La Junta tribune., 1899-05-20
AGAIN TO WEAR PAINT
FARRA AOUT'S FLAG SHIP IN
FIGHTING LINE.
She Has Been Entirely Rsntted ut tho
Mare Island Yard and Is Again Fit
for servics--shcathed with Copper
Glorious OLD Sloop of War.

The glorious old slcop OF war Hart.
ford. from whose wooden SIDES thun-
dered the broadsides OF Fa,ragut. is to
be made an effective fighting craft in
our navy once more. She was bui at
the Boston navy yard in the year 1853.
and has lately been thoroughly over
hauled, repaired and reiitted at the
navy yard. Mare Island. A modern
battery has been paced on boa'd ami
an additional deck added Ga light spar
deck). covering her main battery from
the weather, as well as from inju y
from small gun projectiles during ac-
tion. The beams and stringers Of this
deck are steel, with steel angles and
fastening come tiors to the wood hull.
and these are covered with a sub tan
tial deck Of California wood. On this
upper or spar deck, around the raj, 4
mounted secondary battery OF four
6-pounder and one 3-pounder rapid-ire
guns, two Colts and one 5-inch gun
at the bow on the center line. Below
this. on the gun deck, are mounted
twelve 5-inch rapid-fire guns. This
battery of modern guns is in strong
contrast to the ancient smooth
bores" that made the Hartford SO
famous under the command of the in
vincible Farragut In the civil wa. 1t
is also superior to any of the batter
les placed on our late steel guntolts.
and but for the danger that would re-
suit to her in action. due to splinters
| and fire, owing to her wooden hull. she
would be more than a match for most
of our new vessels also those OF for
egn navies of near her displacement
The vessel is sheathed with copper.
and having alzo large sail spread. she
is capable of making long sea voy-
ages without being Obliged to lInger
near coaling stations. With new bo l.
ers and the engines put in thorough
repair speed OF twelve knots on 2,0O)
horse power Is expected, while under
sail alone with a stiff breeze she Is
expected to make speed of nine knots
at least At previous session OF
Congress money was appropriated to
keep this historic vessel in repair ana
in active service-a most commendable
provision. II is noted that foreign gov
ernments keep their celebrated naval
vessels afloat and in service for gener-
ations. Nelson's flagship, the Victory,
is one of these.
The dimensions. etc, OF the Hart
ford are: Length between perpsndic-
uars, 225 feet: breadth. a. feet; mean
draft OF water. Is feet 2 inches; capac-
ity of coal bunkers, 2S6 tons: compile
x>f IN n pv
crew. 212. 1t is expected that the vessel
will be ready for sea about Septembe.'
30, The Hartford was Just four years
old when Admiral Farrasut, command
ing the Western Gulf blocking squad
ron, OF which the famous sloop OF wa
was the flagship, determined to force
the passage of the forts and take New
Orleans. The feat was unluestionably
the most brilliant achievem ant in ma a
history, and has only recently been
paralleled by Dewtys glorious vic;orj
at Manila Bay. The course that Farra-
CUTS feet had to follow to reach the
forts was known to be thickly m ned,
and all manner of terrors were appre'
hended, but there was no wavesing.
D. the torpedoes." cried Farragu..
"go ahead And the robust languaga
OF the old fire-eater took its place
among sentences historical.
Led by the Hartford. from whoje
sides there belched forth fire, smoke
and metal in continuous stream. the
squadron passed tie confederate forts.
Jackson and st. Philip. and tcot New
Orleans on the following day. Fa:ra-
gut then attacked and captured the
principal gulf ports CT Texas. cJmpies-
ing the glorious task he had set for
himself.
The name of Farragut was henee-
forth to be enrolled am ong our lead
ing naval heroes. and the splendid
Hartford is designed to possess the
same historical importance TO the
American people as Mel -on's fla2sh.p
Victory, to the British. The Victorys
fighting days are over. Her old age Is
being passed peacefully in hartor amid
no more exciting surroundings that
the ordinary hum-drum OF comm re,
provides. Her sole mission now is to
stir to patriotic fervor the feelings OF
those of the queens subjects who
climb aboard the gray old ship ana
mediate ecstatically on the glory of
Britain as they gaze at the brass plat,
On which is Inserted: Here Nelson
fell" more useful life is ahead for
the Hartford. American patriots can
proudly walk her decks as she plo1s
the waves armed with guns of the new
est type, a more formidable craft by
far than that from which Farragut
flung his famous defan:e u tie en-
emy's explosives. It should be gala
day throughout America when the