The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-03
The III. {: !: !. FIRST /: \ !; SHIPS !. s,
7 OF Uncle Sans Navy We're Built in
Ninety Days.
RANDOLPH WAS THE PIONEER.
She Was Small, But Had q Glorious
Career-Her Captain Went Down
With Her When She Was Sunk.
Other Twelve Accomplished Little.

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first warshlps furnish an interesting
and glorious chapter said one OF the
Oldest officials of the vessels now ready
TO take part in the China trouble. $50
much has been printed about our new
war vessels that the fraIl crafts bull. by
the United Colonies In ITS have been
entirely overlooked. The very. first pro-
vision for a truly national naval force
was made In October, 1775, when Con-
gress authorized the purchase and fit
ting out Of four vessels for the defense
Of. the Delaware. tits true, however,
that ct the commencement Of the war
of the revolution each colony. acting in
dependentiy. fitted out u number of
small armed vessels to prey upon Brit
istr commerce, and history says that
they did good service throughout the
part of the national forces. were never
commanded by naval officers, nor did
they fly the national flag ensign. After
the first provision was made by Con-
sress for u national naval force, 1t did
not take long to have the four vessels
ready. nor was It long before the yes
sells were shown entirely adequate. ana
Congress passed law authorizing the
construction OF thirteen vessels carry
ing from twenty-four to thirty-one
guns. Such was the authority for the
first hattleships OF the country. They
were to be named the Washington,
Raleigh. Hancock, Randolph, Warren.
Virginia, Trumbull, Efingham. Con-
gress. Providence. Boston, Delaware
'and Montgomery. Congress further
stipulated that they were to be laid
down In the colonies of New England.
Z New York, Pennsylvania and Mary
land. s s.
An Easy Task in Those Days. -,
Building ship was by no means the
task that It is to-day, and I'm three
months after the passage Of the act. in
the spring of 1915, the Randolph, the
first Of the thirteen. was launched from
the banks Of the Delaware somewhere
near the present site OF kenssngton.
Reports have not been handed to us of
grand ceremonies on that occasion,
thousands of throats did not yell them
selves hoarse to greet her as she Kissed
the waves. the newspapers did not fill
columns in naming the notables pres
ent. and yet 1t was u day, OF infinite
more cause OF rejofcin@ ~ than the
lounch;ngs Of the present day, for with
absolutely no navy at all, we were II
the midst of II struggle for independ-
encc from the foremost maritime coun-
try OF the world.
Delays in the armament and equip
ment of the Randolph caused hold-up
until early in the year III. when she
finally sailed the capes OF the Delaware,
under the command of Capt. Nicholas
Etddle. Of Philadelphia, who had pre-.
v!ously been In the service OF the col
ouS- navy of Pennsylvania, where H.:
had rendered such efficient service tina:
he had been among tn. original tlvS
captains named BY Congrass.I for tho
regular navy by act OF November. 1875
Captain Biddle headed the Randolph
southwark in search OF the enemy S
Vessels. He made several prizes. car
rying them safely. into Charleston, S,
c.. and SO fired the people of that colony
With his audacity, courage and SUCCESS
that they promptly fitted out squad
ron OF small vessels to act against the
enemy In that vicinity, and placed them
at Captain Bidde's disposal With the
Randolph as flagship he made several
cruises along the coast and to the Bn-
hama banks. sending In prize after
Z prize Of transports, merchant vessels
and small cruisers Of the enemy.
Fell in With the Enemy.
On the night OF the seventh of
March, IT'S. his little squadron being
then twenty-eight dnys out from Char.
lesion. and some two hundred miles
from the coast, fell In with the enemy's
sixty-four gun frisate Yarmouth. Th1
Randolph received the full force Of thu
enemy's fire. and after a hard engage
ment Of more than half an hour, She
caught fire and blew W. Bidd!e refus
ed 10 surrender and though severely
wounded early In the action. fought L
the last. and went down with his ship
Such was the fate of hcr brave com
mander He was only twenty-eigh
years old at the time Of his death, bu
he had made. In his brief span OF time
a name for enterprise. courage, auGac
lty, and perseverance that has bee,
handed down in the annals Of our nava
history. as one of abe brnvcst OF thu
brave. and It Will last through all time
The Randolph though one of the lur.
sest OF the vessels authorized by thu
act OF 1175, was rated at only twenty.
two.gun, trlgatt. She was probably o,
about SIX hundred ton burden, one hun.
dred to one hundred and twenty fee,
long. Twenty-Five % thirty.nve fec
bcnni. and drew about twelve feet o,
water. Her armament was of nine nnL
slS-ponndcrs, mpuniel on n single un.
covered deck, and with top gallant fore.
castle. and her crew one hundred nnJ
fifty men. Size was OF the type or The
bhttlcship OF the day, but small ana
insignificant when compared with thu
sl%ty-four. Beventy-four and ninety.
gun line of hattleships which she was
!m3ie to meet. No record can be f0tnd
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