The Republican journal., 1903-12-03
HistoriCShipsof the Old Navy
The Constitution 100 and the Wabash 50
Years Old-Both Still Afloat.

Years Old-Both Still Afoat.
View it how we may, there is some
thing pathetic in the passing of the
old navy, says Marine Engineering.
The "Wooden walls" with their noun
tains of canvas appeal strongly to a
sentiment which is perhaps less easily
awakened by the grim steel machines
which have taken their place. Thought
naturally turns first to the old Con-
stitution, whose deeds in the war OF
1912 have made for her a secure and
undying place in the history of our
country, and justify fully the efforts
which have been made to give her
bodily form a like enduring presence,
even though actually but small part
of the original timber could be pre-
served. If we attempt the preserva-
ton of no other like memento OF that
age of our history, the Constitution,
at least. merits our best care, and we
NAV hope that the day may be far re-
moved when the gallant old ship shall
finally pass from our view.
! Between the sailing ship and the
modern steamship there grew up, during
the transition period of 1S4O to 1870
class of ships known as steam or SAL
auxiliary, and intended for use with
either sail or steam, or even Dotn, &C
cording as circumstances might favor.
Thus were built the Wabash, Lancas-
ter, Enterprise and others. These yes,
sells, with their type have likewise all
passed and only exist now on suffer-
ance or by reason of glorious deeds as
ISOLATED with the name, as IN the case
of the Hartford, which won undylng
fame AS Farragut's flagship at Mobile
Bay and elsewhere. The Wabash,
is now used as a receiving ship and
is thus continuing, in the well-earned
quiet of old age, life of usefulness
spent mostly on distant and stormy
seas.
The history of the Constitution is so
we'll known, End her deeds in the war
of 1912 have been made the subject OF
such extended notice. that only brief
summary of her career may be needed
in connection with the ship in her pres
ent condition.
She was launched in 1897 and put to
sea the following year for service
against the French. During the war
| with Tripoli, 1SO1-1S05, she was Preble'S
: flagship and took part in three OF the
five commandments of the port OF Trip
oil. In July, 1912, under the command
of Isaac Hull, she made her celebrated
1 escape from a British squadron off the
New Jersey coast, and shortly after,
on August l9, fought the famous battle
! with the Guerrero, which was left a
total wreck after an engagement OF
only some thirty minutes. Later, IN
December, under Capt. cambridge, she
captured off Bahia, Brazil, the Java,
after a two-hour engagement in which
the British lost some 300 and the
! Americans "a.
| In routine service after the close OF
the war she was reported nnseaworthy
in 1928 and was ordered dismanted;
but. in answer to Holmes poem 'Old
Ironsdes," popular sentiment was
aroused and she was rebuilt in 1888.
She again saw active service in all
parts of the world, and was finally laid
up n 1850 at Portsmouth, \. II. She
was later used occasionally as train
ing or practice ship, and IN 1877 was
again partially rebuilt and crossed the
Atlantic bearing the American COM
missiouers and exhibit to the Paris
EXPOSITION of 1875 This was her last
cruise abroad, and she was finally laid
up at the Boston navy yard, where she
still remains.
Turning now to the Wabash, we pass
at one step from 1897 and 1872 to 1854;
from the age when the sailing ship was
supreme to the age when steam was be-
ginning to be recognized as a factor in
navigation: and from the typical wood
ell sailing frigate to the intermediate
/ type of wooden frigate with nearly full
sail power and auxiliary steam power.
The Wabash was authorized in 1854 and
was built at the Philadelphia navy
yard being launched in 1855 and com
missioned in 1856 Her length on the
water line was 262 feet, beam, 81 feet:
and displacement at load draft, 4,1l4
tons. Her cost was about 100000,
The Wabash was full! ship-rigged,
with total sail area about thirty-two
times the Immersed midship section,
which was ratio only slightly less
than that prevailing for full-powered
sailing frigates The form of the Wa
bash was somewhat determined by the
fact that her frames were of seasoned
| live oak in stock at the navy yard; and
in order that these could be worked up
with minimum waste, the form of
the ship had necessarily to be adapted
somewhat to the material in hand. The
result seems to have been entirely sat
/ isfactory, however, and vessels of this
class of frigates, consisting of the Mer-
rimac, Minnesota, Wabash, Niagara,
Roanoke, and Colorado, were justly
considered as the superior of any war
vessels then atloat.
The Wabash on her first cruise served
as flagship on the home station for
about two years, and then went to the
Mediterranean for third year, and re-
turned home in 1859, where she was
laid up till the outbreak Of the civil
war. She was then placed in commits
sion and saw active service on the coast
| blockading squadron, in the capture of
Port Royal, and in other naval opera
lions of the war. After the close of
the war her period of active service
was relatively brief. She was given an
extensive overhauling in 1901, and in
1872 went as flagship to the European
station. Returning in 1875 she was
first laid up, and then assigned to the
Boston navy yard as receiving ship,
which position she has held since 1877.
/ The usefulness of these vessels as
warships long since passed. They re-
main simply as vestiges of an earlier
stage of development, and as illustrat-
ing the progress in the art of naval
construction during the period OF time
! which they cover.