The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-05

the United States navy under the l. resi-
dent Admiral Porter made his last
cruise in 1867, and according to the
naval register he had seen sea service,
all told, of Twenty-Five years and seven
months, while his record for shore duty
is thirty-one years and nine months In
round numbers he had seen about sixty
two years service.
While Admiral Porter had not been
taking any part in managing things in
the navy since his practical retirement,
yet he had written and spoken great
deal on the subject of coast dcfcnscs.
He ridiculed the idea of building forts.
He said that he would undertake to
pass at night with ship any fort that
might be erected ut Sandy Hook, and
would guarantee that if he had swift
running cruiser or double tmretcd
monitor no guns at the fort could hit
him. He also declared that as different
nations possessed ships that could crawl
into the pocket" near Sandy Hook,
and possessed of guns that could throw
immense shells nine and ten miles, or
right into the city hgll of New York,
fort would amount TO nothing. lie
wanted the Government TO have ships
that would be like turtlcs-carry their
defense on their backs In rchabilitat-
ing the United States navy tie views of
Admiral Porter are being carried out to
moro or less extent
Admiral Porter was never wounded.
He said recently that two or three
times during his life he had been
seriously hurt, but, strange to add in
none of the accidents that had befallen
him had n drop of blood ever been
spilled. Once, while in command of
ship, during an engagement in the last
war, he was standing very close to
gun when premature discharge oc-
Cured and he was knocked scnseless.
For quite awhile it was feared that no
had been fatally injured, but he recov-
cred, and apparently no lasting effects
from that shock were felt A few wears
ago he was in large store in Washing
ton and fell down an elevator shaft.
One Of his legs was broken by this
plunge, but no blood was spilled. While
spending Il summer in New Hampshire
and travelling along rough country
road in n heavy carriage the vehicle
was upset, the Admiral rolled out, and
the carriage fell over on him, onco
more knocking him senselcss, but with
out bringing the blood. lie attributed
his unusually good health through life
to two things. One was that he had
made it point NIL his life never TO get
wet If he could possibly help it. At all
times he carried rubber shoes with him
so as to protect his feet from dampncss.
1t was his opinion that half the sick
ness came from wet feet or wet clothes,
and while in active service he had al
ways been ready to put on, at q mo-
mcnts notice, waterproof clothes. 1t
mattcrcd not how hard the rain poured
down on the decks of his ship, or how
long he had to remain exposed, he never
got his Skin wet, unless it might have
been his face and hands, which prac-
tically did him no harm. Another thing
to which he attributed his uniformly
good health for so many years was
sticking TO plain food.
Admiral Porter had some literary
ability, and 2 few years ego published
incidents and Anecdotes of the Civil
War" Adventures OF Harry Marine"
and ALLAN Dare and Robert lie Dia ble."