Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. rescued the U.S.S. Constitution from the wreckers in 1830, when he wrote the memorable poem "Old Ironsides," which begins, "Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!" After a national outpouring of emotion, Congress quickly appropriated funds for the restoration of the frigate. It is still docked in Boston Harbor, a symbol of America's longtime affinity for tall ships and deep water. Poetry may have been enough to save a ship from the scrap heap then, but in an age more closely attuned to the demands of economics the sight...
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