Show Dry o of Old Ironsides es Is s Imperishable but She Needs eeds Repairs or She Sinks 1 P R l Ij Y ll I II I t. 1 if i II t s PEARA t L II 4 i lJ e ORIGINAL OLD S TIED UP AT BOSTON RA VY YARD BOSTON Mass l I March 12 NEA S Dry Service rot is doing dohig what enemy shot could not do o. o and the nickels els and pennies of American school children are being gathered in a nationwide barrage barrage- to save Old Irons Ironsides des Ay A tear her tattered ensign down Long has it waved And many an eye has danced to see That bann banner r In the S sky The greatest patrIotic campaign since the days of the World war has been launched by the United States navy to preserve this historic hIs his- loric Yankee frigate Constitution on whose decks heroes fought a aid d died to win freedom of the seas a century and more ago Oliver Wendell Vendell Holmes saved the theold theold old ship with his stirring poem when she was condemned in 1828 and loyal friends are working now to the same end Old Ironsides is now a derelict In Boston navy yarD Her decks are moth Only rotten stumps remain where three e stately masts once towered in the air The flags made by BetsY Ross are decayed and gone The stout old bolts made by Paul Revere are rusted the fine lines of the hun hull fashioned under water like our racing yachts are sprung out of of shape The heavy timbers of oak from Georgia South Carolina and Massachusetts are crumbling We Ve are afraid any moment a ah h heavy avy storm will sink her at the dock says Rear Admiral Philip Andrews commandant of the yard and in charge of the campaign secure a a. new lease on life for the veteran Cost of rejuvenation will be The navy plans to raise funds under the sanction of of President Coolidge through the the donations of school children and of patriotic societies societies so- so and business org organizations It proposes to do this by the sale of pictures of Old Ironsides copies of an oil painting made by Gordon Grant which now hangs in inthe inthe the White House Repairs are expected to begin in April When the United States declared war with Great Britain late in June Jun 1812 the frigate slipped out of port under command of C Captain Isaac Hull before an overcautious cabinet cabinet cabi- cabi net might order all vessels to remain remain re- re main near land In August the Constitution sighted sight sight- ed the Guerriere and bore down towards towards to- to wards her Long range ire fire soon I changed to broadsides One of the largest shots struck the side of the th Constitution but the planks s were so hard the shot rebounded and sank in the waters A seaman shouted Her sides are made of iron From that moment the name of the Constitution was garnished with the boastful title Old Ironsides es and her tradition of victory was confirmed Her last cruise was in 1878 1578 when this symbol of American fearlessness fearless fearless- ness carried United States exhibits to the Paris exposition But the campaign now under way will perpetuate perpetuate per per- her usefulness as a teacher of history and patriotic glory |