Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-09-18


paper, dashed off indignant protest in verse
and sent it to the Boston Daily Advertiser. In
few days the whole nation knew for the first time
the name of Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Old Iron
sides was saved.
BY 1884 the Constitution, completely rebuilt, was
again upon the Seven Seas and her own proud SELF
Among other things she sailed around the world
making 52279 miles at an average of 106 miles
day. In 1884 she was taken to Portsmouth to
serve as receiving ship. In 1897 she celebrated
at Boston the centenary of her launching.
This time patriotic women saved Old Ironsides
from rotting at her dock. In 1900 the secretary
of the navy was authorized to make necessary re-
pairs the United States Daughters Of 1912 to fur
nish the funds, some $4OO,OOO
What Of the third time?
Curtis D. Wilbur, the new secretary of the
Navy department of the United States, paid his
first official visit to the Boston navy yard the other
day.
II want to see the Constitution the first thing"
said he upon arrival WE'LL he saw her-and
grieved. She was literally rotting away at her
dock. He said the rebuilding that was proposed
should be done at once. But he said he was pow
erless to begin the work till congress made the
appropriation, which was passed over in the
scramble and flibuster of the closing days of the
last session.
And what did the Constitution do that the Ameri-
can people should make such fuss over useless
old sailing vessel in this age Of superdreadnaughts?
Read!
The Revolution-with all due respect to Gen.
George Washington and his armes-was largely
won on the sea by the colonial privateers which
carried the war clear to the English channel and
drove British merchants off the ocean until it was
French ships that loaded in the Thames.
The adoption of the Constitution and the cleo
ton Of George Washington as first President
brought comparative order into the political and
financial chaos that prevailed after the Revolution.
But the piratical extortion of the Dey of Algers
in 1893 brought it home to the new United States
that it nation without a navy. Thereupon
congress, in 1894, passed act creating navy.
The Constitution was one of the frigates author
lied and built at this tme44 guns 1,576 tons, cost
$302,719 without fittings 1t planned to make
the Constitution superior to any fighting ship
afoat Joshua Humphreys of Philadelphia with
the help and advice of veteran naval commanders
of the Revolution, designed her. Disregarding the
standard ratings for frgates, he made her longer
than usual that she would sail faster. He
pIanked her heavier than usual so that she might
better resist shot. He gave her 24pounders in adj
diton to 1S-pounders that she might shoot
harder. Cloghorne and Hartly built her. Com
manders of the new navy watched the laying of
every plank and the driving of every bolt. She
was launched September co. 1897, within hail of
the wharf in Boston, where she now lies rotting.
The British naval authorities hooted and jeered
at the Constitution. She was too long and heavy
and clumsy for rapid maneuvering, they said Her
batteries were too heavy for effective handling.
BY the time the nation had won maritime
war with France (1798-1S00) and had freed itself
from the piracy of the Barbary states (18059) the
impressment of American seamen by Britain, which