El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-07-29
Sampson and SChIey.

A letter from Professor Charles F
Johnson to the Hartford Courant says
L have noticed with great disgust TIT
attempts of one or two of the New
York papers to pit Captain Sampson
against Captain Sohley, as aspir
ants for popular reputation
Any effort to inject into
our military or naval service the jeal.
ousies and petty SANDERS of petty poll.
ticians is greatly to be deprecated and
particularly so in the case of these two
gallant comrades, either of whom |
have no doubt would gladly have effsced
would rejoice if the other had an OPP
portunity of distinguishing himself.
Thirty years ago I served for two years
under Captain Sampson, then head OF
one of the departments of instruction
in the naval academy. Captain
Schley was then attached to one
of the professional departments: that
of seamanship if recollect rightly.
Impressions thirty years old may be q
brance OF Sampson is that he was pre-
eminently just man. He was consi-
dered an excellent executive officer on
board ship. but he was above all an
industrious, perseveriDg, and cOnscien-
tiOus student of science. He studied
steadily, month after month, and L
should say that he was the last man
one would think OF as counting nOtOri-
ETY. or forcing himself forward or try
ing to withhold credit from a subordi-
nate. l did not come into direct per-
sonal relations with Captain Schley
but he impressed me as a straight-for-
ward, honorable. slightly impulsive
man. Both were then young lieuten
ant commanders. q call them
captain as that was the
title we were accustomed to
use.) Schley would not dream of COM
pairing his scientific attachments to
those of Sampson, nor indeed were
there any other officers with one or
two exceptions, in the same class
with him in that respect. and
Sampson would rejoice as heartily
ss if any It w suceei bis OF dwn sohle we
must not forget that to Sampson more
than to any other one man we owe the
built-up gun of our navy, made in the
yard at Washington. The English
built-up guns of large calibre have in
developed symptoms of weak
ness after a few discharges. AS far as
We know our 13-inch guns are as per-
feet as they were before they were
loaded. Few persons are aware of the
that are necessary before
a tube can be made that can safely be
subj to the immense strain of
13-inch prOjectile. The high |
est character of scientific Judgment as
applied to practical question is nee
essary to decide on the proportions of |
the parts. and we are fortunate in that |
we had a man in the naval ordnance |
bureau capable of deciding them &C
The question of the compost |
lion and size and shape of the grains of |
the powder is also a vital one. That |
we have the best gun in the world is |
largely due to Captain Sampson, and |
10 accuse quiet studious, modest sci |
enlist OF lowing his position to polii-
,al pull" and straightforward pa
,riotic officer of trying to lessen the |
credit due to another frOra motives of
professional jealousy is abomina0le.
Captain SchIey is a gentleman and 1
eel quite sure that the attempt to eX-
lit him at Captain SIMPSONS expense
8 utterly distastefully to him. Our
naval service is the best in the world |
because there is so little favoritism or
ealOusy in it. Of course officers are
iesirous OF an opportunity of disrin-
themselves, but that is a
7ery different thing from
)eing willing to lessen the credit |
lue to comrade. It is q very small
nature that habitually attributes mean
motives to others, or that attempts to
tir up strife in our naval service
Yours truly,
CHARLES +. JOHNSON.