Show I Constellation Restored Visitors to Baltimore these days can see a sight for tired eyes the eyes the Constellation She was the first sl ship p of the US U.S. Navy built in 1897 and won ou our r first victory at sea BACK IN 1935 she was discovered discovered discovered dis dis- covered rotting in Boston harbor harbor harbor har har- bor and for 30 years talk an and d dw maneuvering went on and no now w she is finally back at home i in n Baltimore her restoration a ti 0 n about complete Though Americans can boast boas t of only a short history relatively relative relative- ly speaking it is an impressive one The Constellation is part of f it the it the first part of our nav naval al history She won the first American American Amer Amer- ican triumph at sea It was during during dur dur- ing the undeclared war wit with h France when French warships warship s we were re plundering U US U.S. S. S s ships hip s trading with various Caribbean an ports WE HAD NO navy and the French assumed we could no not t strike back But five frigates frigate s were built George Washington Washingto n reportedly named the lation On Feb 7 1899 Com Corn Commodore Commodore Thomas Truxton sighted sight sight- I ed the French warship I gente which outnumbered hi him 40 guns to 36 Nevertheless h he bore down on her and gave battle and the French ship lost 2 29 killed and had 49 wounded Only one American sailor was killed This same ship Is now al almost most t entirely restored |