The Washington herald., 1908-01-05
OLD FLEET PASSES
Once Upheld England'S Pow
er to Rule the Sea.
CAMBRIDGE THE LAST TO GO
Famous Old Vessel, Bearer of a
Name Distinguished in the History
of Great Britain, Dismantied for
the Scrap Heap at DevORPOrt,
Gunnery school in Recent Years.

4@ttiAVAis Jan 17-OAAI b1 RAAF AAiN ffANi tAtAo
of the British feet are passing away.
their sails to the moth, their nails to
the rust, their tlmbers rent each from
each" The dlsmantling of the old Cam
bridge at Devonport has just been COM
pleted.
She mas been the gunnery school OF the
western port for thirty-fve years, sue
ceeding a previous Cambridge that had
been launched In the year Of Waterloo,
and which was the nneat successor to
a name rich Il, fighting annals. The gun
merry school at DeyOnport was composed
OF the ships Cambridge and Calcutta, the
two being connected by a bridge.
The Cambridge herself was one Of the
steam wooden liners which were built in
the days Of the transition from sails 10
propellers. She was called when launched
the Windsor Castle and bore as figure
head a bust of Queen Victoria. She never
served at sea, and soon after the launch
took up the duties which she has only
just had TO relinquish, together with
the name Of Cambridge
Her former partner in tn work Of train
ing gunners was Nelson's Foudroyant,
that Foudroyant which was sold to Ger
man shipbreakers for e1 600. and which
was ultimately bought back. the Duke
Of Cambridge, by a curious coincidence,
heading the movement When the Fou-
droyant was taken to Swinemunde the
Calcutta took her place astern Of the
Cambridge. She was an Indian-built ship
launched at Bombay in 1881.
History of the Name.
The history Of the name Cambridge is a
succession of big fights. The first Cam
bridge. launched in 1866, had five historic
battles to her honor; the second had four,
| including the capture Of Gibraltar, and
the third had four, including the con-
quest Of Havana, and the relief Of Gibral-
/ tar
/ These three ships covered between them
/ 20 years of sea fighting. and were thus
/ In q big battle once every ten years.
Tile first Cambridge was no sooner
/ launched than she set forth 70 fight
and took part IN the battle Of St James
Day.
The battle Of Solebay lost the Cambridge
her captain. Sir John HOLES, and IN the
next year tha ship herself was nearly
lost. through taking fire In an attack
on the Dutch East India feet She sur
Yiyed il. however. 10 take part in the
battles Of Bantry Bay 1850. Beachy Head
1880. and BarfieUr 1882 The next entry
against her name is a sad one. She
figures In a list of thirty-five ships Of the
first, second, third, and fourth rates that
were burned, blown up by sundry acci-
dents. east away taken. or destroyed by
the French. between the years I6SS and
1898. The Cambridge. with the Sussex. OF
eighty guns and the Lumley Castle. Of Of
ty-six guns, was east away in a storm
on the east side of Gibraltar. IN February
1888
Building Os the ship.
In 1884 Mr. Edmund Dummer. assist
ant surveyor Of the navy. wrote to IN,
Secretary Of State from Bristol: 4 an
this afternoon come TO this place to give
liz can, some little spirit 10 the finishing
of a ship of sixty guns which is building
here by contract. She should have beeI
launched some months since. but the mat
ter hath met with many Tubs."
This was the new Cambridge and Dunn
mer's visit would seem to have put SOM
little spirit into the ship builders, for b.
the following summer we find the Cam
bridge with Sir George Rockies squadron
when Dummer writes from Portsmouth
to Robert Harley to say that the admira
is earnest on his departure. The chic
hindrance viii be want of men. a CT.
that often went up from admirals il
those days.
With Rookie the Cambridge sailed t
Cadiz and fought in Vigo Bay. and later
stationed almost opposite the spot wher
her precursor had been lost, she assists
tn the capture Of the Rock, and afterwar
In the fight off Malaga, when she los
eleven killed and twenty-seyen wounded
There followed a period Of comparativ
idleness. during which the vessel wa
rebuilt, and then she joined the MediteF
: ranean feet at the time when Mathew
: and Lestock were snarling at each othe
, Ike angry dogs. In the battle off Toulor
in 17H, when Lestock deser ed Mathew;
the Cambridge was present but took n
active part, and soon afterward sh
: : passed out of the service, after fft
years work.
Once without a Cambridge.
The navy was only a few years with
out a Cambridge, for by 175a the nam
E was once more In the navy list. a ne7
S0-gun ship built at Deptford havin
been christened thus. In 1859 she assiste
= in the reduction of Guadalupe, and tw
years afterward in slngle-ship actio
captured the French ship ST. Ann Of sixt
guns.
She joined the fleet of Pocock when h
y sailed on his famous expedition for ii
e reduction Of Havana and played a hi
}. part In the bombardment of MORO, II
y great fort defending the city. The Drago
e and the Marlborough assisted her in n
4 work. and from o'clock in the morniu
n until 2 o'clock in the afternoon they wei
maintaining the furious cannonade.
All three ships were much damages
the Cambridge in the hull. masts, yard
sails. and rigging, with twenty-fol
killed, including Capt Goostrey, ar
ninety-five wounded. The capture OF HI
vana meant the loss to Spain of tweh
fine men-of-war and two more buildir
on the stocks. and some three millions
money.
After the death Of Capt Goostrey Il
Cambridge was fought by Capt Lindsa
who was transferred from the Trel
frlgate, and who was knighted for h
services The third Cambridge finish,
her service by taking part in the reli
of Gibraltar in 1852, with very slight los
but some distinction. The name now Gi
appears for a time from the navy Ifs
but all those interested in the recor
of the sea fighters viii hope to welcon
it back before long
|