The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-05-19
SPOT she cEsSHEILEO.

Exposition buildings. -,
1 A number Of these gentlemen. their
sons and grandsons, who appear to
have forgotten the hot liners she put
/ over the home plate on that day. are
tamongf those who are preparing to
commemorate there the landing of the
| English colonists three hundred years
ago, come next year, at APPOINT in this
inland sea a few miles away and call;
ed the print Of their feet on the srore
Jamestown The ship Jamestown Is
still in the service Of the government
having been stationed several years
| ago at the point where she now lies
anchored for the Marine Hospital Ser
vice as quarantine station
In the records which the Navy De-
partment keeps. and admirably, of our
lSwarshlps it is recired that she has not
| ..stood to sea- since 1892. She was
| built at the Norfolk lavy yard and
launched in 1874 and on the 18th OF
| January sailed on her maiden7yoyage.
bound for. the African station and I'M
\ der command OF R. 3. Cunningham.
She mounted 90 guns, was of 1,15o
register, 1GS feet long. with 80 foot
beam She hasn't shrunk any since
| then, but ships Of her rank IN the
| navy built nowadays are five to ten
| LAUNDERING ship, though, when she was
| built and her battery must have been
something dreadful, especially when
her armament was changed in 1861
and twenty fear-inspiring monsters
were put aboard and their noses poked
through her ports Fourteen of these
each threw 80 pound shot and six OF
| them were S-inch smooth bores. The
first important service she was en-
gagged in was in the cause of human
.ty, ana lest the Irish forget ne- rame
win be dear to them forever In
Mrach, 1S4., when famine was raging
in Ireland she sailed from Boston, con-
veying full cargo Of food Stunts, the
gift OF America TO that race who are
close to her heart, many OF whose sons
she has adopted and many OF whom
have marched With her on glorious
fields.
In July, 1855, the jamestown was
at Havana, too, as the naval records
! IeClLS, 10 ISS4S( SlAS -
| by Brush. TIE mother country at
that time claimed the right TO boaro
our ships and search for British sub
jects. In October of the same year she
| was at Graytown. Nicaragua search
| ing for filibusters who, under COM
mand OF General Walker, sought to
| free Cuba by a forcible invasion. q
thing which we did officially fifty
years later On June Is, 1851, We
having little family trouble on, the
Jamestown was .re-commissioned at
Norfolk anc stood to sea on June: 18th
She was on Charleston, s. c., on
August and chased. ran ashore and
burned the bark -Alvanado- She was
right busy for while. Capturing the
schooner Charles AiSburEh on August
81 and captured. dismantled and scut-
tied the schooner Charles Long on
September 4th- She put in at New
York City in September, 81, and stood
to sea thecce on December Is, under
the head Of unfinished business, cap
turing the sloop Havelock, and on MAJ
1, 1SG2, captured the prize brig In
tended. Then she came back to
Hampton Roads. within a few miles
of her native home, and threw shot
at the Johnnies on Seweil's Point
Many OF these missiles have been dug
up since the excavatns for the Elk
position buildings was begun there
I Who is there who would have
thought chat from this planting of shos
such a harvest would be: reaped, and
that on the shore where the pines
stood waiting while the Monitor and
1 Merrimac We're engaged N their little
shell game within the sound. almost
of the whispering trees city. bright
with wondrous light, wouldShlne upon
| the sea: that born of the throes OF
4 that combat splendid steel ships OF
| foreign nations would come and stand
OF SewelI.s Point, across the water
4 from. Craney Island, where We once
/ had misunderstanding with our En-
g1ish mother to assist us in commem-
/ Grating the landing Of the colonists
and tossee the marvellous accomplish
ment Of the descendants Of that hand
tful of EngIishmen whose emigration
He'd tothe buiIdingsof new woodland
the lighting Of 1T by the torch OF NIB