Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-05-23
NAVY ST|RS PEOPLE
Always Arouses More Enthusi.
asm Than Does the Army.
ITS TROPHIES AT CAPITAL
Long Tom With a Remarkable and
Varied History ls Exhibited at
the Navy Yard-Willow
From NapoIeon's Grave.
BY GEORGE

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-It has been remark
ed often as a curious fact that the
people of the United States who in
a large sense are an absolutely non
military body are yet in the main en-
thusiastic over the navy. Congress-
men say that a proposition to increase
the number of ~battleships Is sure Of
great support from the country, while
a proposition to increase the army
would be in many places If not in most
places vigorously opposed. Visitors
to Washington show a greater interest
In naval affairs than they do in army
AFFAIRS. When they go to the state.
war and navy building they flock to
Tho places where models of battle
ships are shown and where naval
trophies are displayed and pay much
less attention to the exhibit made by
the army.
The navy yard in Washington is an
object OF interest to the thousands
who come to the capital city In May.
There are a good many trophies of
battles won In the keeping Of the navy
yard. In the United States Military
Academy on the Hudson river there. is
a place set aside and known as Trophy
Point. There are exhibited many guns
captured by the land forces In the diff
ferent wars In which this country has
been engaged. Trophy Point is n
Of the centers of interest at West
Point and what is true there Is true
of the navy yard In Washington. Peo-
pie apparently like to look at things
which show the proves either on
land or sea of the sailors and soldiers
Of their country. and yet truth compels
again the statement that the naval
trophies attract the greater attention.
Curious History Of a Long Tom.
in the navy yard there is a cast
iron gun which was made a century
and a quarter ago, 1t belongs to the
class called Long Toms" This gun
once had a place on the French ship
Noche, which was a vessel of a squad
ron sent by France in the year 1898
with troops on board for the purpose
of invading Ireland and helping the
Irish people to win their independence
from Great Britain. The British cap.
tured the warship and also the gun
which is now at the navy yard In
Washington.
Once on a time the United States
bought some guns from England and
This particular Long Tom which had
done service on a French vessel and
afterward on an English vessel, passed
into the possession of this country. 1t
was mounted on board an American
man-of-war and in one of the engage
ments which our ships had with
French ships at the close of the eight
@eenth century the Long Tom was used
against a ship of the country which
once owned 1t. In this fight a French
shot struck the gun and dented 1t,
but did not put 1t entirely out OF CON-
mission.
The United States government con
demned the Long Tom although it was
still serviceable and sold it to the
Island Of Haiti, which then was en-
gagged In a war on its own account
against the French nation. It was
used by the Haytians and SO at least
twice in its existence the gun was
turned against its first owners.
Used In War Of 1912.
In some way today unknown, this
gun was brought back to America and
1t was used on board an American
brig, The Armstrong. which had a fight
with three British ships in the war Of
1872. So it was that the Long Tom
was used in service against its second
owner, Great Britain. 1t is now in the
possession Of the American author
titles and it is presumed that no other
nation will capture it or buy 1t to be
used one day against its present own
err, Uncle Sam.
1t is impossible to tell how many
willow trees there are in the United
States which are said to be grown
from slips Of the tree planted at the
head of the first grave of Napoleon
on the Island of st. Helena. One runs
across them in all parts OF the country
and some Of them may be real slips of
tine famous trees. but the general be-
lief is that most of them are Counter.
feits."
There is a willow tree In the Wash.
lngton navy yard, however, which It is
known Is an offspring of the Napoleon
willow. Commodore cambridge, who
commanded the old Constitution and
who was a famous naval officer In his
day, obtained a slip Ct the tree,
brought 1t to America and planted It
with his own hands in the navy yard,
where 1t has thrived and is today hale
and hearty in its wiilowy old age.
Saving Historic Landmark.
A movement which has obtained