The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-07-07
loss OF THE VICTORIA.


Some nautical critics will be apt to
contend that when the officer in com
mand of the Camperdown preceived that
there was not room enough for her to
preform the evolution ordered, he would
have been justified by Eteaming out of
the line, rather than incur the risk of
collision. The accounts received do not
yet show that he could have done so. 1t
is evident, however, that he hesitated,
by his signalling that he did not under
stand the order, but preceiving the
movements of the other vessels, endeav-
ored to follow their example, especially
as Admiral Tryon's signal was kept fly
ing and his own signal was not answered.
Those only who have been trained in
the art of war can adequately appreciate
the inheXibility of obeying orders If
the commander of the Camperdown
could have steamed out of the line, or
in any other way avoided collision by
disobedience of orders, he would have
been censured, if not tried by Il court
martial When the case is tried, he will
be justified, because he obeyed orders.
1t is very properly assumed that COM
mander-in- chief knows whether an order
can be executed OF not, and it is death to
the subordinate who hesitates to obey it.
Although orders have been disobeyed,
even in the face of an enemy, with
marked success, they have never been
Endorsed. The heroic Nelson, in COM
mand of the ship Captain "a, at the bat
tie of st. Vincent, fought in 1897, disre-
garded the signal of Vice-Admiral Sir
John Jervis to "tack in succession" and
wore, by which he found himself en-
gagged with five Spanish ships of the
line, and captured two of them. By war
ing he brought these vessels to bay, and
prevented their escape, though he had
his own vessel dismasted and terribly
cut up. The British had Is sail of the
line and fiigates; the Spaniards 81 sail
of the line and ~ frigates. 1t was
British victory, and though Nelson was
it's hero, Jervis did not even mention his
name in his official account of the battle.
Jervis was made an earl; Nelson was
neglected.
At the battle of Copenhagen, Nelson
again DISC beyed orders. The admiral in
the offing, who could not come to his as
sistance, signalled him to discontinue
the action; he signalled the slips under
his immediate command to blaze away
at closer action. Again he succeeded,
and was again neglected.
Lord Cochrane, one of the most sue
cessful and daring officers of the British
navy, frequently disObeyed orders, and
this very Earl st. Vincent, that Nelson
made, did all in his power to resist him,
as he (the early was one of the lords of
admiralty, and had great power.
The charge of the 600, which Tenny-
son has perpetuated in song. shows how
orders are obeyed. Cardigan saw the
-, i Nf Oh
with the words in his mouth: "Here goes
the last of the Cardigans." Well might
the French exclaim: 1T is magnificent,
but it is not war!'
Even in the merchant service success
is rarely excepted as palliation for dis
obedience of orders. A noted case of
this kind. occurred in this vicinity not
long since. A shipmaster was instructed
to take in tin enough to ballast his ship,
and fill up with light goods. Incidental
ly he heard that tin was likely to adj
vance in America, and he took in an en-
tire cargo of it, and when he arrived, to
his great joy, found that tin had
doubled in value. OF course he ex-
pected not only to be complimented, but
to receive handsome present In
stead of either, the managing owner
turned him out of his ship, with the re-
mark, that he would have no man sail
for him who disoheyed his orders" The
captain was familiar with some of his
business methods, and by way of "squar-
| ing the yards" had some talk with
United States detectives, which re-
suited in the firm having to pay some
$4,000 or $4,000, of which the captain had
his share as informer. The same firm
nearly ruined shipmaster who deviated
from his course to land some 20 ship
wrecked people, whose lives he had
saved. "Obey orders, if you break own
ers," is the rule of the sea.
In view of these facts, and many
Others that might be stated, predict
that the commander of the Camperdown
will be absolved from blame, because he
did his best, which is fair Inference, to
obey the orders of his superior officer.
What he might have done will not be
taken into consideration. The dead ad-
miral will have to bear the whole blame.
| -Nauticus in Boston Herald