Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-05-11
AMERICAN NAVY HAS B|RTHDAl:
 l2O YEARS LID
Frigate United States Launched May 10, 1797,
 at Philadelphia Ward.

Pnliadelphla, Nay n. One hun dred and twenty years ago today tue i first vessel built by the United states under the constitution was connie ;; ted to the waves. The vessel was he ! frigate United states and the launch~ ing took place at a Ph iadelphia ship yard. The United Staias was a sis It.; ship to the still more famed Com stltut1on, launched later in the same s,ear at Boston, and the Constellation. V hlch was launched about the sarl. tine at Baltimore. G2se very names uf tAese three famous vessels of war revive memories of the good old da3 $ of century ago, when the United Stalcs flas ruivd the seas
 'Ihe history of these three sh;ps has to 0c with q chapter i'll the develop m,nt tf our early commerce. More than any other vessels, they made possible the foreign t1sde of tl.e young republic. Their construction was one of the results of the piracy of the Dey of Algicrs, petty tyrant who kept some colonlai merchantmer l:i slavery for five years Ono of the. first acts of the Government was to relieve the victims Of the corsair We had no navy and Hhen overturos were made the Dey threatened the American minister should he ever venture within the Algerian domain. In 'l:e first year of Washington's ad.. mlnistratlon ten ships were captured and l0o prisoners mada On recom- mendation of President Washington congress authorized the building of a fleet of frigates
 The United States was the pride of the country at her launching on May 10, 1797, the first ship of the re- organized navy. The hour for the ':iunching was set for 1 in the after noon, andsthe whole city of Philadel- phia, it is said, went down to South- Wark to behold such rare show. One estimate puts the number pres ent at 30,000 persons. By noon every hilltop and every housetop command ing view on each side of the river and every inch of space on the stands i put up about the vessel was covered with human beings. In the .iver a hundred craft rode at anchor, gay with bunting and richly dressed la. dies. At 1 precisely the blocks were knocked from under the vessel, the flashing of the cable cut and amidst the shouts of the great multitude the United States slid gracefully down the ways.
 The First Launching.
 The builder of this first naval ves- sel of the United States was Joshua Humphreys. The launching was wit messed by the president of the United States and the heads of the depart ments, who were stationed in tho United States brig Sophie. Commo- dOre Barry was in command of the vessel.
 The figurehead on the vessel was carved by William Rush and repre- sented the genius of America wearing a crest adorned by a constellation. Her hair escaped in loose, Wavy tres ses and rested upon her breast. A portrait of Washington was sus- pended from her neck. and her wrist was bound with a civic band. In the right hand the figure held spear and belts of wampum-the emblems of war and peace. In her left hand was suspended the constitution of the Union Above was tablet on which rested three books, to represent the three branches of government, and the scales of justice. On the base of the tablet were carved the eagle and national escustcheon and the attrib- utes of commerce, agriculture, the arts and sciences.
 The United States was one Of the 1 first vessels to do service in the war of 1872. under the command of Ste phen Decatur, one of the foremost of l American naval heroes of all times. When the war broke cut the United l States was at the Boston navy yard. After receiving repairs. Commodore l Decatur ran the British blockade With { her and began his famous cruise to 1 the eastward. When near the Azores sail was sighted. It turned out to be the British man-Of-War Macedon- l ian, with thirty-eight guns. The Eng l fish vessel came too close and was badly handled by raking fire that cut her rigging to pieces. Many of her guns were put out Of commits sion and she was forced to surrender. Decatur apologized for the length of time spent in winning the victory, "by reason of a rough sea and the enemys reluctance to come to closer quar- ters.' The Macedonian was the only British man-of-wa brought in as a prize to an American port. For many years after the war she carried the Stars and Stripes.
 Of all the battles between Amerl- can and British ships there was none so often discussed and so well re- membered down to the civil war | period as the victory of the United | States over the Macedonian.