The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-21


mion, he outsailed. In the emergency
he conceived the daring design of cap
turing that ship before her sisters
could come to her assistance and, hav-
ing scuttlcd his own vessel which was
injured at the time, sailing into port
on his anticipated prize. His speech
to his crew on that occasion is unique.
My lads" said he, that ship is
coming w with us. AS our own ship
won't sail, we'll go on board of them,
every man and boy of us, and carry
her into New York. All | ask of you
Is to follow me. This is favOrite ship
of the country. If we allow her to be
taken by the enemy, we shall be de-
serted by our wives and sweethCarts.
What, lose such a ship as this for
nothing? 'Twould break the heart of
every pretty girl in New York"
The President at once headed for the
EndymiOn, and the engagement be-
gan. During the action Decatur was
wounded and the Endymion dis
| mantled. Before the President had
| time to repair damages the Tenedos
| and Pomona came up, and Decatur
was forced to strike his flag.
LAWRENCE AND PERRY.
Don't give up the ship" the dying
words of Lawrence, the heroic COM
| mandcr of the Chesapeake. are among
| the noblest ever uttered The gallant
! Perry flew that signal at his masthead
| in the memorable battle of Lake Erie,
! al the glorious close of which he had
| the inspiration to pen that famous dis
patch, I'VE have met the enemy and
! they are ours" IT was written on his
| stiff hat in lieu of a table, on the half
of an old letter, and the additional in
! formation in it gave the size and num-
! Der of the enemy namely, "two ships,
! two brigs, one schooner, and one
| sloop."
Perry was a hero in peace as well as
! in war. During a winter storm, while
lying in the harbor of Newport. he
heard that a merchant vessel had been
driven on a reef six miles distant. He
! at once manned his barge and said to
the crew:
Come, my boys. we are going to the
relief of shipWreCkcd seamen. Pull
away"
That act was applauded by the coun-
| try almost as much as was the battle
on Lake Erie. During the Mexican
war General Scott requested the loan
of some guns from the fleet, to be used
, on shore. Perry complied, but on one
condition, that wherever the guns go
the officers and men must go also"
COMMODORE PORTER.
| Commodore Porter, father Of Admiral
! Porter happily phrased the sentiment
of the country in the motto which he
! gcw on his flag in tie war of 1872,
| Free trade and sailors rights" In
| those days it became the text for many
patriotic song and thousands of poll
tical speeches. \ British captain,
meeting Porter. flung out an answering
| signal to this offe It: God ana the Coun-
try, British sailors best rights, Trait
! OrS offend both" The belief in Eng
land at the time was that the crews
of the American ships were all British
Gesertcrs. Porter answered his enemy
next day with a fresh signal flag, God,
our country, and liberty. Tyrants Of
fend them"
! When the Constitution, under COM
| mand of Commodore Hull, engaged
| the French friGate Guerrero, y dra-
matte seen" was witnessed on the deck
! of Old Ironsdoe. As the FrenChmans
| guns began to thunder out Lieutenant
| Morris, second in command, asked
Hull if he should give the order to fire.
Not yet" replied Hull.
Nearer and nearer cane the two
ships. Again Morris asked for the cr-
der and again the answer. Not yet
| a few minutes later, high above the
! roar of the guns as the Constitution
completely covered her enemy, Hulls
voice rang out: Now boys, pour it
into them"
The Gueuierre was literally torn to
| pieces, "the blood Of the killed running
out of her scuppers," says naval his
torian.
PEBBLE.
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chin ie mac
StranaarNrbis is bis R,i,orrio No
jesty's Sl-gun ship Of the line Donegal,
Sir Richard Strachan. Send boat on
board.
reble-This is the United States a.
gun snip constitution captain Edward
NJ t,,.l y,atio,, ,,.oro -. ,,.... ..