Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-04-18

The VESSELS or THE CIVIL WAC
FAST DISAPPEARING.


""a' becomes of the Boats Thar r,~,,.
40 Nore-New Cruiser. Taktpr ~.
Place of the Wooden Ope.--cn.,.
"eee"t Years Some Famous Hunks.
vi The nearly 700 steam vessels which
co. recoIued upon the navy register In
'oo'' at the close Of the civil war thora
now remain only the Lancaster. pensacol.
hartford. Richmond, Kearsarue. Iroono;.
WABASH, Minnesota, franklin Want.
Monocacy. Michigan, Palos and pipta ha
SIDES the thirteen single turreted mon;
TORS This entire feet carries fewer g,,,,s
IMAM were carried by three Of the ORIGINAL
snlps OF the navy--the Constitution ,ha
constellation and the United States-in
the war of 1879.
. rour OF the obsolete war ships, old timers
mat were familiar to the navy ward hos.
pital nurses, and which had been con.
demned by the government, lost their on.
portunity of ever again having their
wounds healed at the navy yard. and were
soid TO the highest bidder for old link
ana 80 one after another Of the old erin
pies Is disappearing, and In few more
years the new cruisers, commerce DESTROY.
ers' oatcle ships, ironclads and toroedo
ooats will have displaced them ALL
IL Is likely that whoever visits Cow bay.
picturesque arm Of Long Island sound
VIII have his curiosity excited by picture
tnat will suggest to him a marine Junk
shop. 1t is place where the business Of
breaking up old ships is carried on. II il
the place where the last scene of the event.
Iui histories OF very many of the war YES.
seis mas been enacted, and where the old
brooklyn and the Quinnebaug will have
their weary and rotten bones laid away TO
rest That is. they will be torn or blown
to pieces
DIG PRICES FOR HULKs.
All that can be taken apart with the
crowbar and the ak and saw will be taken
out intact, and then dynamite will be
orought into play to complete the ruin
Inc tim bers and planks that can be got
out whole will be sold to the farmers and
contractors for building barns and bridges.
ana there Is many a bridge along the
drives on Long Island upon the timbers of
winch may still be seen the names of sea.
men and landsmen, cut in by those who
iought and died in battle on the Guerrero
the Roanoke, the Shamrock, the Powhatan
and others of the war vessels.
Aside from these few timbers, the iron
copper and other metals are the only real
valuable things in the ship. The copper
0I course. Is most in demand, and always
brings good price.
Finally, when everything is taken ont
that is of any value, and when all the tim.
Der is taken out that will paw for the labor
whether for building or firewood. the rest
OF the hull is set on fire and burned. The
sight OF one of these burning vessels at
night is really brilliant one. The verdcris
and other combustible matter in the tim.
Der give off rich lights of the most brilliant
tints, and some OF the superstitious sight
seers have vowed that oftentimes the ghosts
OF dead mariners have been seen walking
the sands and digging in them for their
stolen kits.
1t has often been matter of wonder to
those who know nothing about the value
OF old junk as to where the buyers OF
these old vessels make a profiti For in
stance, the old Quinnebaug was bought
for about $4,000, and the buyer no doubt
made pretty fair profit upon his specula.
ton.
AUTHOR OF A FAMOUS REMARK
Upon some of these old hulks there is
often saved out some particular part of the
vessel that is looked upon as valuable for
relic. One of the greatest treasures of the
odds and ends from these old ships is the
steering wheel of the old Constitution, or
"Old Ironsides." as she was called The
old sailing ship Cyane, which was one OF
the vessels she captured in 1885, and which
did service for many years afterward in the
Pacific, was sold a few years ago and
broken up.
Few vessels of the old navy saw more
active service during the civil war than
the Anticipated side wheel steamer Pow
hatan. Before then, in 1857, she formed
part of the squadron which went to Japan
under Commodore Perry. 1t was on this
cruise that the famous expression, BLOOD
is thicker than water" originated. The
expression has been credited to others since
that date. and to an officer of the navy
who died in this city recently. In fact
Commodore Tattnall was the originator
of it.
He was in command of the Powhatan
during the troubles between the English
and the Chinese on the Pi river, when he
was obliged to remain neutral while the
Chinese forts were Smelling the French and
English gunboats. One of the English
gunboats WAS sunk by shot from the
fort and turning to some of the officers
alongside of him he said, Blood is thicker
than water" and ordered the boats low
cred and sent them to rescue the drowning
officers and crew of the British gunboat
The Powhatan once chased the privateer
Sumter from off the mouth of the Missis.
sippi to Maranhao, Brazil and missed cap
turing her by the giving out of the Pow
hatan's coal when she could not obtain
new supply The Powhatan has disap-
peared, except Il small portion of her hulk
and mass of old material which lies piled
up on the shore ut Cow bay,-New York
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