The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-15
The American Macy.
ITS DEVELOPMENT FROM WOODEN WALLS TO THE MOD
ERN ARMORED STEEL SHIPS OF WAR-BATTLE SHIPS
OLD AND NEW.

ffon of Independence. So early as I'VE
congress had authorized the construc-
ton OF national cruisers of 32 guns
each. and under this act 10 frigates
were built, of 80 and % guns, but be-
fore they could be completed the gov
eminent was compelled to purchase a
number of vessels for immediate pro-
lection This fleet of IL embraced two
ships of "a guns, six brigs of II guns.
two schooners of eight guns and four
sloops of 10 guns. They were badly
equipped and badly manned and at the
expiration of the revolution scarcely
one of their number remained. They
represented an advanced though crude
stage of Colonial shipbuilding. The
period from 1775 to 1855 was one of pow
erty and continued struggles on the
part of the government. 1t was only
by limited purchasing and careful
home building that sufficient vessels
could be gotten together to meet even
half successfully the superior numbers
of the British ships stationed off our
coast. During this ten years the whole
complement of vessels in the register
of the United States was 81. They were
divided into classes of ships, briggs,
sloops. schooners. cutters, gondolas and
galleys. the latter being transport boats
and floating batteries used for bonn
bardment The largest of the ships
were the 32-gun frigates, which. how
ever. were of small tonnage. Through
the efforts of Franklin five vessels were
lent to the United States by France.
They were the Bon Homme Richard,
the Pallas, Oriel, Cert and Vengeance.
The Richard carried AZ guns and was
the most powerful ship used by the
Americans during the revolution. The
French vessels were returned at the
end of the war, with the exception of
the Richard, which was sunk in l77S.
During the war 500 vessels of all classes
were made prizes. but the Americans.
having lost IL by capture themselves
and burned Is to avoid being taken,
and with a loss of three abandoned at
sea and five condemned, were practi-
cally without a navy from 1855 until
1897. The operations of the navy were
regulated by a committee to admins
ter naval affairs" The committee was
appointed by the president from men,
bers of congress, and John Adams was
its most important member. The naval
committee continued until 1898, when
the navy department was formally es-
tablished as a government office, and
has since remained so with the addition
from time to time of several neces-
sary bureaus.
The frigate was the largest type OF
vessel possessed by this country during
the revolution, as during the war of
1912. Congress ordered three 74s in
1776, but they never got into service.
The revolutionary frigates have passed
entirely out of existence, though the
names of some, the Randolph, Raleigh,
Warren, Alliance, Hancock and Deane
are wei remembered. OF smaller ships
the Providence and Trumbull. 2S-gun
frigateS. and the Boston. are also
known in history. Other small vessels
and the ships purchased from France,
as well as the multitudinous privateers.
figured in the small actions with which
this war abounded. But at the close of
the war the United States had scarcely
so much as a cockboat afioat
During the transition period some of
the states maintained small navies.
The second reorganization of the ma
Wy began with the building of the fri
gates whose names gained imperisha-
BILE lustre during the war of 1912. In
1897 were launched the three most sue
cessful of them, the Constitution, the
Constellation and the United States.
The Constitution and the United States
were rated as AS, the Constellation as
Sc. Next followed i'm 1893. the Phila-
delphia, SO. wrecked off Tripoli I'm 1903,
and the old Congress. also Sc, broken
up at Norfolk in 1886, and not TO be
Hampton Roads fight. She was launch
ed at Portsmouth in 1871 and was a..
The New York a Sc. built at New York
in 1893. was on service in the West In
dies, 1900. but was laid up and rotted
at Washington. dropped to pieces and
was sold as a hulk in 1914.
The Chesapeake, SO. and the Adams,
2s. so unfortunate in the war of 1912,
were also launched in this year, and
the President. "A. captured in 1915, was
launched in 1900.
At this time were also built the IS
gun sloops afterwards so famous. and
a number of small frigates and other
vessels.
The Constitution. Constellation and
United States were all rebuilt in 1853.
The United States was broken up by
order of the navy department before
the outbreak of the civil war; the Con-
stellation is now a training and prac-
tice ship at Newport. and the Consti-
tuition is a cut-down receiving shin at
Portsmouth. Troubles with France be-
tween 1898 and 1901 FASTENED the equip
ment of four squadrons i'm the West
Indies. The whole fleet amounted only
10 II vessels. which operated singly
against the French. and with such sue
cuss that 100 prizes were made before
the end of 1901. The war with France
was an excellent schooling for the
navy, which, even in the short interim
OF peace, had begun TO suffer from
stagnation
The Constitution was commanded by
Isaac Hull in the capture of the Guer-
riere, by cambridge during the cruise
which resulted in the capture of the
Java and by Stewart in the magnifi-
cent action against the British frigate
Syane and sloop-of-war Levant. one OF
the smartest naval engagements in
history. The war OF 1912 brought out
-sbe ability of the American people as
a >paritime nation in times of neces-
sityA In numbers the American navy
was Insignificant compared with the
English. but the training and discipline
of the men and the enthusiasm OF ITS
officers elevated IL TO a dangerous
lighting pitch. II should be remember
ed that though rated as AS the Consti-
tuition and her oonsorts carried more