The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-06-29
BRAVE LIEUT.. PURCELL.

The following account of the brave
action of Lieutenant John l.. Purcell,
formerly of Pennington, taken from
the n V Sun of the 21st inst, is we'll
worth reading. 1t shows the kind Of
stun our boys are made of and is
worthy of all pride and commentator j:
An Incident of the recent successful
expedition conducted by Lieut.. Col.
Dorset, L.. 5. A., in the steamer
Florida, conveyed by the tug Oseeola,
under the commanded Lieut.. Purcell,
U. S. N, has scarcely received the
notice il deserved in these days of
olamor for operations ON Il grand scale.
The Florida carried to Guba the
volunteers under Gen. Lacret and,
incidentally, supplies and munitions of
war for the Cuban forces near Santiago
de Cuba. The story of her trip aud
its successful issue has been told he
fore. While cruising through the
Bahama Channel, smoke WAS sighted
above the horizon II WAS thick,
black smoke and told its story 10 the
trained eyes of Lieut.. John l.. Purcell.
Only large steamer in hurry vomits
ont such volumes. and ms soon ns word
could be passed to the Florida both
American vessels increased their
speed, II is true the Osceola WAS
there to protect the transports from
attacks by sea, but being only IL tug
and carrying nothing hut few light
guns, it did not need the experience
of Purcell to tell that she was no
match for the bulky vessel whose tall
spars and huge hull SO rapidly rose
| above the horizon. \ race was ON.
But II the Americans were deficient
IN fighting power, they were even
worse of in the matter of speed The
oncoming vessel made two knots 10
their one and came rapidly into view
of II glass
When Purcell, whose eyes were
never on their pursucr longer than
the handling of his own craft required.
made out that the stranger was n large
cruiser, carrying two military masts.
each with two military tops, "a type
I'd never heard of, IA he nnively re
marks in telling the story, he wasted
no time i'll deciding what his duty was,
but gave the following orders to the
Florida Run in as close IA yen ean 10
the Bahama bank, crowd on all steam
aud make the best of Your way to key
West will go back and head her
on and you may have time to eseapen'
May have time r. Does net TINT
expression tell the whole story? Here
was no fnint heart Destruction was
certain The battle between David
and Goliath was cheerful by compari=
son.
What passed through the mind Of
Lieut. Purcell from the time that the
Florida began to steam out of aight 10
the westward until the anti climax cnme
will never be known lie is silent on
the subject The lncts remain that
Osceola never wavcred in her coHrse,
but stood steadily ON 10 bring the
scene of battle as far from the vicinity
of her late consorts as was possible in
the little remaining time II would
be foolish to say that great lond was
not lifted from purccll's heart when
the supposed enemy hoisted the Stars
and Stripes, and swiftly ran up II ilng
signal telling his natoniahed eyeR that
he was under the guns Of the foreign
built United States cruiser New Or
leans. In this brief account of The
trip he tells ~ that his hair did not
come down for twenty four honrs.
If some marine artist is look ing for
n subject here IL one to coniure with
The clouded sky and restless broken
sea of the Bahama Channel will fur
nisll background, md the tug Osceoln
standing down to engage the New
Orleans, should demand attention
from the dullest mind Faithfully
depicted, it should carry II lesson
to the American people, should assure
them that the honor Of their nng il
never in danger while defended by
men of the mould of John L. Purcell.