Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-11-20
OLD DOMINION
CAPTAIN NICHOLAS.

The following interesting account OF the narrow
escape of the l.. 5. Ship G'rmanto"H, Commander
Nicholas, (recen,ly OF the Mch'21") from ship wreck
on the Island OF MADEIRA, in March, 1888 was girei
u, the time by The Norfolk Bsa"on
T.. s. SHIP GrKM,NruwS We understand from
. letter written hv an officer Board the [. > slool
of war John Adams. that the Germantown, ling sun
of the African sIurtr"n while living III FuiicI"'
roads island of MadrriH, on the I'D ul March, pT"h'
ariii trom her anchor i'll consequence OF ne '''
pins of her chain cables havIn:, worked out i' "'
Ole by which she WAS itduS, and also from ny =.
bls ni the second anchor which she let 60 ana
about twice az three times her length on inc r'N =;
the Eastern sc 1" the town. where s'e ."ii. snJ
ding by one of her anchors aud thr slrt"ni '""e ~
anchor ol the John Albums, till 8 +. W. "'r" "a
tie breeze trr:n the westward cam: up "nI ' =;
opportunity of performing bra'"' i:L nnilJ
tiie most sramanlike ana mn-t.tiy ''!'e "n,"
forth the hg hest commentator 'i''" '''''
who i!a the upIIurtumi 81 ,''''| w. =. MAINLY.
The shin VA, in a pcrIi',nS sllulii'h ~! H'''!
twelve hours, durim; wiIrh ''''' ''' - ,,'t ;r,i
Oh from tho Southwest. lac! '.', S''''',u i, ,b
,nLi. Thn wI,pl. extent oi beach was in,! WIN
mad every tnrrei "i III" houses la Nc low"
v.s GljaJ hy urrspns watching with Ihlt!i'" lh!rft;
the result a; the operation "c' St,'''",u I,' "mI
r,I, Rocks close a"i"ril hnd on lie l''' '''. "
Lnn with no p,ssiby 81 getting clr"r Oh the ",''
=, :, ',. M ,i,ni lniI,ortanr that 10 mistake
IiJ ,cru. uu, that the ship should cHa lie riSiil
w,y md .ui, b. made without HE loss t" ''"nT'''
time. We all had marks 10y when we '''"lI ~.
t.rnine when the ship gathered why AN" "o"",
,Lo. w,. u sin lie prr,on VIII" did moi "re hcr move
,, ,hr,,b m. water at Tie exact moment II cam
mcmcci. , l. ,, h.,l .,J
.v..ytlir. was done u- ut the rishl ;nr ana III 'hr
-; i,; manner and aiylr--rinlly, II would INV" !"ii"
,.nr L,.rrt FOOD 10 have seen how iIaGinrrnly She
navel out from her dangerous position. | had The
,Irasur. myself, nf hearing such very hatierng
things said of American sciInanship and skill upon
:, si,I.,v lIl..p
III the abuse We have had hcapcd upon Us ol lnte.
depend upon this that, in spite at all the Geirac.
ton which has been aimed al the navy We still have
AZ rood officers and scalnrn, and better ships and M
moment than We ever had before and Jet the time
come when il may for action, country will not be
dis. atstirti with u.s.
The officer from whose letter the above account
was ,a,r,r Vas understood t"b' commander Barron,
then in command of the john Adams, and who wit
messed the sccnr he described. This occurred III
March, lS:i, ~ ISL, he is put upon the Navy Board.
Nicholas, whnse achievement he applnuls, aud who
his senior, Is dismissed from tile service ad Bar
ron is made captain.
Nine months after the cruise al the Gcrinantuwm,
Nicholas succeeds captain B!sclow III command OF
Of the l.. =. steamer Michigan, Oh the lakes. Bgc.
low won 10 lauruS in that service. Nichola-, by his
activity, skill and cool nrepdty, gives new char
c,cr 10 the naval service oi the lakes. More thnn
lOnUDn citizens, inhubug 200 miles OF lakC-shur",
Interested IN their navigation directly ar indirectly.
publicly return thanks tn i'm Tor rh. lives nui pro-
prry OF the commercial innrn" rescued by HIM from
shipwr,rli and loss IN s:nrIu and tempest B!g"ow
il v!uccd on the Navy Board, hni an order is forth
with dispatched from !hc Secretary 10 be read on
board the Michigan, striking Nicholas down IN the
deck of the ship he commands, III the full career III
the gallant and honorable discharge Of h- duties de-
lr- him unfit command any slip IN the service
vt the United States, AMI ignoInIhlousy Diminishing
him IRON the service NJ his country.
Or the live commanders Oh the Navy Board, two
JUNIOR in rank To Nich"las, four are md. captun-
by the d.,.npltation at their brother officers Thir
Board dismissed, and pu Jul % The way at their own
pr"mu"n tl!rv-sevcm pei cent. ~ the officers above
them, and only fourteen per cent below them.
With the exception "f captain Bi-c!"w and com
manlrr Barron, Nicholas lad hot seen one OF the
Board Tor the last ten .ycHrs. On what evidence did
they act
lie has letters from Captains Perry and the late
members "t The Board. dated siucr lis H.! iuurnment
speaking III the hIghcs: cum;ncndatlun Ut hu.
No inpuIU;inu is designed IL be- cast Captain
Bigrlnw vi commander Barron. Nicholas is entitled
To the honorable testimonial uf the intlrr, h- be-
hail. A. I" the former il Show, tha; III ucernn dis
iiu. u,Shng himself III Il SGINire, can he retained
while his successor IN command at The same ship rI
tn. -arn- uv w,nmin. u high AM! iuunrnble dstiEG
tlnn, i, Dismissed with disgrace from the service
What r"urs,: these gentlemen ,noh on the board -
not and eau never Lr km,.wn. 1t "a; ia secret cor
,uvr uEuli their brother officers being their ncru
srr- witnesses against them, aud Judges, without the
responsibility ot u record, other evidence OF the
charges, susp .ciUns, ur evidence upon which they
acted.
They were rs remarkable for the rapiLty OF Their de-
csiuis rs tor the absence III evidence OF Justice and
fairness in making them Ii the humber OF hours
they sat- and tn: number Gf victims decapstrI be
computed, II will be found that tell Tor cCCh ten
minutes vi lis session. Nor can the degraded officers
or their friends know the grounds vf accusation
against them. Cuplnin Shubrrk, III reply Ia Lieu
tcuant MARY, dccIiues 10 give any in,rmttinn.
II there Is any error in the above statement Of
facts. let il be- corrected. When honorable and Incr
turiuu. officers who have spent their lives in the
vice of their country, degrade. and dismissed lis
service they and their friends, aud the country will
desr. TO know what charge hns been broE h against
t.en und what is the character OF the evidence upon
which il il funded. EERIIAS.