The San Francisco call., 1897-01-24
LIFTED PROXIMITY SHORE

duty, and, therefore, presumably, better
subject for court-martiaI than the steel
board IN Washington, consisting of cap
tain, Lieutenant commander and lieu
tenant or even Lieutenant Comp pander
Forse at Homestead IL charge OF all in
spectors at the Carnegie Works.
1t is a repetition of the same old story in
the navy, where, if something goes wrong
with high rank line officer, an example by
vicarious punishment Is made of the low
est in the grade who may by any means,
fair or foul, be connected with the affair
The navy abounds in such stories. some
sad, others with happy endings and others
again ludicrous. An incident of twenty
eight years ago is an instance where a
young subaltern was made to suffer for
the faults OF higher rank officers, hut hap
PLY through the providential interference
of two women came off without any last
ing blight on his record.
In 1868 the United States steamer Canaan
daigua, attached to the squadron Of Ad-
miral Farragut in European waters, was
in the Adriatic, bound south to join the
squadron in British and French waters.
Her commanding officer was Captain
James H. Strong; E. P. McCrea. execu-
tive officer; J. D. Clark, navigator, and R.
P. Leary, equipment and ordnance officer,
with Master Heyerman and Ensigns Con-
verse and De Long watch officers. The
executive was detached, pending promo
ton, before the ship sailed from Venice,
and was succeeded by Lieutenant-Com-
mander E. ]. Dickman. On March s, 1868,
the navigator died, and Lieutenant Leary
modestly declining the honor of assum-
ing navigation duties, there were none
others in the ship considered competent
for such service, and it became necessary
to pick out an officer from some other
ship, and Master B. L. Edes, serving on
the Saco, was selected.
In the latter days of May the Canaan
dalgua started for the Mediterranean, and
everything went we'll. The captain fond
OF the good things in life which the navy
brings to high-rank officer, took matters
easy and left the snip entirely 10 the care
of the executive, and the latter with
commendable am bition took upon him
self the duties OF navigating the ship.
On the morning of May 80, while the yes
sci was proceeding under easy steam aud
sail along the coast of Italy, the shores OF
which were quite plainly visible, a sudden
fog bank obscured the beautiful scenery,
and the captain proceeded to take bath,
On the quarterback Dickman and Edes
pored over the chart and concluded to
change the course, and the former, by
virtue of his rank and greater experience
in working a ship under such circum-
stances, took command and ordered Mr.
Edes to go forward and attend to the
handling OF the sails by the crew. The
ships course was changed, and in ac-
cordance with navy regulations Dickman
reported in person to the captain in the
batntub the change of course, to which
the latter assented with a spluttering "AIl
right without looking at the chart. In
few minutes, however, 1t was all wrong, for
the ships keel came suddenly in con-
tact with some part of submerged Italian
soil, spllIing the captain out of his tub
and otherwise annoying officers and crew,
and when the fog soon after lifted the ship
was found with its nose IN close proximity
to a peaceful and picturesque vineyard,
located between Ostussi and Brindisi, at
the beginning of the so-called heel of
Italy. About forty miles of mountainous
land intervened between the bow of the
ship and the Bay of Toranto, and the short
cut, however desirable as time-saving,
was impracticable After three days un-
remitting effort, during which lighters,
tugs and boats sent from the friendly
people on the coast llghtened the ship,
and with a final desperate attempt the
vessel and the muddy bottom parted COM
pany and the Canandaigua proceeded on
her voyage to England.
In conformity with article 10 of the arti-
cles of war Admiral Farragnt ordered a
court-martial on acknowledgements