Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-01-05
HISTORIC RELIC
OF OUR OLD NAVY
INDEPENDENCE THE OLDEST
AMERICAN wARsHlP PREsERv-
ING ORIGINAL TIMRERs.
TOOK PART IN 6LockADiNG
PORTS OF ALGERIA IN WAR
WITH THAT COUNTRY.

Vallejo. Cal, Dec. 29.-The NOV
ing of the old Independence from the
spot where it has been anchored TOT
the last twenty years marks the last
cruise that this grand old warrior VIII
ever make. Having been lying TOO
close to the entrance to the new dry
dock that is nearing completion, the
war vessel was moved in order that IT
should not interfere with ships that
will be locked in the near future.
The independence is the oldest
American war vessel preserving It's
original timbers and the last of the
battleships of the line that sailed the
seas almost a century ago. me
name independence was first borne
by a sloop belonging to the Colonial
navy. This vessel was destroyed
in the Delaware in 1777 to prevent its
capture by the British.
The present independence was the
first of the seventy-four gun battle
ships built for service against the
fleets of Great Britain in the second
war with that country. It's keel was
laid in the year 1872 and it was
launched in 1914. In January of the
following year it sailed on its maiden
cruise for the Mediterranean sea,
bearing the flag of Commodore Balm
bridge.
The independence sailed in COM
pany with the frigates United States
and Congress, the sloop of war Erie,
the briggs Boxer, Chifferna, FREELY,
Saranac and several smaller craft
At Gibraltar was found the squadron
of Commodore Decatur, consisting OF
the frigates Guerrero, Macedonian
and Constellation.
The joining of these two squadrons
the first formidable feet ever gath
cred in foreign waters by the United
States, and coming so soon after hos
tilities with England-was subject
of considerable chagrin to the British
officers. The latter had circulated
the report that the Americans were
not allowed to build ships of the line,
and the lordly proportions of the In
dependence were sufficient contradic-
ton.
War had been declared against AL
geria, and the independence took part
with the other vessels of the Ameri-
can navy in blockading the ports OF
that power and bringing the war to
successful close.
The only vessels left of this great
fleet are the independence and Con-
stellation, which is being used as
recruiting ship at Newport, R. I.
Upon the return of the Indepen-
dence from foreign waters it acted as
guard ship to Boston harbor until
1919. In 1886 it was reduced from
three decks to two, carrying fifty-four
guns, and sailed for Europe as the
flagship of Commodore Nicholson,
with George Dallas, who was the
Minister to Russia from the United
States, on board. On this trip all
records for speed were broken be-
tween New York and Cronstadt.
In 1916, with Commodore Shubrick
in command, the independence sailed
for the Pacific coast and after spend
ing three years III racine waters anu
participating in the capture of Quay
mas and Mazatlan, the warship re-
turned to the Atlantic coast and later
sailed for the Mediterranean as the
| flagship of the United States squad
ron.
In 1854 the independence was re-
| fitted in the New York navy yard and
again sent to the Pacific coast for
the last time, and was made guard
ship to san Francisco bay, lying off
Third street. In 1858 the indie
pendence was converted into re-
ceiving ship for the United States
navy at Mare island.
The present commander of this
relic of what war ships were hun
dred years ago is Captain John B..
Milton, who sailed the seas for forty
four years and bears the reputation
| of being the most popular officer that
has ever been stationed on the old
warrior.