The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-29

WM ~ theyoung nations
vi honor, likewise
the glory Of her
heroes, in their keeping. There, on the
BarbaFy coast, began the careers of Stephen
Decatur and Hull; Lawrence, and Charles
Morris; Stewart and Maodonough. In
the blockade Of the harbor of TnpoG,
chiefly in 1904, the American navy per
formed deeds that commanded the admi-
ration of Nelson and Of his compeers,
and certainly no more glorious chance
could befsll youthful navy than the ex
petition of q beggaFly thousand men in
en- improvised feet against the desperate
fighting men Of TripoG, with a command
ing coast and powerful land and water
armament. When the war began in 1903
the American feet, under Commodore
Preble, included the frigates Constitution
and Philadelphia, the brigs Argus and
Siren, the schooners Nautilus and Vixen,
and the Enterprise
The Philadelphia was stranded on the
rocks in the harbor of Tripoli, where she
chased an enemy's vessel and was captured
intact in October, 1903. This left but one
good war frigate in the feet, and Commo-
dore Profile laid many plans for the recapt-
ureof his vessel, which had made power
ful addition TO the force of the naughty
Turkish pasha. About this time there fell
into tho American hands Tripolitan ship,
captured while bearing a load Of slaves as
O present from the pasha OF Tripon to his
lord, the sultan, and this incident gave
rise TO two Of the most heroic exploits Of
the campaign. For one thing this vessel,
which had been a French gunboat, was
# ha MI
fifty named the Intrepid Through her
the captured Philadelphia was destroyed
in the hands of the Turks, and then she
became the instrument of n most da.ing
exploit, sailing as a fire ship manned,
among the enemy's boats. The destruc-
ton Of the Philadelphia was accomplished
on the 10th Of February, Lieut.. Stephen
Decatur, then young and gallant seaman,
leading the attack. With him were Law
renee, Nacdonough and the boy Morris, a
midshipman 10 years old The Tnpolitan
rig of the Intrepid enabled her to enter the
harbor at night and approach tho Phila-
delpbia so close that the boarders, led by
Decatur end Morris, were on the deck of
the captive before the Tripolitans scented
the danger. In few minutes the Phila-
delphia was in flames and the Intrepid
with all her complement backed out of the
harbor under CALLING fire from the pasha's
boats and forts.
After this the war on Tripoli was carried
on by series of heavy commandments in
July and August. The season of severe
coast storms was approaching and the
brave commander, finding his ammunition
running low, determined on one grand and
awful stroke to break the lnsOlent pasha'S
power on the Barbary coast. The Ameri
can bombardment had done serious injury
TO the enemy's batteries and forts, but the
Tripolitan feet rode defiant in the barbor.
For its destruction was planned one of
those bold and startling deeds the men
ton of which makes ones blood run cold. It
was to flt up the Intrepid as an internal
machine, put a crew upon her and sail her
into the midst of the pasha's fleet to eX-
plode and scatter flaming fragments over
the enemy's boats. For such IN enterprise
the utmost GOODNESS, the sublimest daring
on the part Of the leaders and men are in
dispensable. The wonder is that nerves so
cool and hearts so brave are found In the
humble rank and file Of a nations plod-
ding servitors.
The harbor Of TripoH was commanded
by over hundred guns on land, and more
than a score Of vessels mounting at least
seventy guns rode on her waters, under the
protection of the land batteries An in
truding vessel detected in such company
could not expect better fate than being
shot into atoms by the missiles of hun
dred burning throatS- Yet there were men
willing to take the risk Of plunge into
this whirlpool of danger, from which escape
could not be hoped for unless by miracle.
The officers were Leuts Richard Somers,
Henry Wadsworth and Israel. Ten men
from the ships crews made up the force,
and superstitious people may note that
there were thirteen souls in all
The Intrepid was prepared for her des-
perste cruise by making magazine nthe
center Of her hold and storing there 100
barrels Of gunpowder. From this maya
zine a fire conducting tube led to an adj
joining room filed with oombustibles. On