Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-30
THE OLD Si.DOp PDRCrpINE
Last ~ commodore Pcrry's Fleet a
Heap Of Debris at f'crrysbuIe. Mich.

Heap Of Debris at fcrrysbuis. Mich.
Lying in l heap If GebI iG in the bac!.
yard of Charles dollhouse at Ferry.j-
burg. Mich. is all that is lrlt of lh,.
old sIJop t'Orcupiiic Of Commodore
Oliver Hazard p,rry's famous fleet
one of the little gun vessels of one
gun which SAILED into close action with
the British squadron 1T the battle OF
Lake Erie ana won The battle after the
heavy Lawrence mad been riddled and
sunk, says tho Washington Times.
After several years as Il diminutiVe
man-of-war on the Lakes, sixty years
as 4 lax trader and few months as
Il fisherman boat, anu twentyfour
years as Il sunlien wreck in Spring
Lake. the sloop new is falling to pieces
in the yard of the man who rescued il
from its grave in the sand and water.
The stern post has been taken from the
debris and will come into life again
as a part of the porch of 4 Michigan
physicians summer home.
After the wal the Porcupine was
purchased from the Government by
Rev. Mr.. Ferry, Il missionary TO the
Indians. who was located at Grand
Haven. Mich. The vessel was used in
merchant trade. sailing the lakes with
salt in its hold ana lumber on its decks
After sixty years of good service ii be
came unstawurthy, was abandoned
hy trade. ana then taken up by lake
fishermen, but proved of little value
to them. After a feNt short voyages
it was sailed from Lake Michigan up
a
beached. Here ii lay for twcnty-four
long Years with the mercilrsS waves
daShing over it. Several attempts
We're made To raise it,. hut no one was
successful until Mr.. dollhouse became
interested. He with the AID Of Il large
,apstan and two sets Of blocks. lifted
it from the water He had secured the
whole bottom ana tho sides rs far up
as the deck, the ribs being intact. II
was filled With sand ana tsc great
weight made il almost impossible to
move it. but it was hauled a couple
Of blocks and finally rlao ed in the back
yard of its rescuGr, covering SiXty-ilNe
feet of ground.
When taken from th2 water its tim
beers. in which British bullets are still
embedded. Were perfectly sound. but
the sun soon began to rot the WOOD,
and what is left now is fast de-a:ing.
The sloop was one OF the finest which
Commodore Perry. then a lieutenant.
had built at Pressure Isle t. meet the
British on the lakes. When the lieu
tenant to whom was given this SiSan-
tic task WAS sent 20 Lake Erie he found
himself the commander of fleet
which did not exist. The trees which
| formed the beams of his vessels stiii
were growing on the shores of the lake
He had neither men-of-war, men-of
warsmcn nor guns. He had energy.
| however. and that was enough.
The Porcupire was one of the vessels
| thus rapidly constructed. 1t was deS-
| tined TO be one of the small members
| of the feet which met the enemy ana
took them captive. one gun was ITS
armament Two large briggs to mount
twenty guns each We're laii down at
| Pressure Isle and the small guns were
quickly completed
The Porcupine had to help in drlv-
| ing the British out of Detroit. 1t con-
| viewed n part of the American troops
to landing in Upper Canada. These
,roons won the battle of the Morivian
lawns on oct 5. 1913. which placed the
MINER part of the province in the hands
Of the Americans Upon this little YES
sci and the other boats of the Meet
danenecd the American supremacy
on the lakes.
Under Perly's energetic manage
mont Two large bli2S. the Polcuplne,
and several other small gun vessels
soon were launched. The spring OF
1912 we passed III securing guns. shot
and other supplies. and draft Of men
ia MIR behind the guns. BY August
he had his feet and 500 men, hal been
raised TO the rank of captain. and les
than five months had been sufficient
to convert the trees which We're grow
inc Al, t.,o lake shore into armed YES
sells
When the little Porcupine set out to
receive it's BAPTISM II was in the com
pany of the following boats: Lawrence
20 guns. captain Perry commanding
Niagara. 20 guns. Captain Elliot COM
mondine: Caledonia, guns. Mr.. Nc
C,ratb commanding; Ariel. iguns. Lieu
tenant Packet commanding; Trippe.
oup Lieutenant Smith commanding;
Tipress gun. Lieutenant COnklir
commanding: Somers' 2 guns. Mr.. Almy
commanding: Scorpion, 2 guns. MY
ChampIin commanding: Ohio. l gun
Mr.. Dobbins commanding.
The Kicker brothers Of Poland hay'
donated slcOo to the Central Maine hosf.'
tai at Lewiston, lor private room =
memory OF their late mother, Mrs. Hiram