Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1890-04-10
81 EQ7Tl9y J!
coMMoooRE pgRRYs NIAGARA.
The Old Ship May &c Raised from the
Bottom of Take ,:-:.' scforc 1892.

The Old Ship May lie Raised from the
Bottom of Take t:-:- !;cforc 1892.
One of the results of the 1892 Worlds
fair is a growing Interest in the raising
and restoration of the brig Niagara OF
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's fleet,
the well preserved remains of which are
at the bottom of Lake Erie. Perry's
flagship, the Lawrence, was raised sue
cessfully and transported to the centen-
NAL exposition at Philadelphia in 1876
The American people would not, how
ever, believe that the old hulk, so plain
and simple in its construction, was the
historical vessel that SO calamity with
stood the fire uninterruptedly for two
hours of the British squadron command
ed by Capt. Barclay The Lawrence,
therefore, received the ignominious treat
ment of being sold at sheriff's sale and
whitfield up into canes and other memen-
toes for the benefit of relic hunters.
The Niagara, which may be raised in
the near future, is, therefore, the only
important relic Of that naval encounter
and magnificent victory OF Sept. 10,
1913. The public square is graced with
heroic monument i'll marble of the
gallant commodore, and in bas-relief on
the pedestal is immortalized the historic
scene which gave TO Perry victory and
probably prevented q national disaster.
In the midst of the storm of battle, when
only seventeen men escaped either injury
or death out of q command of a hundred
men on the flagship Lawrence, Perry,
seeing the Niagara at safe distance
and uninjured, determined 10 change
his flag to that vessel. With the words:
IF victory is TO be gained I'll gain it"
he boarded 4 rowboat, and thus exposed
to the guns of the enemy for distance
of half a mile lie made the passage, part
of the time standing erect rs target for
the British guns. The oars were splint-
cred, shells were flying thick and fast
around and about him, but he gained
the Niagara, poured 4 deadly fire into
the Detroit and Queen Charlotte, which
boats became hopelessly entangled, and
in seven minutes the enemy were forced
to surrender.
The Niagara now lies in Misery bay,
near Erie, Pa, about z mile and half |
from the main land, in thirteen feet of |
water. She is careened TO one side, and |
her ribs on the upper side are plainly visi- |
bic some three or four feet under the sur
face. y careful examination made by an |
expert diver showed the hull to be in a |
very fair state of preservation, being in |
much better condition than was the
4. -oI TIL,
mains of the cabin and other parts that |
have fallen are il the hold, and one of the |
skvlights removed in 1885 with boat |
hook is among collection of antiquities |
and curiosities in Erie. Owing to num- |
Der of most favorable conditions, among
others that she is in the sheltered water |
OF landlocked bay, the Niagara could !
be raised and placed upon Garrison hill
at comparatively small expense. The
diver reports that there is nearly half Of |
her hull remaining, although she has been
washed by the waters Of Lake Erie for |
more than tlree-quarters of q century, |
serving as landmark, so called, for the
fishermen and as the prey Of few dare
devil relic hunters, who converted much |
OF uel llllut!S I4lO S>iSeS tiil OtLiti ASliSs'
And so the poor old boat which has fig
,ired so conspicuously in the most bril-
liant victory ever recorded in naval his
tory, modestly concealed beneath the
waters of the old Erie for nearly CEN
fury. may be exhibited to the throngs of
of Worlds fair sightseers, SO that the
Niagaras seeming insigniicance, when
compared with the frightful engines of
death and destruction that float the seas
today, may be more readily commented
upon.-New York Telegram.