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Monday, August 1. 2022

Old Ironsides

A detailed tour of the frigate USS Constitution:




Posted by Bird Dog in History at 16:26 | Comments (4) | Trackbacks (0)

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I first toured it in 1958. Even as a 15 YO I was about 8 inches too tall for the lower decks. Those sailers must have been 5'6".
#1 OneGuy on 2022-08-01 17:12 (Reply)
Family lore had it that Isaac Hull (commander of the Constitution who defeated HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812) is a relative. When my mom and I went to Boston when I was a teenager - younger than OneGuy - we naturally took a tour of the ship.

I found this video a few days ago and watched the whole thing. It was fascinating to me! The "host" certainly knew what he was taking about! I think it made it more interesting because he was a Brit.

BTW - I've done some digging into my genealogy and so far I haven't found any evidence of a link between me and Isaac. That link may yet be found but if not, it doesn't matter. It was a source of pride when I thought it to be the case. It's still a source of pride but for other reasons.
#1.1 mudbug on 2022-08-01 19:23 (Reply)
""Those sailers must have been 5'6"""

Just as old homes heated by hearth or woodstoves had low ceilings to conserve heat, the limited headspace below deck was a design feature to enable maximum speed and armament for the size of the ship There is no consideration at all for crew comfort. There are decks below the gun deck that can only be walked through if you are stooped over at the waist.
#1.2 mjones on 2022-08-01 20:34 (Reply)
I can't remember where I came across it, but there is a curious military installation in SW Indiana (Naval Support Activity Crane) that features a series of rail spurs that terminate in hillside entrances, dozens of them. From all appearances, judging from the spacing, it's a repository of munitions of considerable potential. It's the largest naval installation in the world.

I was shocked when I looked at the aerials on go*gle, and the only reason I went looking was because of an article I read about the Navy maintaining a forest full of hundred year-old, old growth white oak. The reason? It's the source of the replacement timbers for the USS Constitution, whenever they're needed.

http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2020/11/constitution-grove-the-navys-white-oak-forest-on-a-high-tech-base/
#2 Aggie on 2022-08-01 23:45 (Reply)

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