The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-07
4 HERO Of THE MERR|MAc.
OSCAR DIGNAx, NEPHEW OF JUDGE
OSBORN, or THIS CITY.
He Helped HAN Her Into santiago
Harhor and In Vow . Prisoner Of
war-Hfs Wild and Fearless Lite.

Among the true heroes % the r-essa.
war are Lieut.. Hohson and his seven ccsu-
panscns who ran the collier Msrr.naac inso
the narrowess portion OF the entrance %
the harhor at Santiago De Cuba and blew
her up under the very guns OF the Spanish
fort.ications and Adm.ra, Csrvera's fleet.
This one act OF herossm imprisoned and
rendered helpless four first class armored
cruisers and two torpedo boat dessroyevs
o. the Spanish navy.
These eight men were SO thoroughly In
tarested In the scheme OF blocking the
harbor that they had TO timc 10 think
on their chances OF escaping death. That
was q minor consideration with them
One OF that little band Of heroes was
Oscar Dsgnan. nephew or Judge Richard
Osborn. OF this city. who Is now IN the
Klond,ke. and OF Policeman A. A. Os-
born. He l. brother OF Frank Dignan
who works for Fischer Bros. Seven years
ago the young hero was In Seattle visiting
hts uncle. A. A. Osborn.
Oscar D.gnan has led romantic life.
He has seen ali kinds Of dangers and
when the war broke out he lost no time
In entering Uncle Sans navy. He was en-
listed at New York city and then sent
to Hampton Roads where he Joined the
feet. Subsequently he was made cox
swain OF tho collier Merrimac, and still in
that position he went with her to her
death. 1t Is supposed that he u now a
prisoner Of war with good chances OF be-
ing exchanged.
Oscar Dignan was born in Stewart. Iowa.
His father, John W. Dignan was q we'll
known railroad engineer. About lsS2 q
terrible cyclone swept through Iowa de-
stroy!ng the town Of Grinnen and wreck
ing the train which D.gnAn was plotting.
The brave engineer died at his post OF
duty.
Young Dignan's mother married again.
He did not get along well with his step
father and one day they had q disagree
mene which resulted In the young man
running away from home. At that time
he was about fourteen years old. The
world had no terrors for him. Young as
he was he worked his way across the
country to San Francisco. where he fell in
with the steward Of . steamship running
to Honolulu. Through this acquaintance
the lad entered seafaring life He made
trip to Honolulu with his friend. the
steward. and returned TO Astoria, Or, on
a sailing vessel as cabin boy.
Once in Astoria he remembered that he
had relatives In Seattle He took tina first
train and one morning surprised his uncle,
A. A. Osborn. by walking in on him. After
short visit In Seattle Dignan went to
San Francisco. Then he went back 10
Stewart, Iowa, and visited his mother.
Life on the Pacific coast was too attractive
for him to remain in his old home. He
made his way back to San Francisco and
shipped aboard the Albatross. A year ago
this spring he went to the Arctic on a
whaier. and 1t was by the greatest luck
imaginable that he was not caught by
the ice. On returning 10 San Francisco he
shipped on merchantmen for New York
city. He arrived just in time to enter
Uncle Sans navy and be assigned 10
Simpsons fleet.
Dignan IS q quiet, unassumlng young
man, but from child he was q perfect
stranger to the word fear. Ghost stories
or dark closets did not work on his Inn
agination. He would walk in pitch dark
ness with ali the confidence and assurance
or an old man. II anyone was wiling to
tell him about deeds OF daring on the
high seas or in land battles he would sit
and listen for hours. He was always self
reliant and had no fears of being able to
take care OF himself in any place
Inc fact that he was chosen as one
OF eight out Of hundreds Of eager. anx-
-ous volunteers shows the confidence placed
In him by the officials OF SIMPSONS fleet.