Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1889-07-06
A wAa-sn,P.s STORY.
| The Oid Line-af nattle-ship Vermont ana
1 the Services Rendered by Her.

IAe fffd hlne-9f Hatffe-shtp vermont 8Ha
the Services Rendered by Her.
The oldest jack-tar can recall many
interesting experiences upon her long
before and since she began her career
as receiving ship at the navy yard
twenty-five years ago. where she now
lies at the Cob Dock. gird' ed with i
great spars 70 keep ice and other foat-
ing distractions from her sides BE- !
reft of spars and rooted over like a /
honsc she looks any thing but u frig- |
ate OF the Lord Nelson class. like the
famous Victory and the Temeraire.
She il the last OF the old ships OF the
line. and her triple tier of ports can he
seen In no modern built ship. Some
people have supposed that she served
In the war OF 1912. and there are many
more who look upon her as one OF the
| defenders H. the Mexican war. But
she really saw no service until the
more receat Civil war.
She WAS built at the Charleston
Navy Yard. and WAS intended TO be the
flagship OF Commodore Perry's menu
orable expedition To Japan in 1852.
But some thing happened and Perry
took the Mississippi. The tiovern-
ment then lost interest In the Vermont
and for nearly ten years she remained
on the stocks unfinished. When the
civil war broke out and every thing
that could noat was sought after. the
Vermont was pushed forward aud put
into commission January - 1862.
| Her first service WIS 10 carry stores
and supplies TO the squadron off Port
Royal. aud IL was the longest voyage
Port Royal. The Vermont sailed from
Boston on February -. and when off
Cape Cod was caught in . tempest
which lasted three days Her sails
/ were carried away one after an
other until not SO much as ribbon
was left On the second day her rud-
der was wrenched of by the seas, and
along with II went seven of the boats
and three anchors. With no sails and
no rudder the Vermont Went along
seaward. rolling and pitching like u
great tub. until "a drag could be got out
I 8DtSi ~ osth AsthFtS ~ PAtoh hh1 tN8HSh
That was before the efficiency Of oil
10 calm troubled waters had received
much thought. and so badly did she
throw herself in the sea that the chap
lain had 10 be lashed 10 u gun while
reading the brief burial servic over the
bodies OF three men who had been
killed by the plunging and lurchiug of
the vessel
The old vessel drifted in calms and
was swept along by gales until she was
pretty nearly over TO the Azores. when
the steamer Saxon. one Of ths two
steam vessels sent By the Government
to search for her. picked her mp Of
these islands and furnished her with /,
new rudder and suit of sails. Sh,
soon lost her new rudder. and ON Apri
3 was picked up by the frigate Sabiue
when jury rndder was rugged for hei
and she reached Port Royal on April
Is. having been forty mine days ut sea
thirty eight of which she was withou
, rudder Or sails and twenty three day
, without sunshine.
, After that she served as iiag-ship
store-ship. hospital-ship and prison
ship In the North Atlantic Squadron
: "Bill" Perry. the king Of the blockade
| runners. having even been prisone
. on her She began her present caree
/, OF inactivity in 1861. and she now lie
In mud bed A receiving ship
n not the comprehensive word thai
might be used. but it Ii the nayn
!, term for such service. Ii IL sort o
q nautical boarding house for newly
: enlisted men while waiting to be de
q tailed for sea-going vessels. and fo
: those who have returned home "A
:. the expiration OF their enlistment
n and are waiting to be pai,
: off. A visit To the yesse
: will convince one that the country ha
! not an absolute American navy. a
a least so FAR as the men are concerned
I. for on her decks will be found men Q
!. various nationalities, many who ca
hardly interpret an order given to ther
In English. or who can hardly undet
stand each other when attempting /
peak English. and certainly not whe
speaking in their own tongue. Bu
when the training-school system ha
II been fully developed a decided chang
q will be brought about Ia this respect
- N " 1ribune