The Washington times., 1906-01-14
BUILD BATTLESHIP
AS OBJECT LESSON
"0ld IrOnsides'" Namesake
AnxiOusly Awaited.
GROWTH OF OUR NAVY
VIII Be an Optical Demonstration Of
the Strength of the
Nation.

5CuSEdI dtC dLlAAouS4N AVoh4hb Ao4 "stN ~
the building of a new battleship. which
is designed to be the biggest and best
war vessel in the American navy and
equal to any in the world. 1t viii be
called the Constitution. and viii be a
new "Old Ironsldes." in honor OF the
little wooden vessel Of the same name.
whose history centers in its memorable
bout with the Guerriere.
The proposition of building this ship
is now before Congress. and it is be-
Heved by naval men that it will prove
acceptable. Secretary Bonaparte. in his
report. suggested that what now re-
mains OF the historic old frigate be TAX
en- out 10 sea and demolished in target
practice, and that new ship. 10 be
the best and largest in the world, built
at a cost of $5,OO0Oo0.
Would Furnish Comparison.
The construction OF such battleship,
it is claimed, would furnish one of the
best possible means of showing. by COM
parison. the growth of our navy and our
country.
1t would be an optical demonstration
OF the change wrought in little over d
hundred years from the time when the
Constitution represented our little navy,
containing perhaps 5000 men. under old
fashioned ideas and conditions, TO the
present, when the navy contains nearly
800 ships and manned by $500 men. and
stin growing by leaps and bounds.
Finest and Largest.
On October q. 1877, the frigate Consti-
tuition, or "Old Ironsides" as she was
popularity called, was launched on what
is now the site Of Constitution wharf,
Boston. She was armed with thirty-two
24-pOunders and twcuJy-three small
guns, but nevertheless she was the fin
est and largest craft ever seen al that
time, and before the end of her active
history she was destined 10 fight the
English navy to a standstiu in uphold
ing the honor of the American flag. She
was built by the United States and her
total cost was but SS0O,O00
Today the United States proposes to
build new vessel costing 5000, 600,
which will bear her name, and, like the
original when launched, she win be the
biggest and most powerful warship IN
The navy. embOdying in her construction
all the modern improvements which
money and brains can produce The
100000 only represents the contract
Price. for the total cost win amount to
much more on account OF material fur
nished by the Government, so that when
completed the battleship may stand the
United States S6. 600, 900 or over, and make
her the cOstliest ship of war IN any
navy.
Seventeen Constitutions could be built
for the contract price Of S5,OOo0Oo.
Us Feet Over All
When the Constitution slid into the
waters of Boston harbor, October p,
1897. Colonel Cleghorne. the superin-
tending constructor, surveyed his work
with pride. He saw before him the
largest ship then in existence The Con-
stitution measured but 175 feet over all
and 45 feet amidships. She drew 20 feet
If water and was of :, 200 tons displace-
ment. The Vermont. launched in
Quincy last summer, has room in her
bunkers for 900 tons of coal. an amount
equal to the total displacement of the
Constitution, and the new Constitution
will undoubtedly have room for even
more.
The records vary with regard to Old
Ironsides' crew. In the famous fight
with the Guerrero she carried 46S men,
but the new 'Ironsides" VIII have a
thousand men or more behind the guns.
1t took the Constitution just forty min
utes to dispatch the English ship. with
The aid OF her fifty small guns. but it
is calculated that one well-directed shot
from a Pinch rife or torpedo from
the torpedo tube of the new ship will
dispose Of a hostile ship in forty sec
onds.
Four Tons of Steel.
She will probably be 500 feet long and
nearly 100 feet wide, which dwarfs the
original Constitutions measurements OF
l75 feet i'm length and 45 feet in breadth.
BY discharging her entire broadside the
old ship could hurl about 100 pounds of
cast-iron shot, but a broadside of her
modern namesalSe would contain some
think like four tons of chilled steel mis-
siles, and one single shell from one OF
her ponderous rifles would demOlish a
city block.
For speed. tradition says the Constitu-
ton could do ten knots when the wind
and weather were especially favorable,
but the new battleship will be designed
to accomplish twenty knots or better.
On board the old-timer the captain de-
livered his orders by word OF mouth. In
cases OF emergency they were transmit
ted by messengers or from mouth to
mouth On board the modern boat there
viii be a fully equipped telephone and
signal service. The commanding officer
viii merely push a button to find him
self in instant communication with any
portion of the ship. In 1927 bulkheads
and water-tlght compartments were un-
heard of. but the new Constitution will
be amply provided with these. as well as
many other improvements and mven-
lions which will be installed on her for
The first time.
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