The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-10
BLEW UP HIS SHIP.
A Dutch Captain Who Fired His Maya
zine Rather Than Surrender.

A Dutch Captain Who Fired His Maya
zine Rather Than Surrender.
The Dutch man-of-war Van Speijk.
which took part in the great naval re-
view at New York. recalls an act OF
self-sacrifce so glorious that at the
time it took place the whole world sang
the praises of man whose named this
Dutch craft bears. In 1880 the Belgian
rebellion had broken out and Dutch
squadron of eight men-of-war had been
stationed before the port of Antwerp
for the purpose of preventing this i'm
portant city from joining the rebels.
On October 81 the populace of Antwerp,
after having broken open the gunpow-
der magazine, opened fire upon the YES
sells and very badly damaged small
gunboat under command of naval
lieutenant. J. C. J. Van Speijk. The
commander of the squadron, who at
first had only answered the fire
of the city from his small
pieces, was at last obliged to bring
the heavy guns to bear upon the re-
bellious place. and assisted by the ar
tillery from the fort, Antwerp was
bonn barded for four hours. The result
of the punishment was that a large
bonded warehouse and two hundred
and fifty dwellings were put in ruins,
a hundred buildings were nearly de-
stroyed and three hundred were more
OR less damaged. while many of the in
habitants were killed or wounded. Van
Speijk, who years before in the East
Indies had merited promotion for brav-
cry, behaved so courageously that his
king decorated him with military or
der.
An armistice had been concluded be-
tween the warning parties, and the
ing itself ready for action. never once
broke the conditions of the truce. Van
Speijk was stationed with his gunboat
near the little village of Ooesterwell,
to the north of Antwerp. On the
9Th of February, 1881. a sudden
squau drove the vessel from its
anchorage, and it was hurled
against the band. of the Schelkt. While
the sailors were trying to float the craft
a crowd of armed Belgians unexpected
ly boarded the ship, tore down the
Dutch colors, trampled them under foot
and demanded an immediate surrender.
Resistance was out of the question. as
sistance from other ships could not be
had. but the valiant young commander
preferred death to surrender. Under
the pretext of going for his papers he
To Il hi -,
boy, and called to the latter: boy,
save yourself y The boy flew on deck,
jumped overheard. and hardly had'he
done so when terrific explosion oc
Cured Van Speijk had set fire to the
ships powder. and had saved the honor
of himself and his country's flag by
blowing up friend and foe alike. Be
sides a large number of Belgians.
fourteen @,of his own men per-
ished, and only five, including
the boy. were saved. After some
time fragments of the hero's body were
found and honored with a splendid
public burial in the new church at
Amsterdam. where tomb was erected
in Van Speijk's honor, while monu
ment in the Civil Orphan asylum. where
he had been brought up, keeps his
memory forever green with the orphan
boys. who never grow tired of hearing
and telling his story. AT the time of
the gallant deed new sloop-ofwar
was building which received the name
of Van Speijk. while royal decree or
dered that for all time TO come Dutch
man-of-war should bear the name of
the gallant young lieutenant. The
deed created the widest enthusiasm
throughout the country. Orators, poets,
historians and painters united In i'm
mortalizing the memory of the man,
who. like second Claassen, hurled with
him into death the enemy he could not
conquer. Van Speijk's nearest rela-
tives received pensions, while the five
sailors who had survived were also pen
sioned.-N. Y. Times.