New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-06
MENENTOS OF A BUSY LIFE.
AN INTERESTING COLLECTION OF RELlCo
WHICH THE LATE REAR-ADMIRAL
Wake GATHERED.

II IL not probable that many Brooklynites have ID
their possession interesting collections OF curl
ostttes than one THAI was gathered by Rear-AdmirA
Henry Wake who died recently at his home. al No.
4s2Third-st Admiral Wake entered the United States
Navy In 1877 when seventeen years old. as q mid.
shipman, and after continuous service retired VOL
unfairly on April %. 1871 In this period Of forty-four
years he saw service in the Mexican and Civil wars
and visited nearly every foreign port which Uncle
Sans marines have their calling list. Admiral
Wake was q man OF broad sympath!es and widely
diversified interests and IN the course OF his travels
he was always on the-ookout for interesting memen.
tos OF his experiences II was by no means DIM
cult thing for curiosity who visited scores
of foreign cities and assumed heavy burdens OF
leadership in two wars 70 collect assortment VI
relics which would furnish fair-szed museum.
Admiral Wake was also artist OF mean
talent On the walls OF his home dozens OF paint.
ings representing and incidents in his career
He was rarely to be found without skeichbook n
his pocket When he returned home from his voy-
ages he stored away the rough sketches, and In the
years following hts retirement from active service no
passed many hours In reproducing with oils ana
brush the hastily made pencil outlines OF his earlier
years. He had q number Of scenes from Bethlehem
Jerusalem and other cities In the Holy Land; paint
ings representing scenes from Italy. Spain England
Panama Peru Brazil and Mexico His friends have
however considered his American scenes far sups-
r.or to all Others from his brush One OF these repre-
sents the steamship North Carolina lying OF Brook'
yn Heights in 1889. Another shows the Cumberland
sailing out OF New-York Harbor In l%s. bound for
the Mediterranean. Admiral Wake was particularly
proud of group OF war scenes. which made deep
impressions upon his old comrades to whom he
showed them. Five years ago the Admiral finished
painting Of the attack by the United States forces
upon Vera Cruz IN the Mexican War In lsi7.
No person except the dead Admira. himself could
ever make q complete catalogue OF his hundreds os
relics. He could tell the complete history Of each.
and never more happy than when he was Illus.
trating the IN his life by his paintings and hs
curtos. Among his knick-knacks we're three diminus
tive shoes. not than three inches long, worn BY
the fab.ed Chinese women OF the las, generation
These. with ostrich egg from the Cape OF G0od
Hope. two rare Chinese books. two volumes OF Cnf
nese paintings rice paper. pine knot from Oa'
mascus. a spear from Sumatra and a club taken
from native Of Of the Pacific Islands. were ooa'
looted his first trip around the earth In one cor
ner Of his sitting-room was q collection OF swerds
most Of which worn by the Admiral himselt. -
box made Of wood taken from the cabin VI '"s
Carondelet contains the broken fragments ~,
sword which was struck BY a cannon oa. wn Will
hung In his cabin. The Catondelet was the BuDSSss
OF which Admiral Wake was commancer W M
battle Of Fort Henry the struggle which held
It's position In the front OF the Union line shr0us"'S'
General Grant ordered Admiral Wake to sta attain
three gunboate which had been ordereu ~ ,, yt the
the attack failed TO appear al the plops'k eni IN
Carondelet went TO the front alone ain The day
preceding the main battle. After Two hS ost more
flehting Admiral Wake Il found nau % IN ~
officers and mea than any other ooi""
An "Arkansas toothpck IL also in the w,sooScS
Il b made Of . scythe-bladcA sra nus