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Show Jo C6g J XT o ! 99 ' i J ''il2f - - v -' fairiiirtj &y Gordon Grant) 7 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON y- k N SICl'TICMBEU 14, 1S30, v there appeared In the It ''oston Advertiser s Wft iipivs Item slating that Vtf'M t tie secretary of the Sf JI navy ll!Ul re00'11"161111611 innnnr'' to the board of navy J I .ML commissioners that the $UlJFw old frigate olliclally designated des-ignated U. S. S. Constitution, Consti-tution, but popularly and affectionately affection-ately known as Old Ironsides, be disposed dis-posed of. Whereupon Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote a poem which instantly instant-ly became a sort of a national baltle-cry baltle-cry and Instead of being sold Old Ironsides was rebuilt. Years passed. After withstanding the effects of enemy shot and shell and braving the weather of the sev en seas during a fighting career which has never been equaled by any single ship In the history of any navy, Old Ironsides was again on the verge of hauling down her colors col-ors to the ravages of time and decay. Dry rot had operated toward her destruction de-struction and bad taken effect where hostile gunfire had failed. Although there was now no Oliver Wendell Holmes to rally public opinion with a clarion cry to save Old Ironsides from destruction, the needs of the gallant old ship did not go unheeded unheed-ed In March, 1925, congress authorized author-ized the rebuilding of the frigate. No funds were appropriated for that pur pose, as it was considered that Old Ironsides would be more valuable as a naval memorial and that Americans would leel a oioser Interest In her If she were restored through popular subscription. In the spring of 1925 a national commit'ee was organized to raise sufficient money for the work of restoration. res-toration. Sponsored by the Elks lodges, a campaign was conducted among the school children of the country, which was a decided success not only In raising funds but also in serving to teach American history and patriotic tradition. More than $154,000 was raised by the children's contributions.' Then the national committee turned its attention toward reaching the grownups. It commissioned commis-sioned a famous painter.. Olordon r!rnnf tn nniiit a picture of the famous ship as she looked in ne prime, the original of which is to be presented to Tresident Coolii'ge to hang in the White House. Itepnuluo-tions Itepnuluo-tions of this painting, as well as souvenirs made from the original timbers and metal work of the ship are being offered to the public and the proceeds from these sales are being be-ing turned into the restoration fund. Although a total of $."illO.(HI0 has already al-ready been raised, according to Rear Admiral Philip Andrews, chairman ot the national committee, more than 5200,000 is still needed to carry on the restoration work which began in the ISoston navy yard more than a year ago. For Cld Ironsides is to be completely rebuilt from truck to keel fully equipped from spar deck to hold, as she looked at the height of her plorious career. Veteran wood en shipbuilders, recruited from the coast towns of Maine, whose art has long remained unpractlced with the ndvent of the Ironclad and steel ships, are busily engaged repla.-ing old timber whose condition has ions rendered the ship unseaworthy. In about 1 vear and a half all but lr per cent of her timbers will be re- W placed and she will be ready to put to sea once more, this time on a tour of peace, carrying her historic message mes-sage to the ports of our country. Then the thousands of Americans who have contributed to her building may see a rejuvenated Constitution, and feel a closer interest in this ship because be-cause they have helped save her once more. Over two and a half years were spent In looking up data on the ship before the actual task of rebuilding her was commenced. The. archives of the Navy department were searched for original plans designed by Joshua Humphreys; every known bit of information concerning her was checked and recorded; old papers pa-pers and documents were dug up from the records of the bureau of construction and repair in Washington, Washing-ton, and plans and specifications of former reconditionings were studied In order that the best methods and materials might be used in restoring this famous ship. As the work progresses new plans must be formulated formu-lated to replace lost or unreliable Information, In-formation, in order that the rebuilt Old Ironsides may be an exact duplicate dupli-cate of the original. The task of assembling materials for the work has been no small one Just as the best materials obtainable were placed In Old Ironsides by her f old Ironsides , TEAR her tattered ensign down I i , Long has it waved on high, And many an eye has danced to see Thai Dinner in the sky; Beneath it rung the battle shout, And burst the cannon's roar The meteor of the ocean air ? Shall sweep the clouds no more. Her decb once red with heroes' blood, Where knelt the vanquished foe, When winds were hurrying o'er the flood. ? And waves were white below. 1 No more shall feel the victor's tread, J Or know the conquered knee I Fhe harpies of the shore shall pluck The eagle of the sea! Oh better that her tattered hulk j Should sink beneath the wave; ' Her thunders shook the mighty deep, i And there should be her grave; ' 'I Nail to the mast her holy flag. Set every threadbare sail. And give her to the god of storms. The Hghtning and the gale I Oliver Wendell Holmes original builders, so it is desired that the best possible material be used In her restoration. It happenejl that in Commodore's pond, Pensacola, Fla., many tons of live o"ak had been submerged for use In building wooden wood-en frifcates for the navy. The war that freed the slaves who gathered this wood saw the passing of the wooden fighting . ship. So for 72 years this supply of live oak has bfeen stored in Commodore's pond. In the rehabilitation of Old Ironsides a use has been found for It. To date some 1,605 large pieces, aggregating approximately 1,550 tons, have been received at the navy yard from Pensacola- This timber is being used to replace the outboard timbers of the ship. It is Just the thing needed and it is anticipated that many more tons will be required before the work Is completed. Appeals are being sent throughout the country and requisitions are being placed for materials suitable to make up the hull of fittings of "Old Ironsides." Iron-sides." In addition to the live oak received from the navy's store at Commodore's Com-modore's pond, the following materials have been ordered for the work: White oak from West Virginia for the keel, keelson, ceilings and outside planking; white oak knees, "L" shape timbers cut from the roots and bases of trees in the forests located In the fir for deck beams and planking received re-ceived from the West coast by navy transport; copper rods from Massachusetts Massa-chusetts and New York; composition clinch rings and tobin bronze spikes from Boston ; locust treenails, galvanized galvan-ized iron spikes, malleable iron clinch' rings from Maine, wrought iron for fastenings above the waterline from Pennsylvania ; white pine for the bulkheads bulk-heads and general Joiner work from the forests of New England ; mahogany mahog-any for furniture aud fittings from Honduras; lignum vitae for dead-eyes, sheaves for blocks from Cuba and the West Indies; hemp for manufacturing ', rigging from Kentucky; oakum for I cauikiug from New Jersey; eanvas for ' the sails from Georgia; preservative I oil from Boston; paints, both Inside and out from Pennsylvania and New Englnnd. As at the time of her orig inal building, so now the resources of the country are being called upon to furnish materials to render the old hulk seaworthy. Old Ironsides was one of the first three naval vessels built by the United States. She was launched In Hartt's X shipyard. Boston, in 1797. |