The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-19
OLD TIME SEA STORIES.
Suggested by "A Queer Museum of
Relies In CharIestOwn Navy Yard.

Relies in CharlestOwn Navy Yard.
From the Boston Evening Transcript.
Boston Is famous for its wealth OF histo-
Tical associations. and dts old landmarks
and buildings make 1t one OF the most in
terestng cities In tho country to visit.
In the many museums in this city, too.
may be found hundreds of articles OF
great historic interest, about which most
of the citizens OF Boston know but little.
Some of the most interesting of these are
10 be found in the naval lyceum at the
Charlestown navy yard. This was origin
ally intended as a station from which let
tiers and packages could be sent out to Of
ficers, and in the course Of time the Off
GERS equipped It with library, and got 10
using It as a sort OF club. They also con-
tributed to 1t any rare or curious articles
which they happened to pick up IN the
course OF their cruises, and with the
things which were sent in from other
sources a most interesting museum was
formed. Gradually. however, this custom
has fallen into disuse and for number Of
years there have cen no contributions to
the museum. AlJut the most interesting
thing in It IL the fgurehead Of the Gen
eral Armstrong, a ship about which there
is comparatively little mention in his
tory and vet which played most inn
portant part in the battle Of New Orleans,
one OF the principal fights of the war OF
1872.
5she Gen. Armstrong was noted Ameri-
can privateeF, and at the time OF the oc-
currence which had such an influence on
this fight was commanded by Capt Sam
uel c. Reed. On the 2sth of September.
1874 she was lying in the harbOr OF fayal
when three British vessels were sighted
bearing down for the har'bor. They turned
out to be the "a Plantagenet. the Rota, 80.
and the sloop Carnation, IS guns. Al
though Portugal was a neutral power,
Capt. Reed knew that she was not OF sur
ficfent strength to enforce neutrality in
her harbor against these ships, and, an
ticipating trouble. he got up his anchor
and hauled the Armstrong as close to the
shops as possible, anchoring her with
springs, 50 as to bring her broadside to the
British ships. His fears proved well
grounded. for that night they attacked
him in boats. The boats were discovered
some time before they reached the ship,
and a broadside OF grape was poured into
them, repelling them with fearful slaugh-
ter More boats were launched, however,
and q. second attempt was made. This
time, in spite Of the grape, the boarders
succeeded in securing foothold on the
Armstrong. but were finally driven from
her. The Carnation was then brought up.
and a long-range battle between the two
vessels was begun, but Reed mounted
Long Tom" his A-pound gun, on the
main deck, and used III to such good effect
that the CarnatiOn was crippled and driven
off After this third attempt. Reed realized
that the British ships would get the bet
ter of him in the long run, and, scuttling
his vessel, he escaped TO the shore and
made his way inland. In this fight the
american fDHL Two kliieN ana seven wound
ed, while the British loss was more than
800 officers and men, killed and wounded.
The damage to the Carnation was so great
that the ships, by reason of the necessary
repairs and the shorthandedness result
ing from the great loss Of men, were de-
tained for ten days. They were on their
way to New Orleans, and this delay of ten
days gave Jackson time to. gather his
troops and strengthen his position. so that
the gallant fight made by the Gen. Arm
strong probably won the battle. When the
ship finally broke up, the figurehead came
ashore. and Il was sent by the council Of
Fayai 10 Washington, and later presented
to the lyceum.
Another interesting relic in the same nu-
scum Is an umbrella which was used by
the Constitution In making her es-
cape from the English feet IN July, 1872
This Is all that Is told by the card attach
"a 20 st. and the umbrella is a complete
puzzle 70 nearly everyone who visits the
museum. In the first place Il Is utterly I'M
like any umbrella that any one ever saw
before, and. IN the second. not one person
IN a hundred r. able 20 figure out how the
Constitution made use OF Il IN making her
escape from the British vessels. IL rs ex-
actly Ike an umbrella frame IN general
shape. but tho stick "a ten feet long. with
a heavy iron ring al each end. and Is
about three inches 10 diameter The
frame slides ~ apa down 81 a. Just ike