The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-15
n d OLD lR0NSlDEs'
81, 10 Remove the Historic
'''pI rrIasts Constitution
cEs1lSARlAS OF OUR NAVY
Am Anniversary of Her
Hs IN he Fittingly Com
IAs'e.s,ed-Mnny Victories

as president VI ''S
Porter s,rs Of the Revolution. ane
,sy Of " pepew. as president of th'
suces ~ society of the Sons of tnf
upn .,o revolution. 10 nave we ), ~,
tf = 1rorstt.ation moved to ash-a' isl,,.
~ y y. =. preserved for all time as d re'i'
va srst navy of the Nation,
TIC lhs' .,,,ntaon has been stotioneh al
~ ,,s n. H.. for some years as a
'a,.s .b,p and Looks more IKE a huse
blrns ~ ts,n the glorious old man oil
fev0. .,,a really is, The only opposi-
ua. w sohame of General Porter and
p % sy comes from Portsmouth.where
',orle naturally object to any pro,ec'
IN them the loss of the MS
rshtn. They have become attach
,rs old vessel and regard 1t as local
.ls nut II Is believed that these OBJ.
M. viii be overcome and tho sessei
wi ), the capital in time for a Dig
a. commemorate her Tooth nnrll-
vmony - s,sai centenarsan Is something
Fary. ., - even amoag the European ma
anmp,,,h have had navtes Tor cclgtu.
M , WILL ,r ,o care Il is believed that
,.u,,itrtion can be prcservei Tor two
~. I"' centuries, afforNling the people OF
WI ,htaned are an opportunity to see
s s,S AZ warship which helped to lay
smndai,on OF the. Union. -
vss durslg Washlngton's administra-
,hat the Constitution WAS ordered
i, Al a Boston shipyard. AZ tho same
Are other fr.gatoS were ordercd--thc
rrass chesapeake. PISGdent, Constol-
~ AMI United States. OF the six veg
v. aciv the Constitution and Constella-
survive. the latter being used as a
l,sss shin al the Newport Nautical
N Compared to the Constitution the
[ste,,st,pn did little active lighting, al
{.,eh ali Tx of the vessels figured prom
MN IN the naval battles of the 1872
Ne Constitution was launched Septen-
D lIe7. and was so speedily rugged and
Ia that she started on her first cruise
The early part of the following year.
mparcd with tho mammo h warships OF
Ay she would seem feeble fighter. but
kundrcd years ago she was regarded as
Brr,table terror of the deep. Between
peudculars she is i75 feet long; not as
A. ood-slzed steam yacht of today.
ne has an abundance of beam. being
,eet across, with a mean draught of 20
and a displacement of 200 tons.
he had forty-four guns. all of them
both bores, OF course, but this was n
btry not TO be sneezed at a century ago,
IN warship had only the wooden sides
IN
rare shs wal, commanded by CAPTAIN
kAossor and the following year Joined
iunoaore Barrys squadron in the West
|ies on the watch for French priva-
h. Many email prizes fell into the
IA, q ahe Constitution 40 she Was
m the cieanest sailor in The fleet.
Air she joined Preble's squadron. as
fAlp, to carry on war with Tripoll. III
m following year she was engaged
rpaiei fights with the batteries OF
kpolp and in bomhar1ing the town. In
Fnrle one of the five Attacks the Con-
.ulon u soh to have fred 10 roun IL
10 The ehmys works. There were other
nous Incidents of that war, notably the
rsp Of the Philadelphia by The ere.
Der destruction afterWard by the
n intrepid, under command of Lieu-
~ Stephen Decatur. in a hazardous
af3on, and. finally. he sad fate OF
n and his Futile band of heroes, who
Gb same ketch IN a most daring
hageqpDs attempt to blow UP tho
ne vessels, instead OF which the In
herself blew up. being heavily
~ With powder and shells, and all on
y prlshlng
y var with TTipoli at length being
contest with Tunis broke out,
he Constitution, as the flagship of
4e1, who then commanded uhe squa.
y vent 10 Tunis hay. That affair,
aewf, was soon over, and then the
etxioa returned ito home water for
nm came the war of 1872. in which the
sstu1nn won the first notable VIC
" w the American navy against
fAs European power. Captain Isaac
& commainicd her at this time and he
va to be a seaman worthy of tho ship.
Hnse proceeding northward from An.
rs 70 the New England coast she was
lM by British squadron on July II.
einsaoNinary chase ensued. British
- eager Tor their prey. sometimes
49, enough to open fire with their
suns, pH none OF the Shots reached
r, TGaNy American craft. All thai skin
WINDS was reser t To ,o o. One t.' of the
IN ., hua WAS 10 sead ont boats
sas to carry ke]re an, 4 ',"i -. a'o d.
~ ahead for The crew Of h. ems 10 t ,,1-
NJ ni sfl, l pos Toys MS three days and
~ favored he cons,,u liI 5'n aDd .le
" away ari thus enaeS ,'o n,e any no s s,,,
\, f,rels chasss ir our naval var histo rye
aloused almost y'f Tie Kh bSi, the 80 ss
'A' victory.
was month later. while cruising oc
su that viii sv ve b.r mat s,ns she ~ wG WA
American his.sy enanre s'', ~n a" h,,n lons
|s N 'ei IN with the English frlgate
|ksa,s 1 =, commanded by Captain James
, ~ san', asninst the forty-fonr Of the
n toa,oa In those days everything
isE ss a. Is shy isnsygeible. The French ne @
Easiisha Sa Ws NAPOLEON sent out TO agnt