Old Ironsides

The frícate ('onstitiition so coiebrated for Ls nmiiy nuval victorie s, in intly arrivcd in Botton, and has been put out ot the oiiimisMon, liaving lcen pronomaaa' unseaworthy. Tliis is the same vcssel tliat has boen iinmortHli.ed by tliat well-known poem, written by oliver Weudell Holmes, comiiirnc in;; illi llie verse " Ay tear her tattered ensirn down."' Thia was nearly titty ago, wlicn an order m Iwad from the naval deparlinent Ut linvu the irigate brokeu iip. Sha was one of tli -in frlj-aii - onlercd in 1791 by Congres to be coniplctfil, Imiiii lied, nul put into the comnn-Moü. Hbe i that o.i]iturc(l IkcBrltlafa lii. (,u. nier, in KM, nul ehecked the. tiilk of alj.-olutf liritifh siiprcmacy M Cmuttatioa traa om of the t sailing mak om the UB, several times builinx uwav trom sejuadrons in purher. Bbt toah manv pri.es in batlle and was alwayi lucky In an engagement, seldoin l-i iiii m riou.-ly trippled. The following faits in her history will interest ïn.my : "The ConatltntloD wu destgned by Jiwliua Bamphreys. of Phllmdelphla, and was con¦truoted al Ikwtun, under the nupervlslon of Colonel Ueorge ('lughorne, of New Bediurd, liaauchUKelta The polnt at whlch abe wan built N ii. iw ulied Conitltution Wharf. Wie likul v.iy .ilstingulülit-il meo to look afti-r li.r n.MHt i uiaiu-CMiUliui liarry, Dale, Nicliolsou and Truxion. Dicl I'kuI Reveré furnlnlieü the copprr lx. lis mul aplkea. oriKloally he was huilt l livf ouk üm.I ri-d .¦.ilar.lli.' k'-.'l, keelaon lieaius and planklng of best whlle nuk; in. -di . ki il Hu' iwl Carollua pitch pine, bul, iiDcli-r th KUiiM, of oak. There la liardly an laeli of lier orlKi'iHl wihmI In her now. 81ngularly, Mf Iih.1 i.iul lurk lu lauachlng. Two ati.-nt'pi w. -re iniultf lo gel her lulo the water; i.nly ihetblrd wan nacosxful. Beloreahe aalled [or lripoll Hhe wrs reooppered wllh copier maile in the L'nited Slat. ¦. 1 Im i ..nslliutlon waat Charleston, Mass., lo 1H, whenCominoüore Klllotl ui ni .-otmniiiKl of Ihe sfallon. He tu a warm ailnnr.r ol Qenaral Jai-kson and luid placed a figure of Ihnt personage on w ol ihe l)lp. greatly u the dlaguat of t nlg mnjorlty ol ' Hoxton. Thla flgnr. an eothualaallc voung man, narawl Siimuel 1" Dcwey, Mwed ..II and earrled way In tlie nighl. ile liad llie Impudenoe lo carry UM head to WaahlD(lon witn Um ïnt.'ntion of presen tlng II lo OenanU .la -kson. luit after he ariiv.il ihi'ie bc wwm dlaaidM from dolng ko. ihisflgurehesid inll pn rved at AnnaH)lls. Diiriiit; the War of Um BaballtOB, Um lullon was lald uj lor n Hm.-; lul allerward, duirlng the Hunfl ii.xiM.-. sbc was emplojad as a pncltae Nhip al .ninip.iiK. she was tn the ininuiiK tqnaibon KM aboert iliree years." For nearly a eenliiry sbe lias lloated the -i ;i-, bUl 1 lic 1 ¦ ¦ -ei lus U) be III) pnssibility Of BMÜtlng be finish tlie centurv.