May 6, 1907 (Monday)

"OLD IRONSIDES" IS EXPECTED TO BE DONE SOON: Observers of the work being done on the U.S.S. Constitution ("Old Ironsides") (shown at right with, I think, a barracks of some sort that sat for a time on the deck of the ship) are encouraged by the progress of the restoration, according to today's New York Times. The first mast was put in on Wednesday. It has a huge semi-circular top, which has an area "big enough for a Southern family's dining room," according to the paper. Lots of the original wood of the ship has long been missing, according to the article. Since news of the restoration project surfaced, the government and other organizations such as the Daughters of the Revolution, have fielded offers from around the country of snuff boxes, canes and other material made from the original wood.

IBSEN MANUSCRIPTS SURFACE: Manuscripts of Henrik Ibsen (left), who died last May, has been found. Among the works is an epic poem that's about 20,000 words long. The ideas are said to be woven into his later works, including the drama "Brand". Evidently, when Ibsen left Rome in 1864, he left two bags of manuscripts at the Scandinavian Association of Rome. They shelved, forgotten and, eventually, sold as trash. When Ibsen returned to the city, he could not find the bags and presumed they were lost. A Dane recovered them and brought them back to Denmark. Now, they have surfaced, and a history of the manuscripts is expected to appear soon.