The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-09-06
OLD SHIPS FICUREHEADS
ARE NOW PASSING AVA
Some Stories Unique Picturesque Are Told Of The Old
Images Which Adorned the Prows Of Vessels

exercised control over the marks that
they received and that. therefore. the
imperious- look ing savage was 70 be
propitiated. used to salute when they
passed. The custom. although In con-
travention Of regulatfons, came to be
such an iron-bound one that the au-
thorities were forced to prohibit II by
general order. The little daughter OF
one Of the officers. who had been
brought UP in Japan. was once observe
ed to PROSTATE herself before the
erowning warrior. as she had seen the
folk In her early island home do be.
fore the image Of Budha.
Seek to Destroy Image.
On board the rehabilitated United
States frigate Constitution, at the
Charlestown Navy Yards. are kept the
igureheads and bow-screws that have
decorated that historic craft In the
days OF its glory. One. however. that
was the object over which large
number OF people worked themselves
into frenzy Of political excitement Is
lacking. That one was a bust OF An
drew Jackson, which, because they
deemed 1t an uncomplimentary likeness
of their hero. offended many Of his ad-
mirers. Repeated attempts were made
to detach II from the bow OF the old
frisate. One of the despoilers having
worked half the night. being forced by
danger OF discovery to drop into the
water and escape. abandoned his task
all but accomplished. An effort made
In 1916, as "Oid Ironsides" lay vat
Charlestown, was successful, and tho
likeness. good or bad. OF "Old Hickory
ceased to offend. Within recent years
an offer was made to sell to the gov
eminent q figure said to be that taken
from the bow the Constitution some
half a century before. The naval au.
thorities, however. were not convinced
that the carving was the lost figure
head, and the offer was not accepted.
One OF the finest flgureheads In It's
day was that OF the clipper ship Wes-
tern Bell. 1t was full size figure OF
woman with her left arm outstretch-
ed, carrying In the left hand few
spears of wheat Her right hand gath
cred the folds of her spirit the drapery
Of which considering that the material
was wood, was admirably executed.
From the general outline no less than
from the careless curl lying along the
breast, 1t Is suspected that the carver
had worked In marble or was o natural
genius. His name was Sampson-he
neglected to cut his first name on his
masterpiece-and he lived and toiled in
Bath. Me-. the home OF American ship
building, where the Western Belle was
built in 1879. His handiwork was
carried by Bath-built ships to the most
remote parts OF the world. and 1t is re-
lated that South Sea Island chief was
so impressed with the Yankee carver's
skill that he sent him commission by
q friendly skipper to make him set
of idols to meet the theological need or
his heather subjects.
The Western Belle 10 spending the
evening Of her days as coal barge,
but the lady who graced her PROV has
retired from the sea and now occupies
q place In a garden. One OF her pecul-
iarities was q detachable arm-the one
In which she held the wheat. During
voyages 1t was unscrewed 30 that the
sea might not break 1t. being replaced
when the ship was about to make
port. This was not altogether, un-
known in the more elaborate OF the old
wooden figureheads. especially on mem
of-war. where danger OF shattering
was greatest.
two fgureheads which recall sad sea
stories may be seen, one in front OF a
hotel at Virginia Beach. near Norfolk.
II 10 the image of a woman, with be-
seeching upturned face. and 1t was
washed ashore some years ago from
the wreck of a Norwegian vessel that
went down with all on board. The 9TH
or, In the Essex Institute. Salem, Mass
10 also q relic Of wreck. IT Is the
form of q woman holding before her
posed to represent Thomas Jefferson;
but the name of the ship whose dark
fate IT. mutely records will probably
never be known, for II was picked up
on the shore of Cape Cod after a heavy
storm, and it's antecedent history Is in
the keeping OF the inserutable sea.
The custom OF naming ships for not
ed women had quite q vogue with Brit
ish owners and builders. and In most
"a ha fNf fhaQa Rhtna
namented with carved and painted
likenesses of their patronesses The
clipper Lady HaVelock had for figure
head a woman dressed in a gracefully
lowing robe, and bearing q roll OF
parchment in her hands. The Lady
Jane Gray was similarly adorned with
her ladyship's eftigy, while Florence
Nightingale and Jenny Lind had name
sake clippers which bore their ike
nesses to many strange ports.
Carvings, more or less faithful to
the life, Of enthusiastically women
of owners or captains were common on
whaiers and other ships that made
long voyages. Busts and half-length
figures of military and naval heroes
statesman of renown and distinguished
citizens often appeared on war ships
There was a veBsel-and II deserves to
he better known--in the early Ameri-
can navy bearing the name and hg-
urehead of George Washington. 1t was
a friEate OF war, and to 1t fell the
fortune to be the first craft to break
out the Stars and Stripes to the breeze
OF the Bospherus. 1t was there. how
ever, on q sorry errand, but one wnlcn
had q brighter ending than beginning.
Having been sent to convey 10 the
pey of Algiers the tribute then paid by
the United States as the price OF I'M
,nnnity for American shipping in the
days before the Algerian pirates Warte
properly thrashed. 1t had been calmly
ordered to be the bearer OF the Dey
tribute 10 the Sultan of Turkey. Not
wishing TO break off the relations
which the United States. like other
lowers was willing to undergo humili-
alton to sustain. the George Washing
toms commander compiled.
II Ia recorded that the Sultan treated
MIS- American visitors like gentlemen.
heard with interest the news or the
strange republic which had risen pc
yond the seas, and sent by the hanos
OF the American commander message
to his presumpruous vassai. Fe''i
handing him for his insolence'
Figureheaa OF John Adams.
Tn these days Of presentations OF
Dreadnoughts 1t is inspiring to recaii
that the women Of Charleston .; ~,
had built and presented to the United
States Navy the John quincy Aushis .
sIoop- OF war. WHICH carried oust Oh
the second President OF our -
The "friRate" President was built In
areat britain to replace the American
vessel Of that name which was seized d
during the war of 1912. and which
Nv ewise had a flgurehead Of John Ad-
ANS. .o.u,aro,-
taken from a ships Prov, now I',.-s