The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-06
NEW roRKERS ON THE MERRIMAc.
CIauson Had FIIibustered and Fought in Chilli
Montague LILes q Fight.

"
CIauson Had FIIibustered and Fought in Chilli
Montague LILoa n Fight.
Randolph Clausen. coxswaiR of Admiral
Simpsons iRship New York. one Of tho Merri-
mac volunteers. was born in Boston twenty
eight years ago. Early in life he drifted away
from home and in 1890 he turned up in Chilli.
leading a nlibusterinR expedition against tho
CHILEAN Government. He landed arms and am
munition on the CHILEAN coast for the Congress
sional party and no was one OF the men aboard the
Esmeralda, which entered the harbor of Auto
fagasta and demanded surrender of the town
within three days under threat of lombard
ment, and which afterward bombarded Coronel.
For some reason or other, his friends say
because the Congressional party had failed to
make good q sum of money which they had
promised him. Clausen abandoned thcm and
Joined the Balmacedist Navy. On the day Of
tho Baltimore incident in Valparaiso Clausen
figured in the row which aftsrwRrd led to
international complications between this Gov
eminent and Chill. Being q born American. he
took sides with the American sailors. and almost
lost his life for doing so. 1t WAS on Oct. 16 when
two boats crews from the cruiser Baltimore
were ashore in n drinking saloon and an alter
cation arose between them and some Gillian
sailors. Clausen wac In that saloon. in the
uniform of the Chillan Navy. One of the Chill
1hlo "db OGh " AAo ALAC ASoAn y "a
then assaulted with knives and other weapons,
and when hey attempted to escape by jumping
on q street car a great mob followed them and
dragged them from tho car. A street riot fol-
lowed. Ono of the American sailors was shot
dead. Fifteen were wounded; another was
stabbed in the back, and died shortly
afterward. Clausen on that day succeeded
in stopping the fury OF the mob. He
got the police constables to interfere
and then, with half a dozen CHILEAN sailors, he
held the mob back. coaxing. pleading, and
threatening them. Seeing that he was in tho
uniform Of Chilli. tho police finally succeeded in
suppressing the riot ana arresting those suspect
ed Of having a part in 1t. Clausen had incurred
the enmity OF tho Chi'ian sailors by taking tho
part OF tho United Stetes. sailors. He
fed to I~quique, and there. discarding tho
uniform of Chili's navy, enlisted in the
service of Uncle Sam. going aboard the Balti.
more, which was then in command of Schley. The
attack on the American sailors was regarded IN
Washington as q national insult; tho Govern
ment demanded satisfaction and Chill paid an
indemnity OF $75. 900.
Clausen has remained in tho United States
Navy ever since. with the exception OF three
days time in February. 1897, when he got mar
risd. He had been transferred to tho Raleigh,
and afterward became coxswain on the
New York. Whenever his vessel was al
the Brooklyn Navy Yard he boarded at the
house of his cousin. Mrs. Anna Hessel. at l27
Cherry street, where he met Miss There's
HaavL. He married her in Brooklyn on Wash
ington's Birthday last year.
"Clausen is an athlete" said his cousin. Mrs
Hessel, yesterday. to a SUN reporter. He is
red-hot American although he can speak Nor
wegian and Swedish. He pulls stroke oar witt
the cruiser New York's racing team, and he Il
very popular with his %Bhipmates. After receiving
his last letter my husband. Max, got the wa
fever, and, taking eight men from our boarding
house hero, he went over to the Brooklyn Nav!
Yard and enlisted. Ny husband came to New
York to-day on the hospital ship Solace. He i
the ships COOK
Daniel Montague, the other New Yorker. VIII
was one of the volunteers to sink the Merrimac
has = wife and 5.year-old child living at IA
Flushing avenue. Brooklyn. Montague wa
born in Ireland twenty-nine years ago. and wen
to live in Liverpool when a boy.
Dan was chief master of arms ON tho NoN
York." said Mrs. Montague. I'VE were maj
ried in Liverpool about six years ago. and In
mediately after that he came here and enliste
in the navy. He was an all-round athlet
and a good wrestler and boxer. He Away
wanted to be in n fight. Once he wo
$75 In a wrestling match with a fellow seaman
On another occasion he got into a row with fou
men In a Brooklyn saloon, and he licked tn
four of them. The last time that Dan got int
a boxing match he lost two OF his teeth, an
since then he has been wearing his mustach
} long. Tho man he fought was completely knocke
out. Dan rsEnlisted in the navy just before tn
. holidays two years ago. When ! write to hi
' again l will suggest that II our next baby 10
> girl / will name her MerrimAc Montague"