Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1898-06-18
TORPEDO BOAT NAMES
mach One Bears the Name OF nm OnesS
whs Distinguished Himself
By Unusual bravery.

| N0uAU y tOIpcuo bVub uhNc U uoEC W
propriate name than the Gushing. which
commentaries the gallant union lieu
tenant who destroyed the ironclad Al.
bermarle ut the risk Of almost certain
death, and whose work was the fore
runner Of that which his steel name
sake 10 expected TO do?
The Porter bears name that fills the
American tar with pride and recalls the
only sea fight that ever took place be-
tween the United States and Spain. II
was In 1906 that Commodore David Por-
ter, then only 20 years old, fought 10
Spanish gunboats with the single ship
Enterprise and gave them more than
they wanted. The engagement took
place Just of Gibraltar, and, although
the enterprise made no captures, her
plucky commander emerged from the
unequal contest with whole skin and
IN uninjured ship.
The Foote Is named for the brave and
pious old admiral who first taught the
Celestials that there was q nation on
this side Of the world that knew how TO
fight. It was in 1856, when the English
and Chinese were at war, that the Chi.
nese forts fred on Foote'S ships, which
were there to protect American inter-
ests.
The doughty commander demanded
ON instant apology. When II was not
Forthcoming he landed his men and led
them against the four forts. Their
seven-foot walls Of granite were pro-
tected by many guns and contained
5000 Chinese soldiers, but Foote cap
tured them with 400 Americans and
lost but 40 men, against the enemy's
loss OF 400.
The Dupont is named for the naval
leader Of the Mexican war and the
Winslow for the commander OF the fa-
nous old Kearsarge. The Rodgers CONF
memorates ono Of the naval heroes Of
1912. The Ericsson bears name which
revolutionized naval warfare when its
owner built the Monitor and sent her
against the much-feared Merrimac in
Hampton Roads
Our newest torpedo boat, the one
which was recently bought in England
and which has not yet been brought TO
this side of the Atlantic, is called the
Somers. The name of Commander Rich
ard Somers Is not so familiar us that OF
Cushing, yet 1t is connected with an ac-
tion as glorious In its courage and more
unfortunate in its outcome than that
which made Lieut.. Cushing famous.
In the year 1904, when the United
States was fighting the Barbary pirates.
Somers manned fireship loaded with
gunpowder and combustibes and sailed
her into the harbor of Tripoli at night
to destroy the enemy's ships. Before
he started on his perilous mission he
said to his little crew Of volunteers:
''Let no man 60 with me who does
not prefer death to surrender" Not
man Of the crew drew back.
The ship and its men foated silently
away In the darkness, and their com
rades waited long and anxiously for
some sign TO tell Of their fate. At last
the enemy's batteries on shore began TO
fire, and Pickering light was seen in
the direction which the fireship had
taken. In IN instant II blazed up into
fash that lighted the whole harbor, and
there was an explosion which rocked
the American ship mile away. Then
the darkness settled down again.
In the morning one Of the enemyi
ships had disappeared and two others
were disabled, but Somers and his COM
panions were never seen again. II 10
believed that Somers blew up the mag
azine Of his ship with his own hand and
persisted In order to accomplish his OBJ
ject.-Boston Globe.