The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-05
SHIPS THAT FIGHT NO MORE.
Old vcssols AFRO Fast Disappearing I,eaoro
tho New Ones.

OLD Vessels Arc Fast Disappearing Deaora
tho New Ones.
Of the nearly seven hundred stcotn
vessels which wcro recorded upon the
navy register IN 1865 ut the close Of the
civil war there now remain only the
Lancaster, Pensacola, Hartford, Rich
mond. Kcars,rgc, Iroquois, Wabash.
Minnesota Franklin, Yantic, Monoc-
acy, Michigan. Palos end Pinta, besides
the thirteen single-turretcs monitors
This entire fleet carries fewer guns
than were carried by threo of tho origi-
mol ships of the navy-the Constitution.
Che Constellation and tho United States
lin the war Of 1912. -Four of tho ohso-
lete warshipS, old-timers that were In
miliar 70 the navy-yard hospital nurses
and which had been condemned by tho
government, lost their opportunity Of
ever again having their wounds hcalcd
at any navy-yard and wcro sold to tho
highest bidder for old junk q short
time ago, which fact wus recorded in
tho Washington dispatches ut tho time,
1t is likely, says tho Chicago Nows,
that whoever visits uow bay, pictur-
esque arm of Long Island sound, will
have his curiosity excited by o picture
that will suggest to him marine Junk.
shop. 1t Is plaoo where tho business
of breaking up old ships Is carricd ON,
II Is the place where tho last scene of
the eventfm histories OF very many Of
the war vessels have been enacted and
where tho old brooklyn and tho Ouin,
nibaug will have their weary and rot
ten bones laid away TO rest That is.
yx.i1 ha
AL that can be talscn apart with tho
crowbar and tho axe and saw will be
taken out intact and then dynamite
will be brought into play to complete
the ruin. The timbcrs and planks that
can be got out whole will be sold to
the farmers and contractors for build
ing barns and bridges; ind there Is
many bridge along the drives on
Long Island upon tho timbcrs of which
may be still seen tho names of scamcn
and landsmcn, cut in by those who
fought and died In battle on the Gucr-
ricre, the Roanoke, tho Shamrock, the
Powhatan and others of tho war YES.
sells. Aside from these fcw timbcrs.
the iron. copper and other metals Gro
tho only really valuable things In tho
ship. Tho copper, of course, is most in
demand and always brings o good
price, and after it is taken out II Is
sent, as also is tho brass, to tho smch-
ers at Bridgeport Most of tho iron Is
sold to the foundry at Whitestonc,
where It Is broken up rrworkod and
rerOllcd The old machinery and boil
ers are also disposed OF TO tho iron
workers.
Finally, when everything Is taken
out that Is of aDy value end when all
the timber is taken out that win pay
for tho labor, whether for building OF
fircwood, tho rest of tho hull Is SGT on
fire and burned The sight Of ono OF
these burning vessels ut night Is reolly
o brilliant one Tho vcr1igris and other
combustiblc mnttcr In tho timber Givc
off rich lights of tho most brilliant tints
and Some of tho suporstitious sight
eecrs have vowed that oftentimcs tho
ghosts Of dead mariners have been socn
walking the sands and digging in them
TOR their stolen kits II has often bes,n
matter of wonder to those who know
nothing about the Value Of old Junk os
to where the buyers of these old vcsacls
mako profit For instance, tho old
Quinnebaug was bought for about sY-
teen thousand dollars and the buyer
will no doubt make pretty fair profit
upon his speculation
Upon some of these old hulks thero f.,
often saved out some particular part of
the vessel that is looked upon as
valuable for relic. One Of the great
est treasures of tho odds and ends from
these old ships is the steering wheel
of the old Constitution. or '~Old
1ronsides," as she was called. The
vessel is at present ut Portsmouth nnvy
yard The old sailing ship Cynne.
which was one Of tho vessels she cnp-
turcd in 1915, and which did service for
many years aftcrward In tho Poetic,
was sold o few years ago and brolsen
up