that Yankee shrewdness
was never more Couspiciously displayed
than in the construction of these
'frigates' Of superior strength to the
efage vessels of their class On 0cto-
Der 26 1912, the Constitution again sailed
from Boston, this time under the com
mand of Capt. William Bainbridge, and
on the Goth Of December. off San Ssva.
dor encountered the British frgate Java,
3S, Cart. Henry Lambert, which was
compelled TO strike after a hot engage
menl, in which the Americans had 35
men killed and wounded, and the
English ia. The Java had to be abin-
duned, so badly was the cut up. 1t is
interesting, as showing how historians
will differ, TO recall that james, in his
Naval History" says the Constitution
NRo ~ f''- ARHHt anu Val iEi fb EubN
and i6n men, to the Java, 0SJ tons, 3S
guns 292 men, Another authority gives
the Constitution 4 guns and the Java
3S another A and 40, and so on. De
rember 30 1878, the Constitution left
b ston under Capt. Charles Stewart, Mr..
Parnell's ancestor, and on Valentines
day captured in the West Indies the
schooneroi war Picton, II a, letter of
marqne and some merchant vessels I'M
der her convey. The Constitution was
chased back t. Marblehead in April by
two frllates but her speed stood her in
good stead, In December, 1914, she
ain sailed under Stewart, and on the
20th Of February 1878, encountered at
night the Cyane, - guns, lSj men, and
the Leyant, u guns, l56 men, the Con-
.tituton now mounting 50 pieces, and
man ed by crew OF 40. She took
both vessels after brief engagement,
losing 10 men killed and wounded; the
Engli-h loss being variously represente
from Al TO II, but an English squadron
came mp subsequently and the Constitu-
ton had 10 run for it once more. The
C,ane was brought 10 New York in safe
~, but the Levant was ecaptured In
May 1915, the Con titution went ont Of
co nmssion at Boston; II was said that she
had seen so much service that her side-
threw of no spliutors when an enemy's
shot went through them. The was eX
trnsiycly repaired and thereafter used
on the miscellaneous sea service. In
1913 occurred the men orable scandal
over the igurehead. The vessel was
undergoing repairs at Charleston navy
yard and Commodore Jesse d. Elliott.
an ardent Dem crat, removed the fiddle
shaped bilethead which had replaced
the carved bust of Hercules as her
lisurehead when this last was shot away
in the Mtdl erfauean. COmmod re I'll
iiott substituted figure of Jackson, to
the immense horror of the Wings, who
summoned ind gnation meetings, circu-
lated pamphlets and posted mp plac'rds
of the most Vehemrnily denunciatory
sort jackson shall not 90 before the
Constitution was the cry, and finally
one ardent Young man sawed off the
head oi the eiligy one stormy night. II
was recovered blt again removed, and
finally according to contemporary chron-
iclers, the pres dent ordered his admireI
to sea in command Of the Mediterranean
squadron quite as much TO save the
figure head rs for any other reason. On
I tllionts return IL may be said, he was
rourt martialled and suspended from
dutr, for having, to quote another chron
icler filled his gun deck with iackasses
on his hOmeward voyage and set on foot
testimonial service OF plate 20 be pre-
scented, not to the president bat to
Commodore Elliott " The figure head
was. however, suffered to rest in peace
and fpllnI4l npp,n1aa9aI al a., r,,l
srqnent fortunes of the ancient shin
until its arrival at Philad -lphia. to be set
m order ior the Center nial exposition.
when the figure of the president was
removed and sent at the request of the
superintendent ofrhe Naval academy TO
Aun4p lis where 10 was erected on a
small pedestal in the grounds OF the
academy. The figure is blreheaded and
wears a dress suit of the time, over
which an ampe cloak falls gathered at
the throat with the usual cord. roll
pt manuscript - hrid in HE rfsht hahd'
a,.8 .l.e Ten r. bnr!cd in the breast of his
brtss blitnned and vulumiuous waist
'oat The likeness which the features
bear 10 the original is not b II. and the
uatr, at any rate, stands up with perfect
urChT logical accuracy. Shortly before
he outbreak of the civil war it was in
tended fo di,manIle and break up the I'D
vessel, b1t the proposed action Of the
government raised storm of indignation
md provoked DR.. holmes well~known
Nrc.ard1he Coz stitutiou was respiled
md cont ued as a training or school
-h p at Annapolis, and then at Newport.
In 1879 she WIS again repaired, aud in
r. bruarv, 1878, sailed 10 tlavre loaded
with Anne icau goods for the exposition
1t Paris. On her return voyage, Jannary
II, 1879, she went ashore on the English
rnast, blt was got off and towed int.
Portsmouth, and lu the l9th of Febru-
ary she was towed into Lisbon, having
hrokea her rudder in a gale in the Bay
Of Bi-cay. Last year she was on exhibit
tion ia BROOKLYN for some time, and
was visited by la ge crowds of spectat-
ors and interest was once again revived
in her in April, 1881, when She was re-
ported missing for several davs, blt
finally arrived at Pinev Point on the
18Th, having suffered considerable
damage.
Electrical Paper.
Letter paper. well heated and rubbed
briskly by the hand or brush, acquires,