St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-17
MIKE AND THE PRINCE.
Midshipman Donnelly Met Albert
Victor on the GaIena.

Midshipman Donnelly Met Albert
Victor on the Galena.
The death of young Prince Albert,
which has plunged nation in grief, re-
calls to mind the first. last and only
time | met his youthful highness. 1t
was at Gibraltar in the summer of 'S2.
| was then midshipman on board the
United States steamship Galena, man.
of-war of very wooden and aDtiquated
type. We had been lying in the snug
little harbor, sheltered by the
frowning rock of Gibraltar, some
times called the "Crouching Lion"
by reason of its peculiar formation.
One morning man-Of-war, flying the
familiar flag of the Cross of st. George,
was seen pushing her way through the
straits and coming towards US. The
stranger proved to be her British maj
esty's gunbOat Bacchante, and after
dipping her colors gracefully by way of
salute, she anchored almost within hail
ing distance of the Galena. The Bac-
chante had been around the world. and
after cruise OF three years was now on
her Joyous trip home. The presence of
a British man-of-war is not an unusual
thing III itself. Indeed, it is an unusual
thing In Mediterranean ports not to
have one present. The contiguity of
her majeSty'S ship rather owed its i'm
pOrtance to the fact that she had on
board two young sclOns of royal
house, the Princes Albert and George,
sons of Edward of Wales and grandsOns
of Victoria.
had the pleasure of meeting the
young men the day after the arrival of
their ship. They came aboard the Ga
lena to see what an American war
ship looked like, and incidentally to
pay their regards to our officers. | re-
memoer we'll the youthful middies, for
mIddies they were at the time. Albert
was about seventeen then, and George,
his brother, fifteen. They were accom-
panied by a dozen other middies, who
seemed in no manner awed by the pres
ence of the distinguished duo. Albert
and George were dressed in the regula-
ton English uniform for midshipmen,
which. as l remember it, consisted of
short, Iight-ftting, blue jackets. white
trousers and small naVy-blue caps with
fiat crowns.
don't recall who did the introducing,
but if my memory serves me right, who
ever he was, referred to the young men
as Prince Albert and Prince George.
They shook hands with the Galena's
boys with warm and cordial grasp that
served to relieve one of any embarrass-
ment because of their royal station.
They spoke of the cruise now haply
coming to an end, and exhibited that
enthusiasm which all sailors do under
similar circumstances, and both i'm
pressed me as modest and unassuming
in manner, and after general chat of
half hour, during which they described
some of their cruise adventures, they
expressed desire to look over the ship.
Of course the request was granted, and
so all hands made tour of the Galena,
to the evident pleasure of the princes.
As we made the rounds l had a good
opportunity to size up the young
princes. Albert was tall and rather
dudish in appearance, with slightly
etfeminate face. He was mere laxative
than his younger brother, who seemed
content to listen. George impressed
me as thoughtful, studious sort of lad,
and even thus early gave evidence of
being possessed of the proper stuff of
which good sailors and good men, for
that matter, are made.
After pleasant visit for all of US the
princes left the Galena. The following
day the Bacchante flung her homeward-
bound dennant to the breeze and stood
out of Gibraltar. NJ. j. DoNNELLY.