The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-07-30
NAMES OF TORPEDO BOATS.
Deeds of Naval Heroes Whom the Daring
Craft Commemorate.

Deeds of Naval Heroes Whom the Daring
Craft Commemorate.
The torpedo boats in our navy are
named after distinguished naval
heroes. Could torpedo boat have a
more appropriate name than the
Cushing, which commentaries the
gallant lieutenant who destroyed the
ironclad Albemarle at the risk of al
most certain death, and whose work
was the forerunner of that which his
steel namesake is expected to do? On
board the little craft the name of Cush-
ing is held up as constant source OF
emulation to the members OF the crew.
The Porter bears name that fills
the American tar with pride, recalling
a famous family of naval heroes.
The Foote is named for the brave
and pious old admiral who first taught
the Chinese that there was nation
on this side of the world that knew
how to fight. It was in 1856, when
the English and French were at war,
that the Chinese forts fired on Foote'S
ships, which were there to project
American interests. The doughty
commander demanded an instant
apology. When it was not forth
coming 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 only 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
famous old Kearsarge The Rogers
commentaries one Of the naval heroes
of 1912. The Ericsson boa s a name
which revolutionized naval warfare
when it's 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 Eng
land, and which has not yet been
brought to this side Of the Atlantic,
is called the Somers. The name OF
Commander Richard Somers is not so
familiar as that of Gushing, yet it is
connected with an action as glorious
in its courage and more unfortunate
in its outcome than that which made
Lieutenant Cushing famous. In the
year 1904, when the United States
was fighting the Barbary pirates,
Somers manned fireship loaded with
gunpowder and combustibles and
sailed her into the harbor of Tripoli
at night to destroy the enemy's ships.
Before he started on his perilous mis-
sion he said to his little crew of vol
unteers:
"Let no man 60 with me who does
not prefer death to surrender"
Not man of the crew drew back.
The ship and it's men fioated 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 a Pickering light
was seen in the direction which the
freship had taken. In an instant it
blazed up into fash that lighted the
whole harbor, and there was an ex-
plosion which rocked the American
ship mile away. Then the darkness
settled down again.
In the morning one Of the enemy's
ships had disappeared, and two others
were disabled, but Somers and his
bold companions were never seen
again. It is believed that Somers
blew up the magazine of his ship with
his own hand and persisted in order to
accomplish his object.