The San Francisco call., 1904-06-27
ITO THE WOODS" IS THE KEYNOTE OF SOCIETY;
LANDMARKS LEAGUE TO HOLD ANNUAL MEETING
OLDEST SHIP
IN OUR NAVY TO
BE PRESERVED

H. IL NJ - IL v IL IL
The frigate Constellation has been
towed from Norfolk to the New York
navy yard to be thoroughly repaired.
She is the oldest ship in the United
States navy and was launched Sep
tember Z, 1897, being the second of six
frigates authorized by Congress March
q, 1894. The others were the United
States, launched July 10, 1897; the Con-
stitution, October 81, 1877; the Chesa-
peake, President and Congress,
launched at later dates. The Constel-
lation and Constitution are the only
ones left, the others having been either
captured or destroyed, and the two
frigates should be preserved as me-
mentos of the early victories of the
navy. One hundred years ago these
two frigates were in the Mediterranean,
and succeeded with other ships in
breaking up the piratical depredations
of the African corsairs. While the Con-
stellation is the oldest ship in the navy,
the Constitution is known throughout
the naval world for it's famous fights
and interesting exploits. The Constel-
lation's war record is limited to the
capture of the French frigate L'Insur-
gente and engagement with two other
French ships. She was built at Bal
timore at a cost of 1914, ,212, and after
a commission of five years. from 1900
TO 1905, was laid up for five years, then
rebuilt, commissioned in 1916, and on
intermittent cruising service until 1874.
Then the old craft had a rest of ten
years. In 1854 she was again rebuilt
alta cost of s277, ,1O6, and after ten years
active service became receiving ship
at Norfolk, whence she was transferred
to the Naval Academy and served as
practice ship until 1889. In that year
the Constellation met with its first Sc
rious accident, by running aground and
narrowly escaping total loss. For this
accident her commanding officer was
suspended for one year. Later the yes
sci served as a stationary training ship
at Newport, and is now to be repaired,
while money has been refused for the
thorough repair of the glorious old
Constitution, now rotting at her birth
place at Boston.
VICTORY THE OLDEST SHIP.
The Constellation is enormously sup
posed to be the ldest ship afloat in any
navy, but the Victory, Nelson's flag
ship, antedated the American ship by
thirty-two years, as she was launched
May I, 1766. Eleven ships in the Brit
ish navy have borne the name Victory,
the first one having been built
in 1860. The ship preceding the
present Victory was never heard
of after storm in the channel
October 4, 1744, and the vessel and
complement of HOO men, including Ad-
miral Sir j. Balchen. rs years of age
found a watery grave. The present
Victory lay at her moorings for thir-
teen years after being launched, but
from 177S UP to 1912 she made up for
lost time. The termination of her
active service was coincident with
the battle of Waterloo and since
1926 she has remained in Ports
mouth harbor flying the admirals flag.
A sham fight came off recently in the
Mediterranean between two fleets of
British ships, one, under command of
Admiral Domville and the other under
Lord Charles Beresford. The latter
was defeated. owing to the superior
speed of his opponents fleet. The dis
tance adopted by the two admirals for
closing was $500 yards, which is just
out of torpedo range. In order to in
sure more rapid firing of battery guns
in this intervening distance important
changes are contemplated in the ships
under construction. Supplementary
magazines and shell rooms are to be
placed as halfway houses from the
ships magazines, Immediately below
the guns positions. The danger of
keeping a supply Of live shells and
cartridges in the casemates and ar
mored compartments will thus be
avoided, while provision will also be
made for the most rapid shell fire. BY
Captain Scotts loader" a rapidity of
twenty-five shots in two minutes has
been attained in a 6-inch gun, equal to
the delivery of HOO pounds of metal
from one gun in one minute.
SUBMARINE TRIALS.
The submarine boat trials are still
in progress at Portsmouth. 1t was
found that the boats could be captured,
or, at least, made harmless by means
of strong steel nets suspended in the
water from booms attached to speedy
vessels, and the submarine advocates
are devising means to overcome this
defense. At the next trial the torpedo
fired from the boat will be fitted at
its point with a scissor contrivance.
and it is believed that the rent made
will so weaken the net that it will
be unable to withstand the tearing
strain of the submarine following be-
hind.
The British Admiralty has adopted a
plan for a plentiful supply of naval
engineers which promises good results.
a llIlll6u Oh SuDDlef0GnIdrX
cadets will be admitted to the Royal
Naval Engineering College and given
an exceptional opportunity for train
ing in marine engineering and naval
architecture. These students are of
fered the same advantages as the en-
gineer and constructor cadets in re-
spect both of the college residence and
training and of practical work in the
dockyard, without being under any OBJ
legation TO enter the Government serv-
ice No employment is guaranteed on
the completion of the training, but in
the event of vacancies occurring among
the engineer cadets an opportunity will
be given to the private students to
compete, and, if selected, they will be
eligible for commissions in the navy
under the same conditions as the en-
gineer cadets. They will also be per-
mitted to admission at the end of the
course to the Royal Naval College,
Greenwich.
NEW GERMAN TORPEDO-BOATS.
In the German navy six torpedo
boats, S 120 to 125, are nearly completed,
and arrangements are being made for
building a further series of S 126 to 1870.
During the present year the German
torpedo-boat fleet will number thirty