Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-11-05

Asiatfc fleet and the Mare Island navy ward and
May /, 1877 became superintendent of the naval
observatory. His scientific improvements there
were many and he served there until his DEATH
The four Lexingtons set forth the development
of the United States navy from its earliest begin
ming to the latest word in modern naval construc-
tion-from the sailing wooden ship of few hun
dred tons to the oil-burning electrically driven
steel levathan whose principal mission is to take
care of the airplanes of battle fleet The prin-
cipal fact about each of the four Lexingtons
follow:
First Lexington-M Merchant vessel purchased in
1915 by order of Second Continental Congress;
altered into 16-gun brig; April Z, 1776 captured
British sloop Edward; in October, 1776 captured
by British 32-gun frigate Pearl, but Colonials
overpowered prize crew and took Lexington into
Baltimore; in June, 1777, with Reprisal and Dol
phin, made two circuits of Ireland, capturing 10
prizes; September 90 TIT, captured by British
Alert, after ammunition out.
Second Lexington-Soop of war of Is guns
and 6S1 tons; built in 1925 at New York navy
yard; cruised on special duty Atlantic coast;
in 1914 converted to storeship with guns; used
in transporting troops and in blockade duty in
Mexican War; in 1852 formed one vessel of the
fleet of Commodore M. c. Perry when he opened
up ports of Japan, the Hermit Nation"
Third OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES steamer of 500 tons
bought for $4,000 by Commander John Rodgers
in Cincinnati in 1861 and converted into gunboat
ice all through Civil War; sold at auction for
$4,000 July 5, 1865, at Mound City, ILL.,
Fourth Lexington-A rcraft-carrier, just launched
and to be ready for service next year; length SSS
feet; breadth, 106; displacement, 600 tons; cost
$32,000O00; oil burning and electrically driven !;
horse power 100000; four propeIlers give speed of
nearly 40 miles an hour; deck space about 5
acres; carries more than 70 airplanes; armament,
80 S-inch guns and u antiaircraft guns
The Illuminating diagram of the surerimposed
vessels shows these facts: The fourth Lexington
is more than three times as large as the famous
Oregon, our crack battleship in the Spanish
American War; the Lexington having $4,000 tons
displacement and the Oregon 10000
The Oregon steam-drven steel-armored battle
ship, was the equal on anything a1oat in her day
and was model of efficiency. She made rec
ord run from the Pacific to tho Atlantic and ar
rived off Santiago, Cuba, in perfect order and
ready to play the principal role in the destruction
of Cerveras fleet. She in turn, more than
twenty times the size of the third Lexington. This
third Lexington did brilliant service on the Mis-
sssippi in the Civil War and was efficient after
her kind
The third Lexington was of 191 tons more dis
placement than the second Lexington, but was a
wooden sailing vessel of no radical Improvement
over the first Lexington. She was, however,
almost twice the size of the first Lexington which
was no more than a merchant vessel Of the Revo-
luton period, converted into 16-gun brig.
The fourth Lexington is therefore all of 100
times the size of the first Lexington No COM
parison between them, except in the matter of
sze is possible About the only thing that they
have in common is that they travel on the surface
of the water
"Look today from the aircraft landing deck
Of this Ship with its 0000-horse-power turbine
engine, its electric drive, it's $4,000 tons Of metal
to the wooden, wind-driven Constitution, locked
in yOnder harbor at Boston,, said Secretary of the
Navy Wilbur at the launching Of the fourth
Lexington.
with all the changes from wood to iron, from
wind power to steam and to electricity, from cast
iron smooth-bore cannon to the modern high-power
gun, there is thread which binds us irrevocahly
to the past, and God grant that it may never be
severed"