The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-11-04

was upon the third attempt, and the
seafaring people of the east thought that
the many trials We're an omen OF i'll
luck. In point of fact she was the luck
lest ship perhaps ever f1oated, consider
ing the dangers passed through, and,
shaky with age, will help celebrate her
own centenary. She was never dismast-
ed, never aground Although she fought
some of the fiercest battles on record,
there were no serious slaughters aboard
Of her. She came out of the war of
1912, where she won the nickname Old
Ironsides, with a reputation of being a
lucky ship. It was because the enemys
shot failed to mi ure her that she was
called Old Ironsides.
When the war of 1912 broke out the
Constitution was already renowned.
She had fought the French in 1859,
under Commodore Barry, and also made
gallant record as Commodore Preble's
flagship in the Barbary war.
In her first fight, i'll 1912, the heroic
Hull was Oh her deck It was only an
accident, however, that this gallant tar
won first honors with the frigate in that
war After an adventurous cruise to
Franco Hull reached Boston with the
Constitution and instructions were sent
Oh from Washington that he remain
there. The orders were not received by
Hull until his return from "frigate
hunting cruise,' during which he had
sent his Britannia majesty's famous
Guerrero of IA guns to the bottom. He
10 Il ,lo.., ~
cruised in the north Atlantic, meeting
no strange sail until Aug 10. Very late
that daya stranger that had been under
surveillance for some hours was made
out to be an English frigate. With COL
ors flying and his crew at the guns, all
double shotted, Hull bore down on the
enemy.
The Constitution was received with a
steady discharge Of broadsides from the
Englishlnan. Some Of the British shot
took effect, and all on board the Ameri-
can frigate, excepting Hull, were anx-
ious to open fire. To every appeal the
captain said, mot yet, SIR When
within so yards Of her opponent the
Constitution fired her first broadside.
This was followed up and in 30 min
utes' time the English fore and main
mast went by the board. The mizzen
mast had already fallen over and the
flag floating there came down.
The prize proved to be the very ship
that Hull was looking for, the Guer-
riere. Her commander, Commodore
Dacres, had sent out a challenge asking
to meet an American frigate for the
purpose of having a few minutes tete-
a-tete.'' Hull had granted 80 minutes
and took him captive guest to Boston
in the Constitution, for the Guerrero
had been SO badly used up in the fight
that she could not float The stanch
American slip came off with so few
injuries that the sailors called her Old
Ironsides.
While Hull was absent with the Con-
stitution upon the cruise which finished
the Guerrero Captain William Balm
bridge reached Boston to take command
of the Constitution and go upon south
ern cruise. Bainbridge ranked Hull,
and the Constitution was assigned to
him as the flagship Of a small squadron
then in southern waters He sailed for
the West Indies, and one day late in
December found himself alone with his
flagship in the presence of an English
ship-of-war, the Java, carrying A guns.
cambridge was a bold fighter He greet
ed the show Of English colors with a
heavy broadside They were about even