The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-15

1
failures in every way. In 1913 PER-,
won his victory on Lake Erie by mean!
| of an improvised fleet, and Thomas
Macdonough gained one of the mos
| complete and well-designed victories II
/ naval annals on Lake Champaign III
| 1914. Aside from these battles, the wal
was carried on mainly by individua
engagements. In nearly every engage
ment the Americans came off victor
| ious. Decatur. in the United states
| captured the English frigate Macedon-
ian. Rodgers with the President made
easy capture of the Little Belt. David
| Porter had a number of victorious en-
| counters in the Essex. Lawrence com
manded the Hornet in the capture oil
the Peacock, but in 1913, while com
handing the Chesapeake in the great
action with the Shannon, he was NOR
tally wounded and the Chesapeake was
made a prize The Constitution, Unit
ed States, Constellation and Essex, and
the remarkable American sloops, the
Hornet, the Wasp, the Peacock, the
Enterprise and the Argus brig, bore
the brunt of the war almost alone. The
Essex belonged to a smaller class OF
frigates built for service during the
French war. The Constitution is de-
scribed as a wet boat in a heavy sea,
but easy to handle under all condi-
lions.
There was, of course, much priva-
teering during the war of 1872, and
some of the American privateers were
victorious in dashing actions.
From the year 1897 dates the second
organization of the navy, and it was
at the commencement of this period
that American shipbuilding reached a
high point of perfection. Although it
was the skill and intrepidity of the
American gunners that made the &C
tions short and decisive, the strength
of their ships in what is known as
stiffness" of the outer planking that
sheated their hulls counted for more
than half in the broadside engagements
of the days of oak. The old frigates
were probably the staunchest craft of
their kind afoat and combined fast
sailing qualities with strength, having
been known to make Is knots with a
fair wind. The American sailor was
at that time trained up TO all the arts
and devices of practical navigation, the
frequent use of studding sails and the
wetting of the sails in a calm to make
them hold the wind, accomplished by
passing buckets of water up the
shrouds Towing was also frequently
resorted TO when a becalmed vessel
was in danger of destruction by the
presence of two or three British fri
gates at one time.
During the war of 1912 were author
lied. and later on. from 1915 to 1858.
were built the only real line
ships ever put afloat by the American
people until the construction of the In
diana and her consorts. They were the
Pennsylvania. the Ohio. North Caro-
lima, Delaware, Washington. Column
bus, Franklin, Vermont. New Halnp-
shire (first named Alabama). Virginia,
New York. New Orleans and InleOnn-
dence. The Franklin, Independence
and New Hampshire were raced later.
The Pennsylvania was the largest. She
was a four-decker OF $500 tons and
mounted 120 guns; her complement CT
officers and men was LOO: the Ohio
came next at 200 tons. and he others
were of 1888 tons and were rated at
"a guns each, though the Franklin car
ried Sc the Columbus so and the rest
81. The Pennsylvania was commenced
in 1922 and was not launched until 1887.
She was the largest vessel ever owned
by the United States up to that time
and was destroyed in 1861 at Norfolk
The writer saw the Ohio at Boston
Navy Yard in 1850. shortly before she
was destroyed. She was a marvel of
colossal architecture. and though she
had been afloat for GO years with little
or no repair was in "A comparatively
good state of preservation. She tower
ed high out of the water and had the
old time sheer of deck surmounted by
a rising forecastle and a broad quarter
deck. Three rows of huge square gun
ports, closed by heavy drop shutters,
pierced her broad sides in three white
bands. The upper gun deck extended
around the stern the same as in the
frigades. Underneath the stern gun
ports a wooden balcony extended out
over the water from the apartment of
the commanding officer. The rail OF
the balcony was constructed for speedy
removal in time of action. when the
cabins could be cleared away for the
working of extra guns. The Indepen-
dence and Vermont are now receiving
ships at Mare Island and New York
Navy Yards respectively. and the New
Hampshire is under temporary loan to
the New York State Naval Reserve.
Some of these battleships continued
long on the stocks. The Vermont was
not launched until 1913. In 1850 the
New Hampshire and the New York
were still unfinished. The New Orleans
was condemned and sold on the stocks
at Sackett's Harbor some time after
1921.
The appearance under full sail of
these ships was imposing and majestic.
The Pennsylvania, the only four tier
ship of the line of the United States
navy, was built at Philadelphia, as
were also the Franklin and North Car
olina. The Ohio was built at New
York. the Columbus at Washington,
the New Hampshire at Portsmouth.
the New Orleans at Sackett's Harbor,
the New York and Delaware at Cos
port, and the Virginia and Indepen-
dence at Boston. Some extracts from
the logs of their commanders may
serve to illustrate a very interesting
chapter in the history of these floating
citadels. that did nothing else than
cruise around the world. The first
cruise of the Columbus. 1921. "stows
her water and provisions well and
when full of both and equipped for sea
has a maximum draught of % feet. Her
best sailing trim is p to "a ipches by
the stern" Chat much lower in the
stern) Third cruise. 1S4S.-''She is easy
on her spars and stands up well under