The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-07

Two Officers of the Same Name. Who
Hold the Same Title, Will Now
he on the Same Staf7-The Elder
Served Half Century and Never
Saw a. Battle.
CHICAGO, Feb. Ga special to
the Chronicle from Washington
says: An event wholly unprecedent-
ed in the history of the United States
navy will take place tomorrow. Rear
Admiral Thomas o. Selfridge Jr
list-no remarkable occurrence in
itself, but very notable from
the circumstance that there will then be
two officers of the same name, both
rear admirals father and son, on the
list in question. Nothing of the kind
has ever happened before or is likely
to happen again in centuries.
The elder admiral, the father, is nine
ty-three years old. His career in the
service dates back almost to the begin
ming of the century, inasmuch as he was
appointed a midshipman Jan. l, 1918,
when he was only twelve years of age.
AS a small boy he went on board of the
frigate Constitution in Boston harbor
Immediately after the famous fight be-
tween that vessel and the Guerrero
Though his naval career extended over
very nearly half a century he never
saw battle, owing to the circumstance
that he was af1oat on the Pacific in 1861
and from 1862 TO 1854 was commandment
of the Mare island navy yard at San
Francisco. He was made a commodore
in 1862, was retired in 1866 and received
the rank of rear admiral in 1870, in
recognition Of his long and distinguished
services.
Younger Mans Career.
The carepr Of tho vOuppor admiral on
the other hand, has been full of stirring
and romantic incidents. He saw fiercer
fighting ard more of it during the war
than any other naval officer. On three
different occasions his ship was sunk
and another time he was blown up with
his boats crew by torpedo. He COM
manded the gun deck battery on the
Cumberland when she was sunk by the
Merrimac, the day before the latter YES
sci had her big fight with the Monitor.
The story told of this disaster to the
Cumberland by Admiral Slefridge Jr.
is a very exciting one. In conversation
on the subject the other day he said:
IF the Cumberland had had steam
she might have had some sort of show
in fighting the Merrmac. We had ten
guns to the Merrimac's four and the
hail of big shot we poured at her pro-
duced considerable effect, knocking
away her smoke stacks and making
large OeIlIS III Ilef dIlllOf. But IOr lack
of wind we were helpless, and the Mer-
rimac crushed us with her ram 1t so
CHANGED that the ram stuck fast in the
stricken Cumberland, and if anybody al
the bow of our vessel, where the two
great anchors were bitted, had had the
presence of mind to throw them over
uron the Merrimac, she would have
been dragged down with the Cumber-
land when the latter sank
LAS it was the Merrin1ac Str11ooIad
for two or three minutes and then
broke free, leaving her ram in the
Cumberland. She backed away and
the Cumberland settled steadily as the
water poured into her through the
great hole in her side While we were
sinking I kept on directing the fire Of
our guns at the Merrimac. When the
word came that everyone should save
himself as best he could, [ found the
hatchways crowded with men, and,
seeing small chance of escape that
way, [ hastily stripped myself to my
shirt and trousers and crawled out
through a portfolio just as the ship
went under the water. I went down
with her, but, being f1rst-rate SWIM
mer, / soon came to the surface again
and succeeded in reaching a boat The
Cumberland's flag was never struck,
but still flew from her masthead,
which stuck out above the water after
SIIe ISiO- sunk TO UE6 DOIIOln. soon
afterwards [ went out in a boat and
cut the flag away meaning to pre-
serve it, and to prevent it from falling
into the hands of the enemy. I do not
know what became of it afterward; it
disappeared"
Thomas o. Selfridge Jr. entered the
navy as a cadet midshipman in Oc-
tober, 1851, and was graduated in 1853
at the head of the first class sent out
by the naval academy under it's pres
ent organization. He was the first Off
Ger to receive diploma from the acad-
envy. In February, 1860, he became a
lieutenant, and was ordered home
from the African coast to the flagship
Cumberland. He took part in the
bonbardment and capture of the, Nor
folk navy yard. and in the assault and
taking of the Hattaras forts. Imme-
diately after the sinking of the Cum
berland he was placed in command of
the Monitor, Capt. Worden, of the lat
ter vessel having been wounded in
the fight between the Monitor and
Merrimac.
At about this time a submarine tor
pedo boat called the Alligator was
built in Philadelphia by a scamp of a
French adventurer The federal gov
eminent was in no little alarm on ac-
count Of a second Merrimac, which
was understood to be under construc
tlOn Dy the COnIederateS, and it was
hoped that the Alligator might be used
to blow up this dreaded vessel Mer
rimac No. 2 never made it's appear
ance, as it turned out. but meanwhile
the government accepted and purchas-
ed the Alligator after one trial on the
Delaware. She was brought to Wash
ington, and Lieut.. Selfridge volunteer
ed to command her He took her for
a short voyage down the Potomac and
| the result was nearly disastrous
The Alligator was an odd specimen