The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-07

OSCAR DIGxAx, NEPHEW OF JUDGE
OSBORN, OF THIS CITY.
He Helped Ran Her late Santiago
HaRbor and IN Vow . Prisoner OF
Mar-His wild and Fearless Life.

Amcng the true heroes Of the present
war are Lieut.. Hob-cn and his seven COM
paa:ons who ran the collier Merrsraac into
the ns-rowese portion o. the entrance o.
the barber III Santiago de Cuba and blew
her up under the very guns OF the Spanish
Notifications and Admiral Cervera's fleet.
TAis one &C, Of heroIsm impr:soasd and
rendered helpless four first c.ass armcred
cruisers and two torpedo boa. destroyers
Of the Spanish navy.
These eight men were so thoroughly IN
terestsd in the scheme os blocking the
On their chances OF escaping death. That
was a miner consideration with them.
One OF that little hand OF heroes was
Oscar Dignan, nephew OF Judge Richard
Osborn. OF this city. who is now in the
Kiond.ke, and CT Policeman A. A. Os-
born. He il brother OF Frank Dignan
who works for Fischer Bros. Seven years
ago the young hero was IN Seattle visiting
his uncle. A. A. Osborn.
Oscar D.gnan has led romantic life.
when the war broke out ne 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
1see. Subsequently he was made cox
swain OF tho collier Merrimac. and still in
that position he went with her to her
death. II Is supposed that he - 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 weil-
known railroad engineer. About 1859 .
terrible cyclone swept through Iowa de-
stroying the town OF Grinneil and wreck
ing the train which Dignan was plotting.
Tha brave engineer died at his post Of
duty.
Young Dignan's mother married again.
He did not get along we'll with his step
father and one day they had q disagree
mens which resulted In the young man
running away from home. At that time
hs was about fourteen years old. The
world mad no tcrrors for him. Young az
he was he worked his way across the
country to San Francisco. where he fell In
with the steward Of q steamship runn.na
to Honolulu. Through this acquaintance
the lad entered g seafaring life He made
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 the first
train and ono morning surprised his uncle.
A. A. Osborn. by walking In on him. After
a short visit In Seattle Dignan went to
San Francisco. Then he went back TO
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 q
whaler. and 1t was by the greatest luck
imaginable that he was not caught by
the ice. On returning to San Francisco he
shipped on a merchantmen for New York
city. He arrived Just In time TO enter
Uncle SANS navy and be assigned 10
SIMPSONS feet.
Dignan Is a quiet, unassuming young
man, but from child he was a perfect
stranger TO the word fear. Ghost stories
or dark closets did not work on his i'm
agination. He would walk in Pitch dark
ness with ali the confidence and assurance
OF an old man. If anyone was willing TO
tell him about deeds OF daring on the
high seas or in land battles he would si,
and sisten for hours. He was always self
reliant and had no fears OF being able to
take care OF himself in any place.
The fact that he was chosen a, one
OF eight out OF hpndreds OF eager. anx-
sous volunteers shows the confidence placed
In him by the officials OF Simpsons seee