Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19
PLEA FOR BRAVE SHIP
OLD IRoNSIDES RoTTING IN HER
SLIP AT BOSTON.
Patriotic Americans Suffer the Consti-
tuition to 60 to
Ruin.

From the Boston Transcript.
Not long ago the anniversary OF The bat
tie of Trafalgar was celebrated in London.
and the event was the more impressive be-
cause everyone knew that not far away in
safety in Portsmouth harbor was the Ia
nous old ship which bore Lord Nelson
through that fght--the Victory-from the
| mast head of which few the signal Eng
land expects every man to do his duty
BY strange coincidence the old vessel
barely escaped beng destroyed on that
very day. while in peaceful harbor. and
that after having withstood the shock Of
war. and the battle which brought her
fame. followed by 40 years of peaceful ex-
istence; for the condemned battleship Nep-
tune broke adrift and ramn1ed the Victory
on the port side. By prompt action the old
ship was got into dry dock before she
had time to sink, as she was threatening to
do, and was put in position for the neces-
sary repairs.
The Victory is now one of the few vessels
of her type in existence. The lofty sides
and tapering masts of the three-deckers.
the wooden walls of England, are now q
relic of the past, almost as archaic as a
trireme of the Roman navy, but the Vic
tory has been used as the PortmOuth flag
ship and as a signal school. Recently she
! was put out of commiss on for all time /;
henceforth to remain an honored relic,
maintained in the original condi ion as long
as possible, which will be as long as the
ship carpenters are able to keep her afioa {
| by constant repairs.
Retirement of the Victory.
! The London Telegraph in commenting on
! the announcement that the Victory was to
| go out of commission said: eve feel as If
| 81 living I'M NJ hos hna oil,
| from the chain of which we had come to
think 1T a permanent and in6estructibie
part. Like the stones of Chilon,
her bulwarks are an altar. They are sa-
cred in the reverence of the race upon
every British shore she left secure with
the sunset of the day that saw the annfhi-
1ation of the fleets of France and Spain
That day saw, too. the heavy price we paid
the death of the greatest chief that ever
led our ships-and the fighting signal which
remains to this hour and will for all time
remain the watchword of the navy"
The regard shown for the old ship by the
British people, who are not an emotional
people. contrasts strangely with the apathy
of the people of the United States toward
the preservation of the equally historic
warshlp OF our own navy, the Constitution,
which today lies in the slip by the navy
yard at Charlestown, a house-in, empty
hulk.
Tied as she is at the head of the slip in
tioSe pToNiIIlty 10 the steamships or the
Dominion line, which have been permitted
to share the dock, the old frigate has been
seen by thousands of eyes, both of Amar-
can and British citizens; and while she is
vessel which no Bostonian can view with
out feeling OF regret at her treatment,
what must be the thought of the Briton
who sees such a noted vessel, even though
she be one which humbled the pride of his
own nation on the sea, and one which has
been made the theme Of song and story
but is now permitted to lie rotting In such
obscurity? Already the shattered stern
castle shows in what condition part of
her hull is. and that 1t will grow worse is
only too true.
Danger Of Destruction.
Tied as she is at the head of the slip. in
close proximity to the great steel steam
ships, it is not impossible that the Consti-
tuition may suffer from an accidental Jolt
| from one of these monsters. and when the
1900 tons of the hull of the Columbus
should happen to touch but lightly the lit
tie hulk of wood, the story of the fable Of
I the floating jars of clay and bronze would
| have another illustrat ton.
! The old Constitution has been too closely
| connected with Boston's history to be all
! lowed by Boston. or even Massachusetts, to
remain longer in such oblivion. regardless
! of the attitude of the nation. Boston must
| thank the Constitution for her condition to-
day. for once on a time, the Constitution
stood between Boston and the whole Brit
| ish navy, and kept the hostile ships at a
| safe distance. 1t might have been done by
! some other ship, but 1t was not, and to the
/ Constitution more than to any other ship
| in our navy Is due the honor of keeping the
| young country safe in a troubled time, and
making 1t possible that In later years Bos-
| ton should be the port of international COM
| Elerce she is. which the ships of that same
! British nation are glad to enter In friendly
| trade.
] spars and rigging again; should be eouip-
| ped with her guns as In the DAYS of her
prime, and anchored off the navy yard: be
preserved as an object lesson to the men of
! the navy gathered there, and to all pass
| ing In sight of her. She should not he In
| jeapody from the dangers of a breaking
hauser or slipping winch. to be rammed
| by steel ship with an English flag.