Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-19
FUTURE OF OLD IRoNs1DEe.

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Washington Specialize presidents
approval on February IA of the act "au-
the secretary of the navy to
place the frigate Constitution in the
same condition as regards the hull and
rigging as she was when In active SER
interesting "reminiscences OF the more re-
cent career of the famous Old lronsides.
which had been almost forgotten In the
rapid development of the new steel navy.
1t is not generally known. for example,
that scarcely a stick of timber from the
original of the Guerrero now
exists. save a few decayed ribs
frames, so often has the hull been re-
stored and extensively repaired. and. IN
fact, when the provisions of the new law
are carried out the Constitution Will De
practically q new ship.
The navy department has been anticf-
pating for@several years securing autnOr-
ity for rehabilitating the Constitution ror
Hreferably at Washington, and with that
Ind in view has carefully saved large
quantities Of well seasoned live oak tim
Der and knees" in the ~shiphouse at the
BOSTON navy yard. all the ship timber at
the naval stations having been sold In
the last decade as worthless for the new
steel vessels. The chief constructor says
he has accumulated sufficient material IN
this manner to rebuild the ship. ana,
therefore,, all the money made available
may be expended for labor. The new law
involves the government in no expense:
as the Massachusetts State Society OF
United States Daughters of 1917 has un-
fdertaken to raise all the funds required.
is not to be begun until the money Is
raised by popular subscription.
RESCUED FROM THE FLATS.
The earlier history of the famous old
craft, especially of her fighting days.
is familiar to all school children. but
since she was placed on the retired list,
just before the civil war, other vessels
have crowded her out Of the pupHc mlno;
just as the Oregon and the Olympia ana
the Gloucester have more recently divert
! ed attention from the earlier ships OF
the White Squadron. Nearly thirty years
ago, when patriotic ingenuity was taxed
in preparation for the centennial celebra-
ton of the Declaration of Independence,
the dismantled hulk of the old frigate
was rotting away in neglect on the mud
flats of the Philadelphia navy YARD,
where in 1875 the present chief construc-
tor of the navy was ordered to restore
her to her original condition for the ex-
hibition. What was left of her was
hauled out on dry land, all rotten plank
ing and other timber was torn OF
thrown away, until a bare semDlance OF
the keel and ribs remained.
Just at this time, to provide railway
room for railway trains which were ex-
pected to carry the vast crowds IN ana
out of Philadelphia, the old navy yard
was sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad
! company. which Immediately took pos
session, and assisted the navy to TRANSFER
it's movable plant promptly to League
Island, which was given to the govern
ment. The remains of the Constitution
were in no condition to be moved except
ipiecemeal so a high hoard fence was built
Gclose to her, and inside of this. under the
) most trying circumstances, she was re-
built, and finally launched. During the
I exhibition she was anchored IN mid
4 stream, and was visited by thousands.
i who whitfield her woodwork and carried
laWay tons of splinters from her, under
the mistaken notion hat they were get
ting souvenirs of the original ship. Con
structor Hichborn says that the hull at
that time was wholly replanked and fast
Il ened with iron bolts; at a cost OF about
$15O,oOe, and everything In sight was
brand new.
The work was SO we'll done that when
it was proposed to send the vessel to the
Paris exposition Of 1878 as a transport for
United States National exhibits an In
lspecti0n board pronounced her as sea-
worthy as any vessel in the service. To
get the exhibits into her hold 1t was ne
cessary to cut out her deck and enlarge
her matches, so she could carry street
cars n other large articles. Under
the command of Captain Oscar Badger
she reached Havre without extraordinary
difficulties, it being considered that Am
erican men-Of-Warsmen of that time
were not familiar with navigating vessels
dependent upon said power alone, but or
her return she had an exciting cruise
and was the subject of constant national
anxiety. Almost at the ouset she ''piled
up bows on, on the shores of ireland
: and only got af1Oat again after much "a
thence had been shown and much ingenu-
ity and labor had been expended. The
drubbing she had on the rocks at that
time proved how thoroughly she had beer
repaired.
AN ODD VOYAGE HOME.
= Her release was only effected by tn.
concerted efforts of a number of tugs
;. hitched to her stern. acting in conjunc.
ton with an unusually high tide. From
the Irish coast she ran into a heavy
storm, which carried away her ruddder
and just about the time she was expected
at New York the navy department wa.
~astOnished to receive the nnouncemen'
. of her arrival at Gibraltar. Here sh,
= United States. She reached home final
= ly by way of Cape Verde and West In
dies. and after ~discharging her cargo
was sent to Portsmouth, N. H.. to b.
housed over, at a cost of 10000, unit
she resembled NOah's Ark fitted as a re
: ceiving ship at that navy yard. Their,
4 Old IrOnsides remained until she wa.
/ towed down to Boston to celebrate tn
i~centennary of her wi launching on DC
. tober q. 1897, when n Of hi powde
: boys who served o. her in 1912 was pres
] ent.
Q Since that time the ship has been idl
at the Boston navy yard.
Naval officers do not think the popula
subscription of the old vessel will b.
, [completed for several years, and, as the!
= are prevented under the law from start
ing the work until all the money needle,
lis paid in. they do not expect to have tn
/, CONSTITUTION ready for sea before 1910, a
. the earliest.