Posted on 07/23/2017 5:40:17 PM PDT by Carbonsteel
Boston (AP) -- The USS Constitution, the world's oldest commissioned warship still afloat, will return Sunday to Boston's waters.
The undocking of the "Old Ironsides" will mark the end of restoration work that started two years ago, officials said. A celebration will be held at the USS Constitution Museum.
The wooden ship was launched in 1797 and earned its famous nickname notching victories in the War of 1812.
(Excerpt) Read more at bloomberg.com ...
No, Consitution had been converted to a school ship in 1858
She was at Annapolis MD when the Civil War stated. She was towed up to Newport RI where she remained throughout the war.
I saw it after a previous restoration. Late 70s?
Well if they are using white oak, they arent using the period methods.
She is/was made of Live Oak. Of course I doubt they could get live oak like that any longer.
That is why the shot actually bounced off her sides. There is a special, someplace, either on youtube or someplace where they actually tested live oak plank against white oak. The same thickness and all. They used three pounders and the shot bounced off the live oak plank-which Old Ironsides was made of, and penetrated the white oak, which the Brits ships were made of.
The 6 pounders stuck into the sides of the live oak plank, but went right through the white oak.
The ships attacked by the CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads in 1862 were the sailing frigates USS Congress and USS Cumberland, which were sunk, and the steam-sailer USS Minnesota, which was damaged.
Even white oak trees of sufficient size are scarce, which is why the Navy has their own stash of them.
She was over there helping kick their butt
The SS United States should be restored as a museum. The golden age of travel, when you got dressed in nice clothes.
Bump
The constellation, in Baltimore was renovated to include an elevator to make it ada compliant... a real travesty of history
Live oak? I doubt it... green maybe.
There is another restoration project worthy of support:
https://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2016-08/olympian-effort-save-olympia
And another restoration project that appears well underway:
I toured all six New England states in March 1980. Was in Boston for St. Patty’s Day. I’ve never seen so many blue-eyed white people in one city. Went to see Old Ironsides and took the guided tour. Well worth it. I was surprised by the low ceiling on the gun deck. The guide explained that the average male height at the time was around 5’6”. At that time I was 5’9” and had to walk stooped over. Saw the surgeon’s corner on the gun deck port side aft. Floorboards were permanently stained by the blood of the Americans who were wounded there. One of the surgeons who served on the Constitution still holds the record for fastest amputation of a leg. Think about that, the way our forefathers fought and died back then which made it possible for us to live as free Americans today. It was one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. God Bless those men!
when you got dressed in nice clothes.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
In the 40s and 50s my Grandfather would not go in front of the house without jacket and tie unless he was mowing the front lawn.
If he was to get in a car he would have suit tie and hat on.
He carried mail in Goshen NY for 42 years and I don’t recall him every having a drivers licens—he probably did but not to my knowledge.
He was my ‘buddy’ and best friend.
My grandkids are ‘lucky’ as their grandfather doesn’t look ‘old’ like mine did....(Only in ones mind) HA HA
At one point, I participated in a “Live Oak-ing” demo at a local tree farm here in Coastal Georgia that still had large live oak groves. My job was the introduction and explaining how the live oak worked so well. This is what I learned for that event.
She is built of Live Oak, Georgia life oak.
The reason that the shot bounced off the hull was that when you shot a 24 pound or a 32 pound gun and a wooden ship at full charge, even at several hundred yards, and it hit flat on, the shot would go through the bulkhead, anything inboard, and then out through the other side.
So, you wanted to undercharge the gun, so, the shot would go through the first bulkhead, and bounce around on the inside.
The Brits didn’t get the charges right before the Constitution wasted them.
Had they been able to use a 42 cannonade or carronade, on the Constitution, things may have been different.
I doubt there is an original timber.
LOL No. Still, old.
yep, she was built to fight Muslims:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/uss-constitution-launched
Right you are:
USS Constitution was one of six frigates authorized for construction by an act of Congress in 1794. The USS Constitution, a 44-gun U.S. Navy frigate was built to fight Barbary pirates off the coast of Tripoli. Launched in Boston Harbor October 21, 1797. In August 1803 USS Constitution set out to the Mediterranean as the Flagship of the Third Mediterranean Squadron commanded by Edward Preble.
Several other ships were built expressly to project American power into the Med. The cost of tribute to the Tripolitans (moslems) was huge and they were insatiable in their demands. The moslem pirates were killing a lot of U.S. commerce to Europe.
It’s interesting that the State Department shut down our land war against them moslems after a decisive route at Derne! The Battle of Derne was the first land battle of the United States on foreign soil after the American Revolutionary War. It was the decisive action of the First Barbary War. Eaton was furious over what he called a ‘sell-out’ between Consul Lear and the bey.
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