The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-13
FAMOUS OLD HARTFORD.
Favragut's Flagship VIII BE Ready fol
Sea Next Fall.
Washington Post

The glorious old sloop OF war Hartford,
from whose wooden sides Numbered the
broadsides of Farragut, is to be made an
effective part of our navy once more.
She was built at the Brooklyn navy yard
In the year 1858 and has lately been
thoroughly overhauled, repaired, and re-
fitted at the navy yard, Mare island. A
modern battery has teen placed on board
and an additional deck ADDED (a light spar
deck), covering her main battery from the
weather, ms well ms from injury from
small gun projsotiles during action. The
beams and .stripgers of this deck are steel,
with steel angles and fastening connec-
tions TO the wood hull, and these are COW
sred with subtnntial deck of California
wood.
ON this upper or spar deck around the
rail is mounted a secondary battery of
four six-pounder and one three-pounder
rapid-tire guns, two Colts, and one five
inch guns at the bow, on the centsr line.
Below this, on the gun deck, are mount
ed twelve tive-inch rapid fire guns. This
battery of modern guns is in strong con-
trast to the ancient "smooth bores" that
made the Hartford so famous under the
command of the invincitle Farragut in
the civil war. 1t is also superior to any
of the batteries placed on our late steel
gunboats and, but for the danger that
would result to her in action, due to
splinters and tire, owing to her wooden
hull, she would be more than match for
most of our new vessels, also those of for
eign navies of near her displacement
The vessel is sheathed with copper, and
having also r large sail spread, she is
capable of making long voyages without
being Obliged to linger near coaiing sta
tions. With new boilers and the engines
put in through repair,a speed of twelve
knots on 1000 horsepower is expected,
while under sail alone, with stiff breeze,
she is expected to make a speed of nine
knots at least.
The Dimensions, etc., of the Hartford
are: length between perpendiculsrs. 225
feet; breadth. Al feet; mean draft Of
water. IS feet inches; capacity of coal
bunkeis, 2S6 tons; complement of officers,
81; complement or Grew, 2l2.
1t il expected that the vessel will be
ready for sea about sept. 20, 1899. The
Hartford was just four years old when
Admiral Farragut, commanding the
which the famous sloop of war was the
flagship, determined TO force the passage
OF the forts and take New Orleans. The
feat was unquestionably the most brill
liant achievement in naval history, and
has only recently be en- paralleled by
Dewey's glorious victory at Manila bay
The course that Farragut's fleet had to
follow to reach the forts was known to be
thickly mined, and all manner of terrors
were apprehended, but there was no wav-
ering. "D---the torpedoes,' cried Far
ragut, L'go ahead" And 1.-The robust
language OF the old 1re-eater took its
place among sentences historical.
there belched forth fire, smoke, and metal
In a continuous stream, the squadron
passed the Confederate forts, Jackson and
St. Philip, and took New Orleans on the
following day. Farragut then attacked
ana captured the principal gulf ports of
Texas, completing the glorious task he
had sst for himself.