The times., 1897-12-26
"Ihe History of our Navy :"

is tho author of The Port of Mis- sing
Ships' and 'The Gold Diggings of Cap,
Horn this writer has made short ex-
curslonS on the waters of literature, but
in his latest work lie sails away on al
important and significant voyage. His
history is in four handsome, illustrated
volumes and covers the entire Period 0f
the existence of our Navy from its in.
cepiion e this year, 1897 II bears every
evidence cf thorouglmess OF studious
acquaintance with the most minute de
tails % the extensive subject, touching
interestingly ON our naval biography and
her0isn, cur lights in native and foreign
waters, ard the progressive growth oi
naval construction, from its crude begin
niEGs up To the present elaborate, intricate
ana expensive engines of war, or, as some
Insist, of peace.
Tha books are timely because there has
grown Recently significant interest in the
naval branch of our national defense, 4 nj
the people are awakening TO a conscious
ness thai our country is forgin. upward 10
pre-eninence among sea pow ars. IL will
probably be received with grateful in
terest by a lea ding public, who have made
Capt. Mihan's naval writings SO generally
familiar, and who have delved eagerly
into every offering of sea fiction. for Mr.
Spears WORK is deficient ia neither inn
poltanoe nor engaging narrative. a 4
record for the library it viii rank at ance
as indispenss ble 10 all naval architects,
CONSTRUCTORS, commanders and students.
our first navy consisted of eight long
row boats. The marines were sfxty-folir
men OF the town OF Providence, voun-
teers- The equipment was fav fire
arms and . liberal supply of round paw
ing stones. They fought the first nayaI
engagement at . O'Clock Oh the NOR ling
of the 18Th OF June. 1772 in the waters
near Providence. This significant inc:-
dent is worth recalling in its interesting
detail:
On June Il, 1872, a Providence packet,
named the Hannah. and CUIuU.arIed hV
Capt. LinZee, came in sight of the vo war
vessels while she WIS on her regular DaSs-
age from New York TO Providence AS
The Hannah ranged up near thpyessels She
was ordered to heave to, in order that her
papers might he examined. but Capt Lin
zee being Favored by smart Southerly
wind That was rapluly "a IRWIN" him ont
ol range ol the Inan-of-war guns, held fast
on his course
At thist he schooner Gaspe wa dvfs ed 10
follow and bring hack tine ufienuInE SIcnp
and, with all sails dia wing she ohcveti
the order For matter OF TWENTY-FIVE
miles I hat wa cd ger and as even q race
oS dilN sdiioi Eildn Nbnlu care To see. mat
Wien tiLaL length o! course mao been sailed
over the racers found themselves close up
at the Providence bar. The Yankee knew
his ground as he knew the deck of his
sioop, hut the ca pt a in OF the Gaspe was un-
familiar with il. A few minutes later the
snoal-draft Hannah was crossing the lar
at point where she could barely scra pc
over and the deeper draft Gaspe, in trying
10 follow at Iull speed, wa grounded nar1
and last. To make matters stun worse
for the Gasne the tide was lust beginning
eli h.ag-
hopet5 iioa her,
Les NHis as enemy i'm this plight. Ca pt.
Linsee sailed into Providence port. Had
the news he brought come before the days of
renewed and msiStently unjust English "a x
alton the matter might have been looked
upon n capital Joke on ? revenue cuit.,r.
ana that would lave heen the end of it.
But the matter was taken in a seriOgs
light. As the sun went down the town
drummer appea red on he streets, and with
tie long ron md tattoo by which public
meetings were called he "a thered the
men uf the town under horse-Shed that
stood near one OF the larger stores over.
locking the water. While yet the Deo-
pie were coming To the rendezvous man
disguised as an Indian appeared on ,he
rUof and invited al stout hearts to meet
hin. on the wharf at O'Clock, disguised
as he was. As ma y be inferred every 4 an
uf Providence set about at once TO mas
guerade as an Indian. hut from ;he s
sefnbled number only SiXty-four we're
chosen. Tradition has il that Abraham
Hhippie, who later on peca NE one of The
capita ins OF the American navy, was
chosen comma nder of this Nocturnal ex-
pe1itign. They rowed away, eight TO a
boat. in eight small boats gathered from
the vessels at anchor in the harbor. Their
arma ment was a few piStolsan ana abundance
%! round stones.
1t was , o'clock in the morning when
this galley fleet arrived in sight of the
stranded Gaspe. The tide had turned by
this time ana the schooner had begun to
right itself somewhat. A sentinel pacing
TO and fro with some difficulty saw the
approaching boats and hailed them. A |
shower of paving stones was he most eff /
fcCtiVe If not the only reply he received, I
and he tumbed down below pTecipitately. !
The rattle and crash of the paving stones !
on the deck routed the crew from their ,
bcrthS. and, running hastily on deck. the |
captain of the Gaspe fired a pistol point |
blank at his aSsailantS. At that a single I
Inusket WAS fired from the boat .bv whom it 1
VIII never De Known, and the captain I
dropped with a bullet in his thigh. Then the
huafs closed about the stranded vessel and
their crews Swarmed over the rails. The
sailors OF the Gaspe stroVe to resist the on
Slaught. but they We're quickly knocked {
down and secured. Al soon as this was
done the schooner was effectually fired, /
sway.
Tins was the frs, fight American Prov
ess VOC; Oh wate-. 1t was victory for |
The colui.ists of Rhode Island, and this
State may also pciut " it'll pride to the |
fact that il was in the two houses uf her
iegisla turc that il was first concurrcd in.
ordering her representatives in the Con-
gress to propose the establishment of |
navy, 'at the expense of the continent"
The proposal met great opposition.
This was October 3, 1775 Stirred by
the news of the coming Hessians, and the
-enewed aggressions OF the British, ON
November % of that wear naval commits
Sions were ordered issued. and our Nav
sprang into existence The first war
-essels ordered TO he built Were ..rire
.hips OF 80 guns, five Of 26 guns, three
1f "a guns, making I'm the whole thir-
cen" The cost was not TO be more
than GG,GGG 2-3 dollars ca ch, on an aver
aga, allowing two complete suits of
;ails for each ship
From these Interesting beginnings tie
author carries us through the nanoi able
and creditahle engagements of the two
wars with England, tie incidental tights
before, and the notable sea battles .,f the
1yil wal, and the achievements Of eur
nautical service since, noting concur entity
he g.uNth and improvement in odr naval
Equipment. The narratives of some OF
hese engagements are given with such
Tree and fresh spirit that, Joined with the !
attendant patriotismthey eyinevitably Y arouse,
me is carried from page to page as il
hc text were that OF romantic fiction |
nstead oG bloody actual history, mel
owed and colore,l softly by perspective |