The San Francisco call., 1896-03-15

confess that, in order not to be serving
drinks out of all sorts of bottles (thuS ex-
posing the scheme of the emergency con-
trlbutlons) he had poured brandy, whisky,
rum. gin and high wines into one big
demllohn. One glass OF this com blnatlon
was enough to stagger the steutest man.
II suppose I owe my friends and officers
an apology" said Farragut, "but perhaps
the best thing to do in the premises is to say
nothing. Men who can stand such liquor
as that and live have one of the elements
OF greatness in them. I imagine that the
opening of the drydock sill be strongly
remembered by many for a number OF
| days."
The tilt between Commandant Farragut
| and Commander Boutwell, of the warship
John Adams is matter of history. Ac-
cordlng to Commodore Harrison, Farragut
was strong vigilance committee man.
when Boutwell, came ashore on the
| night of his arrival in the bay" said the
commodore, "Farragut escorted him
through the City. When Farragut saw the
vigilance array-4000 men under arms and
organized like an army-he said Call this
mob? Why, this is one OF the finest
bodies of MEN I ever saw. They open
ranks to receive US like veterans
"Farragut passed through the ranks
without question. He saw the elements
that made up that army, and appreciated
the gravity of circumstances that had
MADE necessary such an uprising"
One of the most interesting of the many
"reminiscences of Farragut told by Commo-
dore Harrison is one giving an account of
the formers opinion of heavy ordnance.
In 1855, just after the battle of Petro-
pauloyski, which resulted in that post
talIlng, into the hands of the allied
English and French fleets, a number of
the men-of-war engaged IN the affair
visited San Francisco. Among the English
vessels was the Amphitrite, which carried
IN those days. The commodore went
aboard OF the Amphitrite soon after she
anchored off Sausalito and of course viewed
It's big gun, which the commodore said had
done good work at Petropaulovski. The
following day being at Mare Island Howl
son told farragut about the finch gun.
Yes, that's q big gum said Farragut,
put IT'S OF no use IN real service. Why,
Harrison, I'd be willing to have the Eng
lishman fire away at my ship all day
II was a mile and quarter
away, and if I was in small
boat / d stand it at the distance of a mile
A gun like that will carry big shot and
make loud noise, butit can't be relied on
to shoot with any accuracy. There is
nothing like our 32-pounders to do effec-
tive work"
To show his faith in the latter the COM
mandant ordered 32-pounder got il. readi-
ness, and having anchored a mark in the
stream at a distance of mile and a
quarter, fired.several shots at it, but with
out success. Finally he called up an old
quartermaster, who trained the piece and
knocked the target to pieces at the first at
tempt. Farragut then frankly acknowl-
edged that 32-pounders could not always
be depended on even at that distance. He
was greatly astonished however, few
days later when Harrison recounted the
result of his second visit to the Amphitrite.
The English captain on hearing of Far
ragut's doubt as 10 the efficacy of his Z
inch gun ordered it cleared away, and
training it on rock in the bay Just one
and a third miles distant knocked the
top of it off, Two other shots were
pumped into it. and shattered it TO piec S.
.'As to Farragut's simplicity of man
ner.' continued Commodore Harrison, ''he
was easily approachable and unpreten-
corns. He was man, every inch OF him,
and he believed in giving every man fair
show. He was a born sailor. too, and
loved race over the waves as much as
any one"
The commodore takes pride in a cane
that was recently presented to him by q
naval officer. 1t was made from wood OF
the old Hartford, Farragut's flagship, the
good old vessel that viii ever be known in
connection with the admiraPs glory and
that now awaits the touch OF the rebuiIder
off the island where Farragut planted the
navy-yard- island that might with
propriety be rechristened ''Farragut's
Island ~