Evening star., 1931-06-15
U.S.SCONSTITUT|ON
OPENED TO PUBLIC
Famed Old Warship, Re.
stored to Service, Begins
Career Anew.
~ the Associated Press.

|Dy the Associated Press.
BOSTON, June 15-Old Ironsides,
nost famous Of the worlds Seaworthy
warships, pride of the American Navy
In It's earliest years, was thrown open
to visitors Saturday.
For a week visitors will be allowed to
inspect the venerable craft, which viii
be commissioned once more on July !.
Here Is what visitors at the navy
yard saw today:
A stately black wooden warship 204
feet long with three gigantic masts
raking the sky. masts with great yards
and fllrled sails and maze of rigging.
Sixty-eight tons of rigging and 5000
yards of canvas were used in Quitting
the old frigate, according to- Lieut..
John A. Lord, veteran naval construc-
tor, to whose skill the rebuilt Consti-
tuition Is monument.
Masts Present Problem.
And incidentally, those towering
mastS will be problem on the Consti-
tution's forthcoming cruise along the
coast. Three maStS, fore, main and
miz1en, with the mainmaSt the talleSt,
rising 188 feet above the waterline.
Few bridges are high enough to give
them clearance. Brooklyn Bridge Is
TOO low by perhaps so feet.
All around, Scowling from SO port
holes on two decks, are the muzzleS of
old, black cannon-24 Founders and 80
Founders.
On the spar deck (the topmost as
the visitor steps aboard are the old
double wheel Zone man cannot be ex-
pected to handle the old ship, rows Of
black guns, with rammers, spongers,
extractors, shot, and leather powder and
water buckets all about A mighty
windlaSs, the great maStS, coiled tarry
rope that smells wholesome In the salt
air, the great bowsprit thrusting out
ahead Of the bow-an these are to be
seen from the spar deck.
Has Captured Guns.
On the gun deck below are long rows
OF black guns (some apparently captur-
ed from the British for they bear the
British Royal insignia and the letters
OR, meaning George Rex. Battle
lAnders hang from the ships sides. In
the cabin are hard, springleSs hunks,
mahogany lockers for captain and
commodore"
Hung about, here and there, are "hot-
shot stoves" iron lantern-like contri-
great galley stove on the gun deck are
placed to provide warmth. An there are
the grog tug and water bucket and the
great chains for the 5,400-pound an
chorS.
Down another flight of steps Is the
berth deck with the sick bay in the
bow and room for the crews hammocks,
rows Of state rooms for various officers
aft, the carpenter shop and the old brig
with its leg irons, handouts and cat
o'nine tails. Here and there are shafts
leading down to the magazines below.
Head Room Is Scarce.
Head room is scarce, almost nom
existent on all the decks but on the
lowest, the orlup deck, one must crouch
as he moves. Here one may see the
05 tons of cobbleStones used as ballast,
some of the barrels containing 48 tons
Of fresh water, and the space where
once was stored 5000 gallons of rum
which was doled out to the crew. a gill
IN the morning and a gill at night.
A brave old ship, is the Constitution,
05 per cent renewed, of white oak and
live oak, copper fastened within and
without, and copper sheathed, she still
carries the atmosphere Of forgotten
years. +