Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-10
THE NIPSIC AND OLGA
The Rumored Naval Action of the
Americans and Germans at Samoa.
NAVAL OFFICERS ARE CONCERNED
A Pittsburg Classmate of the NipSic, Tren.
ton and Fandalia'S Masters.
INTERESTING POINTS ANENT THE NAVY

a well-known newspaper man of this city
who is peculiar, among other things, in that
he has a disposition that shrInks worse than
an Americus Club silk-lined Inauguration
overcoat, from having his name appear in
print in any connection whatsoever, was
classmate of Commander Mullan, of the
United States man-of-war Nipsic, which
has cut so prominent a figure Iatterly in
Samoan waters, and which was lately re-
ported to have been sent to the bottom of
the South Sea by Bismarck's boat, the
corvette Olga. In the course of converse
ton with THE DISPATCH on this red-hot
theme, the gentleman said:
There is barely the ghost of possibility
that there has been an engagement between
the American and the German. There was
some probability of their clearing for action
when the island was the scene of overt acts
upon the part of the Germans couple of
months ago, but all later information leads
TO the inference that an exchange of shots
was not likely to occur.
''Now, nv estimate of the kilograms that
have been published IN this connection is
simply this: Telegram No. 1 came week
or more ago with the rumor of a naval
action; it came the day after Bismarck had
semi-oficially begun the operation of
smoothing over the Samoan condition;
hence the inference that the Socialists of
Germany cooked the rumor for the express
purpose of counteracting the modifying
effects on Americans of the Chancellor's
declaration.
WHY THEY WOULD DO IT,
at is to the interest of the German radi-
Gals to maintain i'll feeling between the two
nations and TO have them at war. may
say also that it is to the interests of some
other European nations that Germany
should have America on its hands, and
there NAV be some European diplomacy
back of the Somoan rumors. Telegram No.
2 came when it became necessary to keep up
ythe pressure of indignation that telegram
No. was intended to create. After an in
terval of several days, had there been moth
ing further on the subject, public interest
would have died out and even our most
ssnguinary-minded citizens would have put
telegram No. down as a canard.
Gas to the commander of the NipSic, L can
say that he is not the sort of man to develop
hot-headedness. 1 knew him at the Naval
Academy, and he was naturally of an
analytical turn of mind. Whatever the
subject of conversation among a crowd of
Fellows, Mullan could be always counted
upon going into the logic of the matter, re.
gardless how trifing the subject might have
been. If youngster would remark that
one of the professors was or was not a hum
bug, Mullan would discuss the subject in
all its bearings before agreeing or disagree
ing with the proposition. He was certainly
the opposite of hot-head. Now, you must
take into the consideration that in
ternational law is a leading study
at the Naval Academy, and that
Judging from Commander Mullan's DISPOSE
tion he would likely be thoroughly ground
ed in that science. German officers, too, are
educated men. So that you may reasonably
deduce that while the German and Ameri-
can commanders may talk each others head
oft is not probable they have adopted a
violent means to that enc"
'TwoUID BE VICTORY OR DEATH.
Suppose there has been battle?"
''Oh, well, in that case the heavier metal,
or the accidents of the engagement, would
have the decision. Seamanship is not
involved to any great extent, now that steam
has crowded out sails. However, you can
depend on American naval officers gaining
the victory or sinking. They are taught
this as part of their professional religion at
the academy. An illustration of the prin-
ciple was the engagement of the Hatteras
and Alabama in 1861. The Hatteras was a
merchantmen quickly changed into the SEM
blance of a man-of-war. Lieutenant Blake
was ordered to take her on a cruise and
catch the Alabama. He and all naval
officers knew that a craft so weak
couldn't stand a broadside from the Ala
bsma; but he sailed, all the same, came up
with the rebel cruiser. promptly went into
action, and within few minutes afterward
he and the greater part of his crew were
rescued from the water by the Alabama's
boats. He knew that would be the outcome
of it, but that did not prevent him hunting
the enemy with the. same avidity as would
have been the case had he commanded the
best ship in the navy. The fat wits of the
newspaper offices have for 20 years been
firing off weak sarcasms at the navy, but
after all the Don't give up the ship precept
is as strong among naval officers as it was in
the War of 1872"
'Is there a probability that the Trenton or
,Vandalia had arrived at Samoa and opened
its batteries"
.tThey are both due there about the same
time, but could not have made the voyage
istthe time of the rumored action. The Olga
would have no show with either. The fact
is that with the Trenton, Vandalia and Nip
sic our force would be superior to the Ger
man torce IN those waters.
ACQUAINTED WITH THEM.
'Do you know anything of their COM
manders ?''
"The Trenton is in the command of Cap
tain Farquhar, who was appointed to the
academy in 1856. L knew him there quite
intimately, as he was first captain of the
crew to which / was attached, and I made
8 cruise with them. He was very bright
man, and a thorough officer, what you
might describe as the beau ideal of the ma
val officer. Mullan waa Maryland ap-
pointee of the class =of 1857, and rather
the opposite of Farquhar IN what
you may describe as style. He was
a brother of Captain Mullan, of the
army, who was distinguished in the
decade of the SOS for the exploring and
survey expeditions ne led through the
wilderness of the northwest. Farquhar,
too, had a brother in the army at that time,
who, in the war for the Union, won dis
tinguished rank by brilliant work in The
field. Captain Schoonmaker, of the
Vandalia, graduated in the same class with
Farquhar. He was New York appoint
ment and devilish good fellow; very un-
ostentHtious, but one of your game bantams
that stays until the end of the difficulty
The last personal incident remember of
'Sehooney' was my division OF a bottle of
wine with him that smuggled off at Cher
bourg."
''Is there any officer of that date from this
vicinity?''
'No. except it be Pickings, of the Som9r-
set region. I haven't seen a navy list far
some years and cannot say positively
whether he is living He was the last from
this end of the State a few years ago, Nc
Farland, of Meadville, having died of