The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-09

Rear Admiral Wake Passes
Away at Brooklyn.
THIRTY YEARS OF SERVICE.
Yet the First OmcsP Of His Rank 70
Voluntarily Retire From the
Active List.

ct 105 O'Clock this Afternoon IN the eishty-
eighth year OF his age.
Rssr Admiral wake had been suffer-
ing since last Tuesday from severe at
tack Of the grippe. but the immediate
cause Of death was heart failure. Df-
White. the family physician. had very ~
tie hope Of his recovery, and the fans.y
2 was prepared Tor the worst For some
tina before he died he was unconscious
Deceaseds wife and family were at ms
r bedside when he expired. He leaves
widow. three sons and two cAashters.
During his term Of active service 40
mirsl Wake served on eighteen vessels
and between lsz7 and 1870 he passed through
the grades of mldshipman. lieutenant
commander captain and commodore 10 rear
admiral. He took active part in ulfes DAT
Ties OF the Mexican war. ana cehihahae1
vessels during ten Important Datuss am
s,eges during thu civil 1ar- After nearly
half a csntlry'G continuous service Tor
Uncle Sam he retired voluntarily April 70.
1s7l Although he was born on a pianta-
ton on the Lynhaven river. In virginia.
Admiral Wake was an on; ana out bockess
and considered Ohio the state OF All states.
Among the members OF his family and his
ancestors are a score or more Of men who
we're distinguished officers In the army And
navy Of the United States Admiral Wake
represented the sixth generation OF Wakes
who have lived aud served this country.
tho founder OF the lhihls1 NIL
from England In 1857. Ills father. Mr.. An
thony Wake. was eduoated at Yale college.
. where he was n fellow student OF John &.
Calhoun. He served In the legislatures OF
Virginia and Ohio, and also in the senate
Of the latter state.
In fs27 Admiral Wake was appointed a
sndah!pnan In the navy. He served nrst
under Lieutenant Commander Farragut. on
the frigate Alert at Norfolk, Va In the
latter part of lSZ7 he was transferred TO
the Naichez. which cruised among the West
Indies The ship had been newly rugged
and fitted out with No. l canvas of the
hardest and thlckest sort. Yet during a
gale which WAS encountered OFF the south
side OF Cuba tn. siars were carried away
and the new sails we're blown into ribbons
and tied into knots which no fingers could
unite. These knots were afterward exhib-
tied In the public museum In Baltimore.
His next ship was the Ontario. which went
from New York to n Mediterranean sta
tion During G gale on the Western islands
Capt. Stevens. the comma nder. called for
volunteers to go aloft 20 furl the maintop-
call. which was holding the ship down. Mid
shipman Wake was the first volunteer,
and. with seven others. went aloft during
she gale and saved the ship.
Admiral Wake was executive officer or
the bomb brig Vesuvius during the Mexl-
iean war and participated in the capture
OF Vera Cruz. Tuspan and Tahasco. When
OF the storeship Supply at Pensacola. Fla.
in this capacity he rendered valuable as
slstancc TO the army and Was largely in
etrumenisl in enabling tho government 10
regain possession Of ElorLla and the only
naval station on the Gulf of Mexico. After
che surrender OF the fort and ships In the
harbor and the Pensacola navy yard he
rescued a iargcsnunber of loyal people from
death and Imprisonment and by doing
brought upon his record the cloud OF a
court-martiai He wss charged with hav-
ing assumed undue authority. and although
his cours. was lauded by every paper I'm
the country and by tho people generally.
he was subjected 10 court-martiai.
In the battle of belmont Admiral Wake
commanded the yInboats Taylor and Lex
ington. and protected Grants army while
81 was r. embarking and retrea,ing in the
transports. In tho report OF this battle
Gen Grant honorahly mentions the serv-
tees of Commander Wake and hts officers
and men
Admiral Wake was commander OF the
eunboat carondoist in tho battle of Fort
Henry, tho contest which tested the
strength Of the Union boats and resulted
In decisive victory for them. The Carou-
delet held tho position In the front line ~
battle during the whole engagement. Gen.
Grant ordered Wake to attack Fort Don
aldson with tho Carondeiet and although
three sunboatE. which had been ordered to
Join her IN the attack. failed TO obey the
Carondeiet went 10 tho front alone and
bomharded the fort all thu day preceding
Tho battle. Wake kept his boat TO the
'front.' during tho whole siege and In the
course 81 tho two days fight his loss OF
officers and men exceeded that OF all the
reHt OF tho Union fiotilia
IL was in the operations aRains, tsia nd
No. 10 which Law below Cairo In the Miss
frstpps thar Wake performed one Of
thu most daring featz ever accommodated
"a Ia 49, safs .
boat flotilla was sent. In co-ct,era tloit with
MAJ Cen John Pope against island No
~ The fleet was under the command Of
ADMIRAL Foote and operated above the
island. whore there was littie real danger
The island was most fnrrnifahly fortified
and enectualy barred the passage 70 all
points below n. Con. Pope had captured
New Madrid and Tptorvllis. ard f,.ed,-i
g'inhosts 70 guard his troops on heir way
froin the Missouri shore. Ne hal cut a
long canal through the swsnips for ;he
passage OF his transports hat dared not
make the attempt while all the glIa,,o~af a
were above island No ~ CommanTsr
Wake suggested that Flag Officer f'cote
send gurhoat past the batteries and N
the same breath volunteered 10 run The
gauntlet with the Carouielct. \ Haat-
INK battery 90 sixteen guns was moo~e,i
az the head ~ the island. Not gun above
or on the isiand had been spiked n
looked like a deliberate rush TO death ami
destruction
Atio o'clock on tho night 81 Apf1 4 l0r
the start WAS made. just as the island
doomed w rho Carondcln, was detected ~
the quart on the island Tho alarm vas
given Shot and shcn raiaei all over AMI
about the Csrondeiet. For az hour che
little gunhoat pushed through this Sea iiv
han and inside Of hour and hatf
Wake hal safely ptsss-i fhe isiafra a1A 20
ported - t;c,. Pore Not a RAN was Nh
81 The boat was IN good condition TIRE
riockste Of the Mississippi VAS opened
For this act ~ Comm srder wakes - q
oficer Ns,ge was thanked ny congress sai
awarded So o0e prize maneN'- Aau -a'
Wafkc was never cvcn thanked. much less
rewarded. nv that Presumably iusi and
august body. lie MAS thAnked and Non''
tnefNlef hl Gcn ropeN tNs secretary ~ ths
navy sna K'rNk ONCE Foote himself ~
she lsffcr came IN for all TIE rval crStft
~ Wakes daring fee3
~ tho hst,lr % Fort is''ew ire caro-.
dcltt under Commander Wake. AS ths
ieatIDr xrts boat 81 tho first atvisian a. Ne
t-nsol f-st whrrh rrs~u-i ia s>3rcsa sais
Ws3ka att.rwar,i NJ slus Nle >erN 80 y p
the same lscst IN tho battle - Msmrh s.
snd ga -hr en- Sassue0L MIA the Cvrf-t
crate rsso Arsaa-as
Af,rr the fsn ~ N1rksHur< Wake u a.
ordered tn 50 Nth tNe 1-7fsef State,
steamer Sacramento 90 search - rhe ~,
fNTious Atshsas SpAes wfu r-t r-e~n,H
the dsfaHs 90 mat trr SCR weeks pa
crsi SCI t7 he NNrfs as SeaFe Afa~.t-
- the Esst l0f--s - Caf-e Tewr anA
Lisbon wh.ge ths Confederate c~'s scr Na'
rsuk - jHe hr.r.argr gH~f t~o .e-'
t~efore Walk ar-fVr.i ne shr9 M.-ka 81
fhN Esnf~serats sursNsat Ra~@A tsaee.-
fov Hre~a nionth, 81 t1fais. Frsece Th.
Nspseahtn~c-k eSrsp~i 2"t Matke -tteee