The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-29
NAVY YARD CURI0SITIES.
Trophies That Adorn the Little Park
Near the COMMANDMENTS ONCE.


Near the Communicates ONCE.
The civilians who have come from all
parts OF the country IN the past three
months 10 visit their relatives and friends
on the ships that have been at the navy
yard 70 be fitted and made ready for &C
tive service In Cuban waters and for
other duty IN connection with the war
with Spain. have SVEN much interest 10
the little triangular park near the COM
mandants headquarters. and they have
taken photographs Of the old relics there
or made sketches Of them, and copied the
inscriptions upon them
Among these old relics are TWO ls-pound-
or smooth bo-e guns. about 8 feet long.
and two 32-pounders. : feet long. they
are Of cast iron. and that which attracts
the especial attention Of visitors Is the
representation Of the British crown on
the muzzle. with the words, George III,
Rex" underneath. and an arrow on the
TOP running parallel with the bore. while
on the breach is painted the mere fact
that they are the guns of the Macedonian.
These guns are the relics Of the war OF
1872. and may be regarded as q courtesy
paid BY the brave Captain Decatur 10
the British government in turn for insult
0lIEIf0 ON II I'd NllF +AlllNA t'fiA ifN0 i-t'' tf
insistence that American vessels sohuld
be searched and American seamen be
impressed. The Macedonian. after her
capture By Decatur. was raised and used
for many years AS a training ship at the
Naval Academy.
Until recently the guns have done SER
vice as ornaments on the naval hospital
grounds. being set on the upper and lower
terraces as posts. When the terraces
were removed the guns were relieved or
their burden Of accumulated rust and
dirt. and We're then mounted and placed
in the triangular park.
IL was on october %. 1872. that the frig-
ate Macedonian was sighted about
COO miles from the Canary Islands by De-
caturs ship. the United States. and the
chase began when within range inc
United states ship fired "a brOadside, and
an hour and a half after the engagement
began tho Macedonian commander
struck her colors and surrendered. She
had received over one hundred shots IN
bor hull. her mzzenmast had gone by
the board. her fore and main topmasts
had been shot away. and her main yard
hung i'm the sings, forty-three OF her
crew we're killed. siXty-one, including
her first and second lieutenants. were
severely or mortally wounded.
Another cannon Us the smOoth-bore ?
finch "Peacemaker" used by the Federals
i'm the cival war. while immediately IN
front Of her muzzle is large perforated
piece Of armor made Of dozen plates
Of half-inch iron. showing what a shot
from the gun was capable or dong Then
there are couple Of smooth-bores. which
at one time were a part Of the battery
Of cold IrOnsides' the Constitution.
on one side Of the triangle are three
small cannon that were taken from some
OF the blockade runners in the civil war.
I'm the middle Of the enclosure and near
the base Of the tringle is a white mar
bic monument twelve feet high and sur
mounted by an American eagle. erected
10 the memory Of the American seamen
who were kild I'm the attempt 70 run the
barrier forts IN the Canton river. China
I'm the boats Of the United states warships
Levant. San Jacinto and portsmouth, NO.
vember 1856.
This was lust after the trouble between
the Chinese and the British forces. and
followed a four-days' night, resulting In
the surrender Of the Chinese forts TO the
American fleet. under Commander A. f..
Foote. the officer who has the credit Of
Occurring the abolition OF the whiskey ra-
ton in 1863 On the shaft is this inscrip-
ton:
ITO those who fell at the Capture Of
the Barrier Forts, in the Canton River
China November Is. %, p and p ls55
this monument is erected by their Ship
mates"
on the three other sides are inscribed
the names OF the vessels engaged and the
names Of the men who lost their lives.
Across the path and alongside the en-
trance 10 the commandants building is
monster piece Of wrought steel V-shap-
ed. weighing about four tons. which once
adorned the bows OF the old frigate Mis-
sissippi. the flagship Of Commodore Per-
rvs Japan expedition IN 49,
Early in the Civil War she grounded at
Port Hudson In the attack on that
stronghold, when she was set on fire and
abandoned. The C0nfederates made every
effort TO put out the fire and finally sue
ceeded. She was then converted into a
Confederate ram. and a few months az
terward she was captured by the Fed
erals forces ana burned al New Orleans.
The ram Is all that Is left OF her.
But these few relics and the piles OF
smooth-bore cannon balls and shells. aad
the rows OF anchors that have passed
into 'lnnocuous desuetude." AFFORD much
interest to ipfrequent visitors to the New
York Navy Yard-New York Sun.