The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-03-03
OLD DAMASCUS BLADE.
GIVEN BY THE GEAR TO PRESI-
DENT JOHNSON.
1t Helped to Build Kingdoms-The Hit
Is Made OF Horn Ornamented with
Twisted. Wire-The scabbard Is Made
If Wood. 6

P. Farmer, the county surveyor of
Columbiana county, Ohio, who resides
at Lisbon, has in his possession one of
the rarest historical specimens in ex-
lstence. 1t is an old Damascus blade,
which, it is claimed, is over two thou
sand years old. It is of crude design
and workmanship, and was made en-
tlrely by hand, the irregularity of it's
lines proving more conclusively than
anything else its antiquity. Shortly
after the assassination of President
Lincoln an unsuccessful attempt was
made upon the life of the Gear Of Rus
sla. A fleet of American warships was
sent on a cruise across the ocean, and
incidentally carried a message of con-
graduation to Russias ruler from
president Johnson. Assistant Secre-
1ary OF the Navy Fox accompanied the
squadron, on board the Miantonomah,
commanded by John J. Cornwell, of
Lisbon, Ohio. Secretary Fox was pre-
sented with the sword by the Gear in
person, as token of his high esteem,
accompanied by the following speech:
present to you, sir, as the repre-
sentative of one of the foremost and
mlghtiest Of modern nations, this
sabre, as a material appreciation of
your nations high regard for my well
rare and safety. Through ages it has
peen treasured in the archives of my
nathers as a semblance of the mighty
races that swayed the destinies Of fu-
ture generations on the shores of the
mediterranean; it was carried through
scenes of carnage which marked the
upbulld1ng Of the powerful sovereignty
or Western Asia and has outlived the
Kingdoms it helped build" The an
Client treasure was accepted by the Sec
rotary, with an appropriate response,
and as the fleet steamed out of the Rus
sian port he presented the sword to
commander CornWell. While the feet
was off Toulon, France, Commander
CornWell died suddenly of heart fail
ure. The vessels pulled in at the port
and telegram was sent to Paris for
a burial casket. A squad of marines,
under command of lieutenant, was
sent on shore to receive the casket from
the train and convey it aboard the dead
commanders vessel. The casket missed
connections, but the sailors, who were
unaware of that fact, hustled casket
which arrived on the train off to the
ironclad. The fact that the box was
quite heavy did not excite the suspi-
cion of the sailors, and after it had
been taken to the cabin the mate
opened the cover. CONSERVATION
reigned on board when there was dis
closed the body of beautiful young
lady, buried in a wealth of flowers.
The lid of the casket was hurriedly re-
stored to it's place and preparations
were promptly made to return the body
to the depot in Toulon. But the story
OF the alleged seizure had spread, Gre
atlng intense excitement in the French
port, and a city official was preparing
to board the American warship with q
search warrant. Explanations were
made, but the mistake came near caus-
ing an international disruption. The
French newspapers characterized the
actions Of the American sailors in the
most scathing terms, assuming that
- the taking of the body of the young
lady was a prearranged plan. Com
mander Cornwall was buried at Tou-
Ion and the old sword was given into
his widows keeping, and she in turn
presented it to her brother-in-law Mr.
Farmer. The blade is twenty-five and
one-half inches long and one inch
wide, tapering to a point. The hilt
is made of horn, ornamented with
twisted brass wire, and is as hard as
adamant. The cross pieces are of
leather, tipped with sheet brass. Tho
scabbard is as interesting as the blade
being fashioned from wood, with a
sheet brass covering. 1t was orna-
mented in crude style by indents of q
pointed tool. Near the hilt, on the
blade, are number of odd characters
resembling ancient Hebrew inscrip-
tinrc