USS Constitution

[Cannoneer]

The latest restoration of our historic warship USS Constitution has been recently completed, and this site shows some photos of the beautiful frigate.
Open the link and under the pic of the ship click on 'View All Photos', then click on 'Download HiRes'.
USS Constitution's Latest Restoration Finished

[EL Caz 66]

Good stuff Thanks for sharing...

[GGaskill]

Have you visited since that was finished?  Supposedly, the latest captain of the ship was going to have proper versions of the cannon cast and installed instead of the circa 1900 repros that used to be there.  Do you know if there are any new ones or did they just re-install the previous armament?

[Cannoneer]

I have no knowledge of any plans to replace the existing replica 24-pdr's, or carronades (actually gunades now arm the spar deck) that currently make up the armament of the Constitution; that would be an expensive undertaking.
This is the home page of the link that I opened this topic with: Scroll down to, and open "Video - USS Constitution Gun Drill." CONSTITUTION - AMERICA'S SHIP OF STATE

[seacoastartillery]

Thank you, Boom J., for starting this thread and for the excellent links.  Mike and I have visited lots of ships in our travels, but none can really compare to the USS Constitution.  We keep coming back, me in 1957, 2007 and 2008 and he in 1960, 2007 and 2008.  Below are a few pics which show some of the construction which was in-process when we visited in 2008 and a few notable features of the ship as well.

Tracy and Mike


You can see the 'Fighting Tops', more than 90 feet above the ocean and the tip of the masts, 220 feet tall.




This shot from our 2007 visit shows the ship before the 1812 re-configuration work began.  The gunnades of the Spar Deck and the 24 pounders of the Gun Deck are in view.




Note the Quoin used to elevate or depress the tube.




And 30 feet down the deck, you come to this much more modern, elevation screw.  Is this authentic??




You can see that a couple days before the 4th of July in 2007 that the stairway to the gun deck is roped off.  The reason for this was that salute guns were being preped for the annual "4th of July Turn Around Cruise".  So, to see the other half of the 'Fighting Spaces' we came back in 2008.




The bottom of one of the 'Fighting Tops' showing the heavy beam and plank structure and a myriad of asphaltum coated lines.




This is the first of the 2008 pics.  The gunnades, their carriages and most of the spars are laid out in the parking lot to clear the deck for reconfiguration and repair construction.  You can see the 'Roof' which the carpenter's erected over the Spar Deck to protect their tools and work.



Here you can see how the 'crowning' work starts at the middle and progresses outward toward the gunwhales.  Recoil limiting hardware here too adjacent to the gunnade gunport.




After increased crowning has been effected by deck supports perpendicular to the ship's keel, the white oak deck beams are fitted.  Caulking with hemp and cotton fibers soaked in pine tar is driven between the new Spar Deck beams and then a final weather seal of melted pine pitch is applied.  




We have a few more, somewhere.

[Winger Ed.]

Note the Quoin used to elevate or depress the tube.
And 30 feet down the deck, you come to this much more modern, elevation screw.  Is this authentic??
......................................


You'd really have to get into the history of the ship to be sure,
but both cannon types were probably used on her, maybe even at the same time.
The Constitution was the first warship built by the new US govt., and saw action through & well after the Civil War.
She even did some coastal defense/patrol missions during WWI.
After the war; she needed re-fit & repair, and was not really fit for sea duty.
Then:  When 'Steel Hulls' became the new fad,,,,,,, she was found to be obsolete,,, and mothballed. 

During the Great Depression-
There was a 'Penny Drive' to collect pennies from school kids all over the country that paid for her new sails.
(Which even then, were about $300,000 dollars.)
At the same time- she was (otherwise) semi-restored, at govt. expense:
Scheduled to be put be put on active retirement, as a display, only to leave the dock for ceremonies. 
All the crew was active duty US Navy sailors until not too many years ago when she was given over to the National Park Service****.   

****
When The USS Constitution does leave port for cermonies-
Her Crew is still all USN personel, mostly drawn from the Cadets at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Who, even today-
(as Mid-shipmen) are trained how to drive, and 'man', the Academy's own,,, but smaller, 3 masted, "Tall Ship".
They all take thier turn, 'On Watch', navigateing with only a Chart, a Sextant & a Compass-
as they run it up & down the East coast a few trimes every year. 
*****


Over the centuries:
The USS Constitution was re-fitted, rebuilt, repaired, modified, and 'modernized' a few times. 
The newer screw type elevated guns were probably swapped out as they became available from other damaged,
or even captured warships.  They might have been added a few here and there, every few years, as budgets allowed.

Along the same lines:
I was digging around for Civil War era photos to use for ideas on my bowling ball mortar, and found pictures of 1841
mortars in a salvage yard that had and used the Quoin.  But most of the newer 1860's war production mortars
have the rack (& pinion) gear looking thing on the back end, or a mid-under barrel screw type elevator.
The govt. more than likely had all 3 types in use at the same time, and possibly in the same units back then.


Back in her day, the military used stuff until it wore out, just like everybody else did back then.
There wasn't 'deficit spending', or even much credit like we have now.
Newer equipment came in when it did, but the old stuff didn't get discarded unless it was beyond repair,
or just hopelessly obsolete....... like what happened to flintlock small arms when the percussion cap came along.

[seacoastartillery]

  Here are a few more of the pictures from our 2008 trip to Boston, Mass and the USS Constitution.

Mike and Tracy


I told you all of the gunnades and most of the spars were out in the parking lot.  This photo shows how massive the lowest, spar is, and it's leather grommet which helps bind it in it's position on the mast.  The mast is almost 28 inches in diameter at this point of intersection with the lower spar.




A gun deck 24 pounder with recoil limiting hawser and tackle.  Note the low ceiling; this gun is quite far forward.




Solid shot for the guns; you won't see any pyramids of shot on this ship.  This was a working Man-'O-War; you won't see any screwball setups like pyramids on a ship like this.




Bar shot carried by the Constitution for cutting down the enemy ship's rigging.




Canister shot carried by the Constitution during the years after the Revolutionary War.  They had grape shot in those days for anti-personnel use.




According to the 'Old Salt', Mike, these were hand powered bilge pumps that would raise bilge water to the gun deck where it would flow over the deck to the scuppers and out to the sea.  




For rest, but they don't look to conducive to relaxation.




'Officer Country'   You should see the size of most of these compartments shared by two junior officers.  In a word, "Tiny!"

[GGaskill]

Did the Officers' Quarters have hammocks or beds?

[seacoastartillery]

     George, we also would really like to know the answer to your question.  Unfortunately, when we peeked in the only compartment that was not locked, we saw only tools, mops and cans of paint.

Mike and Tracy

[GGaskill]

So much for historical accuracy.   

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

A hammock at sea is actually in many ways better than a bed.

[GGaskill]

If you can sleep curled up like that.  Although I guess you can sleep in any position when you're tired enough.

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

At least you don't have to be worried about getting tossed on the floor as the ship rolls.  You're right, if you're that tired you can probably sleep anywhere, and crew were exhausted when they finally got a chance to lie down.

[KABAR2]

In my senior year (1979) our High school class did a trip up to Mass. and one of the
places they went was the USS Constitution...... a trip I did not go on........
I learned after the trip that one of the fellows who went on the trip committed a felony leaving the ship with one of it's
shot, it now resides somewhere on Long Island in Bayport....... wish I knew who took it so it could be returned.

[KABAR2]

During the Great Depression-
There was a 'Penny Drive' to collect pennies from school kids all over the country that paid for her new sails.
(Which even then, were about $300,000 dollars.)
At the same time- she was (otherwise) semi-restored, at govt. expense:
Scheduled to be put be put on active retirement, as a display, only to leave the dock for ceremonies.  
All the crew was active duty US Navy sailors until not too many years ago when she was given over to the National Park Service****.  

Another way money was raised was by taking small chunks of the Constitution affixing a small cast brass plaque to it stating that this material
came from the USS Constitution, I have also seen a boarding pike with a brass plaque attached stating it was from the constitution. I had at one time a chunk of wood from one of these fund raisers.

[little seacoast]

Relict tokens were also common, made from the copper sheathing of the hull. Here are a few examples dating from different rebuilds.

[Cannoneer]

Did the Officers' Quarters have hammocks or beds?

To the best of my knowledge, in this period of naval history, everyone from the ship's boy to an onboard admiral would be getting their sleep in a hammock; although the admiral's hammock probably usually looked a little fancier.
This is a photo of Admiral Nelson's "bedplace" in his quarters on the "Victory."

Photo from Panoramio by Bestia

[Cannoneer]

Good stuff Thanks for sharing...

I was waiting to see if anyone else commented on "El Caz's" new and improved forum name; I like it!
I've been pondering on something along the same lines recently, there's nothing like a change to bring in a new year.


little seacoast,
Thanks for posting those pics, I've never seen nor read anything about the USS Constitution fund raising tokens before.