Washington sentinel., 1898-06-18
Three Naval Heroes,

the Merrimac in the entrance to the
harbor OF Santiago. The heroes ofthese
were lieutenants of the same rank as
Lieut.. Richmond p. Hobson who sank
the Merrimac. In each instance the
volunteer officers and crews faced what
looked like certain DEATH
On the night Of Feb. 10. 1904, Lieut..
Decatur with crew of seventy picked
ohncers and men entered the harbor OF
Tripoli and destroyed the frigate Phla-
delphia. which had fallen into the hands
OF the enemy, under the fire of over one
hundred guns. Not an American lite
was sacrificed in the destruction OF the
Doat
On the night OF Oct. ~, 1864, Lieut..
William B. Gushing steamed up the
Roanoke River at Plymouth HarDor
and, under fire Of the vessels guns and
a shore battery, sank the Confe derate
ironclad Albemarle with a torpedo. He
and another officer alone escaped. The
Iemainder Of the small crew we're
drowned or taken prisoners.
On the afternoon OF June 3, 1893,
Naval Constructor Richmond P. Hob.
son, with the rank OF lieutenant, with a
handful OF volunteers, sank the auxiliary
cruiser Mernms in the narrow channel
at the entrance OF Santiago Harbor to
shut in the Spanish feet. No lives were
lost. The officers and men are prison
ers OF war.
The most picturesque and daring Off
Ger in the United States navy during
the wars against TrIpoli and the then
feared Barbary States was Stephen
Decatur, who entered the service as a
midshipman.
On May 10. 1901, the Pasha of Tripoli
declared war against the United States.
When the news of the loss Of the Phila
delphia by running on reef near Tripoli
was received Commodore Preble sailed
tor the Mediterranean in the frigate
Constitution, taking Decatur with him.
1t was determined to destroy the old
frigate before she could fight under the
flag of Tripoli. She had been raised,
repaired and floated into the harbor.
Decatur volunteered to do the work.
On the night OF Feb, 10, 1904, the In
trepid, with Decatur i / command, sailed
into the harbor and was warped along
side the Philadelphia without exciting
any suspicion, she having assumed the
character of a vessel in distress.
Decatur and his men boarded the frig
ate, and after a desperate hand to hand
fight killed her defenders or drove them
into the sea. The Philadelphia was
then set on fire, amid the roar of cannon
from the land batteries and two corsairs
cruising in the harbor.
Decatur and his men succeeded in
boarding the Intrepid and escaping.
Not an American was killed aud only
four wounded.
The entire world rang with the praises
OF Decatur and his gallant crew. Ad-
miral Nelson, England's greatest naval
hero pronounced il "the most daring
act OF the age" For his heroism Decatur
was made captain, and all the officers
OF the Intrepid advanced in rank.
Ultimately Decatur was appointed
Commissioner of the Navy. A misun-
derstanding with Commissioner Baron
led to a duel. in which Decatur was
fatally wounded on March a., 1920.
Commander William B. Cushing, J.
S NJ, was born in Wisconsin November,
1912, and at the age OF fifteen appointed
to the Naval Academy.
In March, 1861, he shipped as an acting
masters mate on the Cambridge. In
October of that year he was restored TO
his rank as midshipman.
In 1862 he was promoted to the rank
OF lieutenant During the next three
years his record was a succession of
ieats Of daring.
His greatest feat and the one which
classed him among the immortals was
the destruction OF the iron plated ram
Albemarle in the harbor Of Plymouth,
N. C., on the night of October 27, 1864.
The Albemarle was anchored at
wharf A guard OF logs had been placed
around her for a distance of thirty ieet.
Her armament was heavy and effective
for those days. On shore there was
land force armed with small arms and
howitzers. The fact that torpedo boat
had been prepared for use there had
been printed and every provision made
against sudden attack. The barrier OF
logs was considered the most effective
defe nse against torpedoes, which at that
time were rather crude affairs. With a
crew of picked volunteers Gushing
boarded the launch, arrana ed the tor
pedo, and put for the harbor. In years
and appearance he was a mere boy,
with pale, clear cut face and the eyes
of the enthusiast. Exposed to the great
est danger he stood in the bow of the
boat encouraging aud cheering his men.
AS soon as the Yankee craft entered
the Roanoke river the shore batteries
opened fire. Shot and shell fell about
the launch thick and fast, but Cushing,
nothing daunted by the hre or the ap-
parent hopelessness of his task, put on
more steam and made for the battleship
A hundred yards from the Albemarle
Cushing for the first time discovered the
barrier Of logs. He simply gave orders
to put on more steam, With a shock
the launch jumped the logs, and Cush-
ing, in the most deliberate manner
lowered his torpedo and blew up the
ironclad just as a shell from the shore
went crashing through his. .launcb, cut
ting it in two.
The explosion of the torpedo tore a
large hole in the ironclad's side. Size
sank at her moorinps and yVas neyer