Evening journal., 1891-02-14


ADMIRAL PORTER. The president al
rects that the national flag he displaycsF
at half mast upon al public buildings
throughout the United States until nf,er
his funeral shall have taken place. ansE
that on the day Of the fm al public bslsi-
ness in the departments at Washington
be suspended.
Secretary Trscy's Tribute.
The following order has been issued hy
Secretary Tracy:
The secretary Of the navy has the pniufuH
duty Of announcing 20 the navy and 10 the
country the death Of the highest officer OF the
service
David Dixon Porter, admiral Of the navy
died at Washington D. G. Feb l3 in the 76fn
year Of his age. Sixty years Of Admiral
Porter's life were actively devoted to the SEW
ice Of his country The record Of his d,cds
forms one OF the brightest pages OF it's history.
His achievements while IN command OF thu
mortar hotilla at the attack Of the New Or
leans fortA OF the Mississippi squadrun Al the
fall of Viclsburg, and Of the North Atlantic
squadron a. the capture Of Fort Fisher, have
given him place among the foremost of the
worlds naval commanders. He died lamented
by the whole country and his memory will Tor.
ever be cherished and held in honor BIZ the
service. on the day of the funeral the nasy
department viii 10 closed the flag win be div
played AT half mast at al navy yards and
stations ana on board all ships ia commission.
and seventeen minute guns win be hred ~
noon from each navy yard. The navy depart-
ment viii be draped, and al officers Of she
navy and murine corps win wear the badge Qt
mourning for thirty days
The Dead AdmfrnI's Career II
in the death of Admiral Porter the coen-
try loses the Inst Of THO Of naval com
manders who sustained in the civil wnr
the finest traditions OF the old navy.
Though far from being alone in this record
Of gallantry, names Of Farragut, Fooie
and Porter have a pre-eminence of their
own In every man his ancestors live over
again, aud the biography OF David ID.
Porter begins in the person of that David
Porter born in Boston 1850 Five genera
tiOns OF this family have served in the
navy. Alexander the grandfather Of Com
modore David, commanded Boston
merchantmen, giving his aid to the col
onies, and his son, Capt David, the com
modores father. commanded vessels com
missioned 10y GEN Washington in the Con
tinental service Commodore E&vid Por-
ter's career was distinguished throughout,
eliminating perhaps in his gallant fight Of
the Essex in the harbor of Valparaiso
David Dixon Porter was born in Chester,
Pa, June s, 1918, and thus lacks a few
months Of completing his 18th year David
d. had his first experience in the Mexican
service in 1927 being then "a years Of age
ln 1929 he was appointed midshipman in
the United States navy and attained his
lieutenancy In 1871 He served during the
entire Mexican war, had charge of the
naval rendezvous az New Orleans and was
engaged in every action on the coast.
The War Of The Rebellion.
Afterward he commanded for some years
steamships in the Pacific Mail service be-
tween New York and the Isthmus OF Pana-
ma. At the beginning of the civil war he
was appointed to the command Of the
frigate Powhatan. on service in the Gulf
In Farragnt's attack on New Orleans,
Porter, now promoted to commander com
manded the mortar fleet Farragut, hav-
ing destroyed the enemy's fleet Of fifteen
vessels, left the reduction Of Fort jackson
and Fort st. Philip to Porter while he Pre-
ceeded to the city.
The forts surrendered in April. 1861
Porter then assisted FarragUt ia all the
latter's operations between New Orleans
and Yicksburg where he effectively bonn
barded the forts and enabled the feet to
pass in safety,
Admiral Porter's Turreted Monster.
An interesting incident in his operations
was this: The Confederates were repairing
the Indianola, which they had captured,
when Porter fitted a scow to look like one
of his turtle gunboats, with two canoes
for quarter boats, a smokestack of pork
barrels and mud furnaces in which fire
was kindled. This was called the TurretesH
Monster and set adrift with no one on
board A tremendous cannonade from the
Confederate batteries failed to stop her.
and the authorities at Nicksburg hastily
destroyed the lndianola. while the sup
posed monitor drifted for an hour amid "A
rain of shot before the enemy discovered
the trick
The Thanks of Congress.
For his services at Vicksburg. Porter ne.
ceived The thanks Of congress and the
commission OF rear admiral. dated July A.
1863, the date of the fail Of that town He
ran past the batteries of Nicksburg and
captured the Confederate forts at Grand
Gulf, which put him into communication
with Gen. Grant. In the spring Of 1864
Porter co-Operated with Banks in the Red
river fiasco, and later in the same year was
transferred to the North Atlantic squad
ron, and reduced Fort Fisher, the gallant
Gen. Terry commanding the land forces
Rear Admiral Porter received vote OF
thanks from congress, Which was tha
fourth that he received during the war
In 1850 Admiral Porter published Incl
dents and Anecdotes Of the Civil Wars
and in 1881 History of the Navy in the
War Of the Rebellion a work of more
substantial merit. The death OF Admiral
Porter creates no vacancy that can be filled
by promotion, the rank Of admiral, ike
that OF general Of the army, having been
created by congress especially for Admiral
Porter, and it expires with his death Rear
Admiral Kimberly, the admiral nominal
ly, is now the head oi the American. navy