Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-02
HoNoRs TO sEAMEN.
Waterbury People Receive Shea and
 McGuinness With Glad Hand.

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 McGuinness With Glad Hand.
 Joseph McGuinness, of the United States navy, who has been spending short vacation at the residence of his father, John McGuinness, of Baldwin street, left this afternoon for the Brooklyn navy yard, where he will go aboard the Hartford. He does not eX- pect to see Waterbury again for four years. MT McGuinness enlisted last October and since that time he has seen a good deal of the world, notably portions of South America and the West Indies. A Democrat reporter had a long chat with Joe to-day and it is a caution how he can talk about sea-faring life and the ship on which he is training. The reporter and Joe first became acquainted in St Pat rick's Sunday school, where the for mer often pulled the latter'S ear, but he wouldn't like to try it now. But what matter about that? Joe was a good boy in those days, so that it will not surprise his old friends to know that he has already won laurels in his class on board the Hartford. He knows the history of his ship by heart and talks of it with as much feeling as an exile refers to the place of his birth.
 '.The historic old Hartford" he said, Sis now used as q training ship. Al though largely rebuilt of recent years. and equipped with modern machinery and guns, the original lines have been retained, and she still presents her old appearance. Any man jack of her old crew could recognize in an instant to-day Admiral Farragut's famous flagship, which fought so gallantly ill Mobile bay. The story of that en- gagement, with Farragut in the Hart lords rigging, coming" his ship, has been told in song, story and with ar tist's brush, and is familiar to every American. The Hartford of to-day is the same old ship to the eye, though rebuilt and reftted. With perhaps the exception of the Kearsarge, her record in the Civil war is the most glorious of any Union vessel in that terrible conflict She is the last sur- yivor of the fleet of the Civil war.
 .She carries a battery of thirteen f1ve-inch guns, which replace the old nine-inch smooth bores of war days. She has single screw, 2,O00 horse power, and speed of twelve knots. At the time she was built, just forty years ago, she was considered one of the finest steam sloops of war afioat. but the ushering in of the iron vessels with the Monitor and Merrimac class soon made her back number. She was designed by Naval Constructor F. H. Delano, built under his supervision at the Boston navy yard, and launched November 23, 1858. She is 225 feet long on the water line and 264 feet long over all. Her rigging has. been changed from ship to bark.
 Admiral David B. Farragut sailed out of Hampton Roads on February ?, 1862, with the Hartford as his flagship and he kept her until the end of the war. She participated in the battle below New Orleans in the six days bombardment of Forts Jackson and st Philip and the supporting Confederate fleet, and after one of the most mem. orabIe engagements of the war, New Orleans surrendered April 25. Tn the action with the defenses of Port Hud- son, March II, 1863, the Hartford was quite badly cut up and went to New York for repairs.
 .She, fought the battle of Mobile bay l August ,, 1864, where also occurred the fight with the Confederate ram
 Tennessee, which practically put an end to the career of the famous ram. While congress passed an, act forbid. ding the repair of wooden vessels in 1884, q special appropriation was se-
 cured for the reconstruction of the Hartford for historical reasons. Since then she has made n number nf crllis.