Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-04-24

that he was able to elude them in the
night, and was out of sight the next
morning.
Thus, but for the uncouth-looking
umbrella at the navy yard, the Consti-
tuition would probably have been cap
tured or sunk, and some of the fairest
pages in our naval history would have
remained unwritten.
In the Old South Westinghouse
there is another relic of somewhat of
the same kind with most interesting
history. This is piece of the hull OF
the British man-of- war Somerset, which
took a prominent part in the lively
times at the outbreak Of the Revo-
luton. 1t will be remembered that
the Somerset was the guardship at
the time at which Paul Revere took
his memorable ride, and that he was
nearly discovered by the sentry on her
deck while being rowed across to
Charlestown where his horse was wait
ing for him. The Somerset also took
a prominent part in the shelling of
Bunker Hill and made herself gener-
ally unpopular with those who were
struggling for their liberty about that
time.
Two years later, however, retribu-
ton overlook her, for while making
the passage from England to Boston
she was sighted by three French ships
which gave chase. She reached the
entrance to Massachusetts bay, but the
ships were rapidly closing up on her,
and her captain determined to run into
Provincetown, where he could defend
himself better.
It has always been a question
whether he misjudged his distance
from the shore, or found that he could
not reach Provincetown, and purpose
ly cast his ship away to prevent her
falling into the hands of the enemy
but in any case the Somerset grounded
on the very outside of the cape, her
crew escaping to the shore. The
shifting sands of the cape soon did
their work, covering the hull deep
with sand before the wreck had be-
come an old enough story to make her
an object of interest to the few dwell
lers in that desolate region.
Years went by, and the people who
had known of the wreck all died, so
that if any one knew that the big
British ship.of.war lay buried under
the sands, it was known merely as a
matter Of hearsay, and was considered
a good deal ofa legend. In the winter
of 1885 to 1885, however, the endless
shifting of the sands again uncovered
the old hulk.
The people of that section are so
used to wrecks, new and old, that for a
little while no notice was taken of her,
but soon it was discovered that she
was unlike anything that had been
wrecked on that coast within the mem
ory of the oldest inhabitant, and q
careful investigation showed that it
was the Somerset. Of course, as soon
as this became known, she was carried
off piecemeal by curiosity seekers and
summer residents, but the lifeboat men
secured one of the pieces aud sent it up
to Boston, to the Old South collection,
where it now lies, a mute but eloquent
reminder of the stirring times OF the
Revolution.
From these relics of warfare and
wreck, one may turn to one OF an
entirely different character, which
while of little historical value, is deep
ly interesting to anyone who knows
its history. This is fan which was
owned by Lady Frankland, or, as she
is better known, Agnes Surriage.
Lord Frankland met her at the time
at which he was collector of Marble
head, and quite young man. She
was the daughter of one of the poorest
inhabitants of the town, and when ne
first saw her, she was scrubbing the
steps of stairs in his house. Later he
heard her sing in the street, and her
voice was 80 beautiful that he deter
mined to give her musical education:
This he did, but in the process he fell
deeply in love with her; not so deeply,
however, that he was willing to face
the fierce opposition of his family and
marry her. He took her to England:
where she met with continual affronts
from his mother and sister, and then
to Lisbon, where they lived a very
gay life. :.
Later he managed to reconcile his
family to the idea of the match, and
married her, and there is nothing to
show that either he or his family ever
regretted it. To any one of roman
tic turn of mind the little fan is OF
absorbing interest. 1t may have its
use at the balls and receptions which
they attended in their brilliant life in
the Portuguese city, but it is pleasanter
to think of it as having had to do with
auieter times which followed at her
husbands English home.
In the same museum are two pairs
of Dorothy Quincy's slippers, which
have the same vivid charm Of their
owners personality as has the fan:
Both pairs are good deal worn, and
look as though they might have been
used, and used hard, especially pair
of white satin dancing shoes, which
have evidently danced many miles,