Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-31
Frigate Constellation, Built
TT Years Ago, at WASH
ington Navy Yard.
VISITORS TO BE ADMITTED
ALL PARTS OF VESSEL
Duration of Stay Here Is Indefinite.
Will Later Be Returned to
Newport. R. I.

opportunity to see one Of the pioneer
vessels of the American navy. the
frisate Constellation. built III years
ago. has been brought to this city from
baltimore, where she was taken for the
Star SpangIed Banner celebration. The
ship is lying at the navy yard From
Gam until 5 pm. every day. including
Sunday, for an indefinite period. the old
vessel will be open to visitors. and Ch1et
Roatswain Smith and his staff of petty
officers, who have the ship in charge.
will show them every attention and give
them every opportunity to see all parts
of the vessel.
The ship reached the navy yard at 1880
o'clock this morning, and soon alter
being locked was opened to visitors,
numbers of whom went aboard her this
afternoon As she will be open Sunday
to visitors, large throngs are expected
to visit the old ship tomorrow and keep
those in charge of her busy answering
questions about the vessel. The duration
of her stay here Is said to be undeter-
mined. but 1t Is certain she Will be al.
lowed to remain as long as the interest
in the old vessel continues.
lowed Here by Naval Tug.
In tow of the naval tug Standish.
piloted by Capt. Frank Taylor OF this
city, the Constellation left Baltimore
Thursday morning and made leisure
ly trip down the bay and UP the Fo-
tomae. The heavy gale which blew
from the time she left Baltimore until
she was more than half way UP the
Potomac made the trip slow one,
otherwise she would have arrived here
yesterday.
To send her to Baltimore a fea
ture of the Star Spangled Banner cell
ebration, the Constellation was
Newport, r. l.. where she was doing
service as receiving ship at
the naval station. to the Norfolk
navy yard and restored as near as was
possible to what she looked like in her
clusion of her visit here, 1t is under
stood she will be taken back to Nor
folk. dismasted and again made retady
to return to service at Newport.
Made Possible Foreign Trade.
in 1894. Her history mainly has to do
with a chapter in the development Of
our early commerce. Perhaps more
than any other vessel. the Constella
tion made possible the foreign trade of
the results of the piracy of the Dey
of Algiers, a petty tyrant, who kept
some colonial merchantmen in slavery
for five years. One of the first acts
to relieve the victims of the corsair.
The United States had no navy, and
when overtureS were made the dey
threatened the American minister
gerian domain. In the first year of
Washingtons administration ten ships
were captured and los prisoners made.
Washington recommended a fleet of
six frigates-
The Constellation was the pride of
the navy at her launching at Balti-
more September Z, 1897, the second
ship of the reorgani1ed navy. She
carried thirty-eight guns. Her first
commander was Thomas Truxtun, who
ton, and her first duty was to cruise
from Cape Henry to Florida to look
out for and capture French cruisers
EARLY in 1898 the Constellation went
brought from Havana a convoy of
sixty sails in safety to the United
States. On that voyage she developed
a speed that made her one of the fast
est vessels Of that time.
When trouble came with Great
Britain in the West Indies in 1898, the
Constellation, Commodore Tfuxtun's
flagship, and three other vessels were
tun. while cruising. deserted a large
ship flying the French flag. which ship,
upon the appearance of the Constella-
ton. fired gun, as though in chal-
lenge. The CONSULTATIONS foretop was
in command of David Porter, then a
midshipman, but destined to distin-
guish himself in future naval engage
ments. There was an hours engage
ment and then the Frenchman surren-
dered. The prize proved to be LIN
Surgente, seventy of whose men had
been killed or wounded. On the Amer
lean vessel only three had been
wounded