The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1890-08-22


pull rapidly back to his friends at the en-.
trance to the harbor. All this had beeil
planned with view to operating in score
cy, without opposition.
What the brave commander determined
upon in the emergency of the sudden dis
covery no one ever knew, for In the midst
Of the terrific cannonade there was fash
that lit the whole harbor and the wal
crowned hills for second, and report
that swallowed up the thunders of the
hundred cannon. The magazine had ex-
ploded: what of the mission, what of the
crew of the fire ship?
There was wild alarm in the pasha's lines
and deafening shrieks and cries. The ex.
plosion was a surprise, and the half civil
lied minions of the Turk were terrified with
alarm. The cannonade ceased instantly
darkness followed the bright and fitful
flashes, and where fiery pandemonium
had reigned there came blackness and
mysterious silence, What would follow
these startling eventse #f
The three friendly ships, the Argus,
Nautilus and Siren, remained for hours at
the rocky entrance to the harbor watching
and listening for the sound of the oars that
would warn them Somers and his heroic
band had come back to tell the tale. Time
wore on and no sound. The mist and the
night had thickened and the eye could not
penetrate beyond the ships lights. The
splash of an oar, the clanking of rowlock
would end the mystery, but these sounds
never came. The brave Decatur, whose soul
knew only GOODNESS in danger, stood on the
deck of a waiting vessel as one petrified,
SO intense was his anxiety. Somers had
been his devoted companion in every en-
gagement at TripoH. Often some sign or
sound brought hope to the watchers, but
the delusion was vain. Night passed,
day and another night. Not a shot was
fired. The Tripolitians were mystified, the
Americans were depressed with gloom.
In few days storms drove Commodore
Preble from the coast and operations were
suspended until the spring of 1905. Then
a new squadron under Commodore Rodgers
arrived in the Mediterranean. Rodgers
had a powerful force, and land force CO.
operated and entered Tripoli from the
south. The pasha now came to terms, for
Preble, notwithstanding his failures. had
shown that the American navy could para
lyze the commerce of Tripoli if it could
not conquer her territory. Negotiations
took place on Commodore Rodgers flag
ship and peace was made. The omcers
and crew of the captured frigate Phila-
delphiu had been lying in prison in Tripoli
since the loss of their vessel, and from
them was gained knowledge of the certain
fate of Somers and his men Of the fire ship.
The morning after the explosion thir-
teen bodies of American seamen drifted
into the harbor of Tripoi, and the captain
Of the Philadelphia was taken from his
prison to the wharves to identify them.
They were SCARED and burned beyond
recognition, but the circumstance proved
that the i'll fated thirteen had chung to the
Intrepid and met their death in the explo-
sion. Whether that explosion was caused
by shots from the Tripolitan guns, or by
accident on board, or by the design OF her
commander is not known. Had Somers car
ried out his threat and blown her up to save
her from boarders doubtless some evidence
would have been CLEANED from the Tripod
itan authorities. As it is their fate stands
a mystery, but the sublimity of daring
displayed by the men is heritage for
American seamen forever.
GEORGE l.. KILMER