The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-08-09
Expert Claims Present constellation" Isn't
The "Crand Old Frigate OF The Revolution"

flctlon. Also, IN the course OF has
studies he says he found many
similar instances where old ships
were broken up and new ships
built on different plans under the
caption, rebuilding"
This, Yankee Magazine article
describes as "an administrative
system calculated to get around q
Congressional law passed after the
War Of 1872, whereby appropria-
tons were allowed for a special
number of new ships TO be built
each year, but the sketchier pro-
visions were made for maintain
ing the old ones.
Ships rebuilt
ITO avoid asking for funds to
build unscheduled new ships, the
Navy simply rebuilt from the ac-
cumulated maintenance funds, the
old ships as they aged beyond re-
pair, with an entirely new modern
ship as the result.
"ThuS the old Franklin was
pulled into the shophouSe at the
Portsmouth, N. H., (Kittery) Navy
Yard, broken up and rebuilt as a
large steam frigate." So the fri
gate Constellation emerged from
the Norfolk Yard rs \ modern,
bigger corvette"
In a letter to the editor, Robb
Sagendorph, Of Yankee Magazine,
Mr.. Chapelle said: 81 gather there
was some huffineSS over the fact
that 1 made 4 sighting reference
to the then Navy practice Of build
ing new ships without getting Con-
gressional authority-very repre-
hensible of course.
"The result was as expected, the
Navy announced through channels
that, behold, the Navy considered
the corvette the frigate without the
slightest doubt-the final, word"
The article on the substitution
of a corvette for the old frigate
goes on to say, amazingly enough,
some people, and the Navy, too,
made a last-ditch stand on the
grounds there were mo official
records showing the first Constel-
lation had been broken up" But
Chapelle says cit is possible to
show the ship was broken up in
spite Of the loss of the now missing
official records"
Loss reported
The statement is made that the
Navy Plans were lost when the
file was transferred to the Nation
al Archives during the asccendancy
of the Works Progress Administra-
tion-the Blue Eagle days.
Chapelle quotes from the Nor
folk, Va, Argus, of date July II,
1853: 1.-THE old Constellation -
This time-worn frigate Of histori-
cal memory has been literally
torn to pieces preparatory to build
ing the New Constellation
Hundreds of men are employed
directly or indirectly upon her
massive keel, which has been plac-
ed in one of the shiphouses. She
will be finished with all dispatch.
The name itself is 4 source OF
pride to every American sailor and
will no doubt be cherished and es-
teemed by all lovers of American
freedom. Her timbers will be Of
live oak"
Chapelle says this newspaper
reference is merely incidental,
that the official plans and offsets,
together with the existing ship "teL
their own uncontrovertible story"
He concludes, 1.-THE real difficulty
is-and was-to make the public
that has interest in historical sites
and monuments realize that truth
fitness in representation OF these
has importance.
who will be left holding the
hulk-Boston, Newport or Balt-
more?" Yankee Magazine asks in
ending its article. D..