Navy's oldest commissioned warship to sail again

AP via Tampa Bay Online ^ | Aug 17, 5:26 PM EDT | JAY LINDSAY

[ConorMacNessa]

BOSTON (AP) -- The U.S. Navy's oldest commissioned warship will sail under its own power for just the second time in more than a century to commemorate the battle that won it the nickname "Old Ironsides."

The USS Constitution, which was first launched in 1797, will be tugged from its berth in Boston Harbor on Sunday to the main deepwater pathway into the harbor. It will then set out to open seas for a 10-minute cruise.

The short trip marks the day two centuries ago when the Constitution bested the British frigate HMS Guerriere in a fierce battle during the War of 1812. It follows a three-year restoration project and is the first time the Constitution has been to sea on its own since its 200th birthday in 1997.

[ConorMacNessa]

Why do you post such trash in this thread? This thread is posted to honor one of our greatest warships of all time, still in service after 215 years and a major force in winning the War of 1812 at sea.

I resent your posting this glorification of sodomites in my thread - it is reprehensible!



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[njslim]

Remember Gilligan’s island and “the 3 hour cruise” .......

[mrsmith]

Anrifederalist William Maclay, United States Senator from Pennsylvania, had this to say in his diary about building the Constitution and her sister ships:
“ It is not suspicion that the designs of the court are to have a fleet and army. The Indian war is forced forward to justify our having a standing army, and eleven unfortunate men, now in slavery in Algiers, is the pretext for fitting out a fleet to go to war with them. While fourteen of these captives were alive, the barbarians asked about thirty-five thousand dollars for them; but it is urged that we should expend half a million dollars rather than redeem these unhappy men. I vociferated against the measure, and, I suppose, offended my colleague.
This thing of a fleet has been working among our members all the session. I have heard it break out often.”

For a view of our first congress through the eyes of an antifederalist:http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(mj001T000)):

[JerseyanExile]

Very true, but the Royal Navy had acquired such an aura on invincibility in the American public’s mind that even a small action like this between frigates was seen as a massive victory - there had been fearful images of British sloops-of-war pulling alongside the American super-frigates with relative impunity.

[Tax-chick]

ping

[IronJack]

The hull was not iron plated. It was copper sheathed at the waterline and white oak above. But that was tough American oak, and indeed the cannonballs were known to bounce off.

[BenLurkin]

I smell photo op too.

[j_tull]

The flag in my retirement shadowbox was flown over the Constitution. Had choice of several locations, that was the one I wanted.

[treetopsandroofs]

YOUR thread?!

I simply don’t trust anything Associated Press tells me, and I asked myself why such a big deal is being made by AP for a 10-minute cruse, and what else is going on that day for which this might be a cover story?

As far as “glorification of sodomy” goes, I have done nothing of the sort.

I have been on the Constitution.

I don’t need to defend myself and I won’t waste time attacking you for your rudeness to me.

[Sparky1776]

Video I shot of Ironsides under partial sail a few years back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69kr5WpYjgA&feature=context-chv

Firing Salute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZNVNTvlqww&list=UUrCgILYg_UgfOpZD25PModA&index=7&feature=plcp

With Liberty Ship SS John W Brown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT93DOfEBdQ&list=UUrCgILYg_UgfOpZD25PModA&index=6&feature=plcp

[ConorMacNessa]

Luckily, the standing Army and Fleet came to be. Without them, we would not be living in Freedom. But it seems that we keep going to sleep at the wheel - the U.S. Army in the later 1930's was a pale shell of what it had once been.

We are on the brink of another massive reduction in forces in a time when we are at great peril from several sources. To put it in Holmes's words, "The harpies of the shore shall pluck / The eagle of the sea!" The Army and our other services will fare no better under this Regime.



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Carbonsteel]

I love the old tall ships. Something majestic about them.

“Old Ironsides” is the old serving naval vessel in the U.S. and the the Lexington is second and it's not even close!

Once Enterprise is decommissioned, it will be number two, but being nuclear, I doubt it will ever be a national treasure as a museum like the Lexington.

The Constitution is a sight to behold and she may very well outlive the nation.

Thanks for the post.

[treetopsandroofs]

“I smell photo op too.”

Please be careful,

The OWNER of this thread had one of my responses removed for suggesting that.

[ConorMacNessa]

My pleasure, Carbonsteel. I have only visited Old Ironsides once - over fifty years ago when I was a mere boy.



(Jan. 14, 2008) The first major snowfall of the New Year blankets the USS Constitution.



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[treetopsandroofs]

Hmm, maybe it’s because I sourced my references on the Gay photo op, which were construed by the OWNER of this thread to be “glorifying” it?

I just remembered there are a bunch of new moderators lately, too.

Scary, scary times when a Freeper responds like that to defend without question an Associated Press post.

When was the last time the Associated Press was on America’s side?

[tanknetter]

10 minute cruise for a sailing ship like Constitution is next to nothing. She won’t be so much asail as adrift. They’ll cut her loose from the tugs wait 10 minutes and then reattach the lines. I remember the undertow trial sails before the 1997 event, where she started gaining in her tug. Let the old girl kick up her heels!

[mrsmith]

Yes, the one thing a national government must do is provide for the defense. Maclay was very, very antifederalist and was overboard in this case. Found this report of the battle in the Constitution's surgeon's journal: "18 Aug 1812  0030 Spoke American privateer Decatur (Captain Nichols) which reported that she had been chased during the night by ship of war and had jettisoned overboard 12 of her 14 guns while escaping

 

19 Aug 1812  "Wednesday.‑‑  Cloudy and foggy.  Course S. & W.  Wind N. by E.  Lat. observed 41‑42 N. Long. by D. R. 55 W.  At 2  P.M. discovered a large sail to Leeward.  Made sail and stood down for her.  At 4 discovered her to be a large Frigate.  When we were within about 2 or 2 1/2 miles he hoisted English colours and fired a Gun.  We stood towards her with reefed topsails without shewing our colours.  She then commenced firing, and gave us several broad sides without much effect before we commenced firing.  She kept wearing several times with a view probably of trying to get the weather gauge of us, which we avoided by wearing also.  We hoisted our colours and fired the first gun about 15 minutes past 5 o'clock P.M., but did not come into close action until about 6 o'clock, and after 25 minutes from the time we were closely engaged she struck, having previously lost all three of her masts and Bowsprit.  Her hull was much injured.  Several of her guns were dismounted or otherwise rendered useless on the gun deck by our shot.  She had 15 men killed and 62 wounded, most of them very dangerously, immense mischief and destruction having been done by our grape & cannister shot.  We had Killed Wm S. Bush, 1st Lt. Marines; and Seamen, Jacob Sago, John Brown, Caleb Smith, James Ashford, Robert Brice, James Reed.  Wounded: Charles Morris, 1st Lieutenant, Dangerously; J. C. Aylwin, Master, slightly; Richd Dunn, Seaman, Dangerously; Danl Lewis, do.do.; Taylor, do. slightly; Mullen, Marine, d.; Geo. Reynolds, Seaman, do.  Besides 4 or 5 others so slightly as not to be disabled from coming to Quarters.

                            "During the engagement she came against our stern with her bows twice, and carried away her Jib boom and injured our Taffrail.  It was when in that situation that Lt. Morris and Lt. Bush were shot.  Mr. Morris first jumped on the Taffrail with an intention of boarding her and was instantly wounded in the parietes of the abdomen.  Mr. Bush jumpd into his place the instant he fell and immediately one musket shot entered his face and passd into his brain.  Little or no other injury was done us at that time, and her quarter deck and forecastle were completely swept.  Her Second Lieutenant was killd [sic] the Captain, 1st Lieutenant, Sailing master, and one of the Master's mates wounded.  She hoisted 3 or 4 flags at the commencement of the action, and struck immediately after she got clear of our stern.  Her foremast and mainmast and mizzenmast fell about the time she was in contact with us.  After she struck Capt. Js. Rd Dacres Esq came on board and informed us that it was His Brittanick Majesty's Ship La Guerriere.  We sent Lt. Reed on board and finding the ship in a situation that was considered dangerous to attempt getting in we were employd all night getting the men and crew [sic] from on board.  She mounted 49 Guns and had about from 260 to 300 men, having sent previously part of her crew in prizes.  Capt. Dacres is a pleasant, agreeable young man, 24 years of age.

                            "Our crew behaved very nobly.  They fought like heroes, and gave three cheers when the colours were hoisted.  They also cheered when each of her masts went over the side, and when her colours were struck.  Whilst she was on our stern one of her forward guns was run nearly into our Cabin window and fired, but did (fortunately) little or no execution.  A shot that entered our after port on the starboard side of the gun deck killed 2 men at the after Gun and wounded one.  From the firing of the first gun to the close of the action was one hour & ten minutes.  The Guerriere had 15 killd and 62 wounded."

 

20 Aug 1812  Calm ‑‑ day spent transferring prisoners and repairing rigging ‑‑ amputated Richard Dunn's leg ‑‑ about 3 P.M. fired the prize; she blew up  ‑ L:ieutenant Bush and a British seaman buried at sea in evening.

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

“Cannon balls were even known to bounce right off the Constitution’s iron plated hull.”

Wrong. The hull was built of white oak. The wood was so strong that enemy shot was indeed observed to bounce off as if she were made of iron; hence the nickname “Ironsides”.

[ConorMacNessa]

Outstanding, mrsmith! Thanks very much for posting that account.



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Oratam]

sail under its own power for just the second time in more than a century

That doesn't sound true. I lived in the Boston area back in the late '90s. I knew a Charlestown townie (and possible wiseguy) who often joked about how they (U.S. Navy) were taking the Constitution out on joy-rides on a regular basis.

He thought it was unconscionable they would risk such a priceless piece of our history, though impressed the old girl handled so well.