The record-union., 1898-04-22
CAPTAIN SAMPSON.
THE COMMANDER OF THE
NORTH ATLANTIC FLEET.
How He Was Blown Up on the Old
Ironclad Patapsco in Charleston
Harbor-His Home Life and
Family.


Commander-in-C Chief of the North At
lantic naval station now, and who
would in case Of war be made the Ad-
miral in command of all the naval
forces of the United States, has attain
ed his position through merit He
went through Annapolis, of course, but
apart from that he practically worked
his way through the hawse hole. With
little influence. and with parents who
were poor and had no social position,
he had only himself to depend on, and
what he has done should make every
American proud.
He is fine type Of what is best in
this country. He is a brave man He
is an excellent disciplinarian. AS
man of scientific attainments he has
wide reputation. No naval authority
who knows him doubts that he will be
equally good as a naval strategist If
there is war.
They love him ''up in Wayne Coun-
ty," where they still call him Billy"
as they used to do when he followed his
father around on the daily visits to the
farms to do a days work, says the
New York Press Billy's father was
poor, but, assuredly, he must have been
a good man, for there is something in
the new naval Communicating Chief
that was inborn. He is still young
man, having been born in Palmyra,
Wayne County, on February y, 1S4O
His father George, was day laborer
and William used to accompany him
on his tramps from farm to farm, where
the two split wood and did other hard
work. With it all, however, the boy
managed to study, and when the
Squire" William H. Southwick of Pal
myra took interest in him he was ready
for his chance. The chance came when
E. B. Morgan, who then represented
Palmyra in Congress, obtained the priv
ilege of appointing youth to enter the
United States Naval Academy. Samp-
son was named, and his sponsor was
never sorry for it.
Sampson was admitted to Annapolis
in 1857. Four years later, just before
the beginning of the civil war, he was
graduated at the head of his class. He
did not need to loaf long, for the navy
needed all the men that it could get,
and when the fighting begun he was
sent aboard the frigate Potomac. There
he won his lieutenancy, and While hold
| ing that commission he served on the
practice ship John Adams on the iron
clad Patapsco of the South Atlantic
blockading squadron, and on the steam
| frigate Colorado, the flagship of the
European station.
1t was on the old Patapsco that he
won his first fame, and he snatched 1t
out of fire and death. Patapsco was one
of the blockading squadron that lay
! before Charleston, a. savage pack bent
| on entering the harbor and taking the
! city. The Confederates had prepared
! a deadly reception for the ships, their
| plans being comprehensive enough to
wipe out the entire fleet if they were
carried out The Federal sailors knew
| it, They knew that the harbor was
full of mines, and when, on January
! 16, 1865, the Patapsco got orders to &c
| in advance of the fleet and pick uE
or destroy the hidden explosives, the
men Of the navy knew that she was lit
| tie less than a forlorn hope.
AS soon as the order was given the
ironclad ran in, with Lieutenant Samp-
son as executive officer on the bridge
On her, as soon as she got in range
fell a rain of fire. Every fort yelled
a murderous welcome at her. Steadily
the little ship moved on her business
The nights were lined with sharpshoot-
ers, and soon they began to sweep hel
decks with bullets that came in whist
ling sheets like rain in a sudden storm
Sampson ordered the marines and sail
ors below to lie behind the iron protec-
ton, and with no man except himself
on deck, the Patapsco steamed steadily
ahead All at once the firing ceased
/ with startling suddenness. The next
instant the ironclad went up into the
air, rent into fragments by giant tor
pedo. Lieutenant Sampson was blowr
into the air. and fell into the water ion
feet away Twenty-Five of his crew
were struggling near him. The rest
more than seventy, had been torn tc
pieces. The floating men were picked
up, and Sampson was ready for duty
next day. as serene as if a fight on 6
hoisted ship were only a holiday ex
perience.
In peace his services to the navy have
been out of the ordinary. He has served
in many departments and in each he
has made a record. He is considered
an authority on the subjects of armor
ordnance and torpedoes. With Lieu
tenant Joseph Strauss he designed ~.
!
been adopted for the new battleships
Kearsarge and Kentucky. It's purpose
is to avoid the difficulty in the way OF
concentrating the fire Of the heavy
guns, which is troubling problem or
the Indiana. The superimposed ol
double-story turret was designed tt
solve the question, and while it has not
been tried as yet, it is fair to assume
1n+ n1t IN
favor of it's success, as it was adopted
only after a long argument and careful
study of all the points that are in
volved. To prepare a plan that has
met the objections of experts as wei
as this plan did was an achievement
in itself, and it would speak well fol
the ability of the new commander i
he had done nothing else to prove it.
Since the formation of the new navy
he has commanded the cruiser Sar
Francisco and the battleship Iowa. Ht
was the first man to command the lat
ter ship, and on her he had the oppor
tunity of satisfying fully his desire Il
study great guns in action. He know:
more about modern rif1ed ordnanc,
than most naval officers, as he was In
spector of Ordnance at the Washingto,
Navy dTQ lOE lITGG I1C iACapCe
in the installment of the present fin
gun factory there, and from 1893 Il
1897 he was Chief of the Bureau O
; Naval Ordnance
Most friends of Captain Sampson
were delighted with his well-deservet
recognition by the department when h
was promoted to his present place. Bu
the Captain has one friend who coul;
oh nora
be a promotion at all. His name i
PaInh Earl SamuSou and he is th