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Show THE JUNK PILE. j KEW YORK, July 17. Battered and worn from kng years of service, the old sloop-of-war Portsmouth, tne last of1 Uncle Sam's famous wooden vessels, will make her last voyage on July 23. From her dock at Hobokcn, N J, the Portsmouth will be towed by a modern tug to the Prookljn navy yard, and then will either be destroyed, de-stroyed, sold for junk or turned into a museum. Tho chances are that the junk heap will be the fate of the Portsmouth. The Portsmouth was first used during the Mexican war. She saw service in China and was in Fnrragut's fleet during the civil war. For years past she has been used as a training ship for the naval reserves. Long and thrilling has been the career of the old sloop-of-war and brimful of experiences, almost any one of which I would make a story in itself. Around her staunch oak timbers cling memories memo-ries of the days when "fourteen knots an hour in a free wind" was great time. Bodies of salt water are .few whose surfaces have not been traversed by the Portsmouth. Her anchor has splashed In the deep, clear water and fragrant tropical Islands of the Pacific ocean. In peaceful inlets in-lets along tbe African const and In the junk-Infested harbors of Japan and China. Many a slaver has crowded on sail as the towering mnnts' of the old Portsmouth poked themselves above the horizon, and many a doughty pirate has shown his heels when her long, black hull and white ports came into view. In many a stern chase has the Portsmouth taken part, but never in any capacity but that of pursuer. Before the days of swift steamers and trans-oceanic cables, ca-bles, when a cailor's life was full of picturesque and exciting scenes and strange peoples, and their lands did not know the now omnipotent American Ameri-can tourist, the Portsmouth was b'Jllt. When f,he was a young ship the Mexican Mexi-can war broke out The ship's guns were used effectually in the battle of Vera Cruz, and after a long cruise around Cape Horn and up the Pacific coast she arrived nt San Francisco, then Mexican territory. She palled Into In-to San Francisco bay and took possession pos-session In the name of the United States. Later on, -when Commodore Perry undertook to open up the ports of China to commerce, the Portsmouth played a leading part. While anchored In Canton bay, together with the frigates San Jacinto and Levant, to guard the rights of American citizens, a shot from one of the batteries flew . through the rigging of the Portsmouth. Ports-mouth. For some time the Chinese had been menacing the Americans, and the shot capped the climax. Cart-tain Cart-tain Henry Hull Foote, in command, did not wait to Inquire the cause, but promptly "beat to quarters," and with his thro ships opened fire on the shore baterles. Jacktes were landed under cover of the" guns and the fort was crushed. As the American tars entered on one side there was a hasty exit of Chinese on the other, for the Celestials knew that the ''white devils" dev-ils" were in earnest. The noble Portsmouth had borne the Stars and Stripes aloft through thick and thin for twenty years when the civil war came on, "but her severest test was yet to be. With Admiral Farragut's fleet the Portsmouth passed up the Mississippi river to Forts Jackson an,l St Philip. The large sloop of-war was not meant for a river boat, and It was thought best that she should bo towed. When the memorable engagement engage-ment began the Portsmouth gave the batteries broadside after broadside. Shot and shell rained on her, but on. she went until a ball cut her tow line. The good old ship drifted about hopelessly hope-lessly for n time, still exchanging shot 8 with the batteries, and it was at last decided to get -up sail. It Is said that the old ship maneuvered about the river like a yacht, dodging the fire rafts which were directed at her and pouring a stead stream of Iron and shell against the Confederate batteries. This feat of sailing alont in a river was an almost unheard of thing for so large a vessel, and, considering con-sidering the heavy fire under which the Portsmouth performed her amazing amaz-ing feat, was unprecedented. The result re-sult of the battle Is well known. Tho surrender of the city of New Orleans, the destruction of tbe Confederate fleet and subsequent capture of Mobile Mo-bile aro among the greatest exploits of American naval heroes. Through all this went the Portsmouth. This was tbe Portsmouth's last great engagement. en-gagement. After the war she was put on station duty and later joined a training squadron. |