Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-12-28
1He COLLEGE COURSE.

mayor H.. q. UAne Delivers HIS Lecture
on the Notable Naval Battles OF the
War OF the Rebellion.
Last evening the Congregational
church was crowded with Yankton peo-
pie assembled to listen to the second
lecture of the college course. Every
seat vas occupied and chairs placed in
the aisles were taken by members of
Phi! Kearney post of the Grand Army,
to whom the lecture committee had ex-
tended the courtesies OF the evening.
Major a. O. Dane was the lecturer
aud his subject was The "Great Naval
Battles of the Rebellion" During the
war Major Dane was an officer in the
signal department of the army and in
obedience to orders he served on several
notable occasions with Admiral Farragat
inshis naval attacks upon southern sea-
ports. His presentation of his subject
vas therefore from actual observation
and experience.
The speaker preluded his lecture with
q touching reference to General Logsn,
who had died the day previous
at Washington. The three nota-
BILE naval contests which formed the
subject OF Maj II Danes discourse we're
the contest between the Monitor and the
Merrimae, the capture of New Orleans
and the capture of Mobile. Each of
these furious battles WAS described with
graphic eloquence and III faithful de-
tail. His story of the coming of the
Monitor t. the rescue of the helpless
wooden feet in Hampton Roads on the
second appearance of the formidable
Merrimac was like q tale from the
mythical lore of the ages gone by. 1t
wss a revelation contained In no written
history OF the events OF that trying
period. According to his Interpretation
the Merrimsc was built under az under
standing between the confederacy and
England and Franco That she should
destroy the union fleet off Fortress
Monroe, go forth upon the high seas,
rsvage the northern coast and that as a
result England aud France would
acknowledge the confederacy aud raise
the blockade of southern ports end thus
sompel the United States government
to recognize the south and cease all
efforts at coercion. This arrangement,
Major Dane said, was fully understood
by President Lincoln and his cabinet,
but the government had not o single
obstacle to interpose between the Mer-
rimac and her fell designs and the utter
ruin of the union cause which must fol.
low her aggressive movements. The
navy and the coast we're helpless against
the invasion. In the harbor OF New
York, far to the northward, John Eric.
son had constructed a nondescript craft
which he had named the Monitor. He
had built it under slight encouragement
from the government and two days be-
fore the appearance CT :hs MIorrinisc the
governments had permitted an officer
with q complement of men to take the
Monitor ou to sea on an unnoticed trial
trip. The Monitor was under no orders
and we can only conclude that her
southwark course along the coast was
purely proyidentiai. She went to
Hampton Roada without any object in
view and arrived oil the evening of the
fret days havoc. wban AZ had been
given up for lost and I'll Jar5 AID men
were preparing to sink with their vessels
during the attack which was sure to
come with the dawn of the succeeding
day. The world knows the balance OF
the s~sory-how the little Monitor went
out like David against Goiiah and
not only destroyed her adver-
sary but saved the nation and
destroyed the effectiveness OF ali
the navies of the world. Major Dane
told the story Of the conflict With shril-
ling effect, but the most interesting part
OF his story was the p%rovidential coming
OF the Monitor, unheralded and under no
orders, at q time when q nation was in
greater need of divine aid than at any
Other peroid of the worlds history. The
facts as told were like q romance of i'm
aRinatlve creation, but Major Dane bases
them upon ipcontroyertibls official
evidence.
This much of the lecture was strange
and startling in its developnents. Major
Danes accounts Of the capture of New
Orleans and Mobile by Farragus, though
containing nothing Of startling histori-
cal freshness, were full OF vivid interest.
The lecturer entered into details un-
written by the historian and his recital
of these terrific conflicts held the interest
OF his listeners to the highest tension.
Two hoars and q quarter of time slipped
by unheeded and when the lecturer
finally came to a close the audience was
10th to depart from the influence OF the
spell his thrilling eloquence had invoked.
It was q mastery effort. Nothing from
the platform can excel it. This one
lecture ls worth ell the entire course
calls for.
Cloaks d wraps OF reduced prices at