The western recorder., 1898-06-09
Heroism in Our Navy.

Heroism in Our Navy.
The history of the American
navy is an unbroken record of dar-
ing valor and devoted patriotism.
Thrilling incidents abound in its
pages, and in all is the indomita-
BILE spirit that leads through evory
fiery test to victory Naval Con-
structor Hobson and his seven ns.
sociates have added new and
brilliant exploit to those that are
familiar in the annals Of our navy.
Above everything, and it will stir
the country to proud admiration
of its sailors, is the fact that not
less than 1000 men on our ships
stepped forward to take the place
of the eight volunteers invited to
perform service of extreme risk.
There is nothing to match this in
the long narrative of warfare on
the ocean. Volunteers for work
of peculiar danger have always
been found among our blue jack
cts, but in this case almost the en-
tire feet was ready to be included
in forlorn hope of extraordinary
peril. Such a body of men is nee
essarily invincible. They can be
destroyed but not conquered; they
will fight to the uttermost and go
down with their colors flying rath-
er than strike them.
Usually in extra hazardous SER
vice a certain chance of escape is
open. But Hobson and his men
were required to sink their own
ship after taking it through a mar
row passage liucd with heavy bat
teries at short range and over a
network of mines. Their first dan
ger was to be blown to pieces by
artillery or into tho air by torpe-
docs. They werc within easy shot
of the shore. If they escaped shot
and shells and high explosives their
mission was to locate their ship in
the manner best calculated to OBJ
srruct the channel, sink it with a
torpedo fixed in place, and then
row away. subject again TO a tre-
mendous crossfire. That the eight
men should have passed. SO far in
to the zone of fire and mines and
successfully performed their task
is a most remarkable event, and
that none was killed or seriously
wounded is n marvel. They Hre
prisoners. but prisoners of kind
honored by the military men OF
every civilized nation. Intrepidity
like theirs is acknowledged wher-
ever courage and love of country
have any hold upon the human
heart.
1t is in no spirit of vaunting
that Americans point to their
achievements on land and sea. Not
one conscript is found beneath our
flag. Every man wearing the ma
tional uniform represents his own
consent aud individual fealty to
his country. The story Of our ma
Wy is one of splendid deeds. In
past times we have created fleets
from almost nothing and amazed
the greatest sea powers in the
world by their effective audacity.
Our sailors have run batteries, de-
fed torpedo mines, blown up nr-
mored ships from frail boats and
clinched for the final struggle in
every form OF ocean warfare. Inc
commander has but to order, the
men stand ready to execute in ut
ter defiance of death by bullets,
shells, fire or drowning. Engi-
neers and pilots guard their posts
with the same heroism ms the fight
ing sailors on deck. Old Ironsides
is not an exceptional ship. 1t is n
type of all. The self-sacrificing
valor celebrated in song and story,
in the sea lyrics of Campbell and
the Charge of the Light Brigade
is in sober truth matter of course
on the ships of the American navy.
-Globe-Democrat.