Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-02-24
Admiral Porter Dead.


His death resulted from fatty degenera-
tion of the heart, which he contracted
at Newport, r. L., last summer. The
admiral's condition has been such for
past years that. he has been unable to
transact much public business. He was
retained on the active list of the navy,
however, and given the lightest and
least responsible kind of duty. The
department authorities have shown him
meanwhile scrupulous honor and re-
spect and treated all his official utter
ances with due Difference.
His death this morning was calm and
peaceful. The nature of the admiral's
disease made it dangerous for him to
lie on his PACK, SO ne was slJUlng upon d
large sofa with his back and head sup
ported by pillows. The household was
at once aroused and DR.. Wales sent for.
The patients pulse grew fainter and
fainter and at S:16'o'clock ceased to beat.
At that hour he gasped cOnvulsively
and expired without word. He sat
bolt upright with his son Richard hold
ing one hand and his daughter the other.
ADMIRAL PORTER'S EvENTFUL LIFE.
David Dixon Porter was born in Ches-
ter, Pa, in 1873 and at the age of II
accompanied his father David Porter,
a naval officer, to the West Indies,
where piracy prevailed. In 1927 he
was appointed a midshipman in the
Mexican navy, andin 1929 became an
American MILDLY" serving first in the
Mediterranean. He subsequently serv-
ed on the coast survey, and in 1S41 was
appointed a lieutenant. He was trans
ferred to the naval observatory in
Washington in 1S43 and in 1916 was en-
trusted with secret mission to Hayti.
was actively engaged in the Mexican
war, first as lieutenant, afterwards as
commander of the Spitfre. At the be-
ginning of the civil war he took COM
mand of the Powhattan and in April,
1861, was in charge of the mortar fleet
of twenty-one schooners and five steam
ers that joined Farraguts fleet in 1852.
He took part in the bombarding OF
Fort Jackson and Fort st Phillip be-
low New Orleans and they surrendered
to him in 1862. He assisted Farragut
in all the operation between Vicks-
burg and New Orleans. While the
COnfederates at Vicksburg were making
efforts to repair the IndianOla, which
they had captured, Commander Porter
fitted an old scow to look like one OF
his turtle gun boats, smOkestack OF
pork barrel and mud furnace in which
a fire was built. This craft was called
the Turreted Monster and was set adrift
with no one on board. A tremendous
cannOnading from the COnfederates
failed to stop her and the authorities
at Vicksburg hastily destroyed the In
dianola, while the supposed monitor
drifted before they discovered the trick.
In 1862 Porter, as rear admiral, took
charge of the Mississippi squadron, i'm
provised the Mound City navy yard,
increased his squadron to 125 vessels
and cO-Operated with Sherman in the
capture of Arkansas Post in 1863. Con-
gress thanked him for his services at
Vicksburg and he was commissioned
rear admiral in July, 1868. The same
year he ran the batteries at Vicksburg,
captured the confederate forts at Grand
Gulf and later assisted in the capture OF
Vicksburg. He remained in the Miss
issippi until 1864, and in October OF
that year was transferred to the North
Atlantic squadron and in 1865 captured
the forts at the mouth OF the Cape Fear
river, including Fort Fisher. For this
he was given thanks by congress.
He was promoted to vice admiral in
1865 and served as superintendent of
the naval academy in 1859, when he
was detailed for duty in the navy de-
partment at Washington. In 1870 he
was appointed admiral of the navy.
Admiral Porter was the author of the
''Life of Commodore David Porter,
Allen Dare and Robert lie Diable," SIN
cidents and Anecdotes of the Civil War"
Harry Marlane," History of the Navy
in the war of the Rebellion" and other
works.