The age-herald., 1898-07-08
STORIES OF
 COMMODORE SCHLEY

l II was COmmOuOre Wln1el0 ScoII CcHlSy who said this. He was then commander of the New York. and stood on the forward
 bridge of his ship, outward bound from one
 of the ports of the Atlantic seaboard. Ten minutes before a badly frightened man
 had run up to him, calling out: Captain, the forward port magazine is on fire"
 | Then shut your mouth" said the cap-
 tain. The man, thus recalled to his senses, 1 touched his cap and relapsed into silence,
 while his commander quietly ordered @ 1 fire drill, and a moment later commanded
 the flooding of the magazine. Both orders,
 a part of the daily routine on every Amer | ican warship, were promptly carried out, l but it was not until all danger was past l that the officers and men obtained knowl- i edge of the true state of affairs. When | they did find out they realized that their | captain had been standing all the time | just over the magazine and one of the of | ficers begged him to come down from the | bridge and let him take his place. It was 1 then that the captain made the remark | quoted above. His course in front of San- | tiago during the past week proves that he. | is always as good as his word. 1 The story of Commodore Schley is the | story of man who did, and one good for | patriot ears. In one of the closing days of April 1861, the sloop of war Niagara, re- turning from a long foreign cruise. sighted Minsto Ledge Light off Boston harbor. Half an hour later a pilot came aboard, and, making his way to the quarter deck, sauted the commander Captain McKean, l who put the usual query:
 Well pilot what's the news?' ''Sumter's been fired on," was the reply,
 ''and the United States has gone to - Slowly the listening officers fell back and instinctively made two groups-the north
 and the south. but the captain, with a steady voice, said:
 MT Pilot, put us into Boston as soon
 as you can"
 Then, lifting his hat, he added: ''The flags servants and yours, gentle
 men," and went to his cabin. Late that night the anchor chains hurtling through the hawse holes chanted Home Again." Early next morning all the officers were called together and Captain McKean said: "Gentemen, we have come to the parting of the ways Some of us will never meet again, and some of us will die in doing what we believe is right. The government has educated fed and clothed us, and we have sworn to stand by it. but no oath can bind man beyond the strength of his conscience, and changed conditions make changed men. On that table I have writ ten out the old oath of allegiance and signed it. For my part'-they buried him years ago in an admirals uniform-'I stand by the flag. Let each one of you go to his cabin and think it over then let him come back here and sign below me or-let him go his way"
 So saying, he went on deck, while one by one the officers came back until nine names stood under that of their commander; the rest were going the other way. At the end of an hour the captain returned to his cabin and took the paper in his hand. As he did so he looked up and saw before him a tall young midshipman from Maryland. Do you sign, Winnie?" asked the old man, with perceptible tremor in his voice.
 Aye, aye sir Same flag and same Uncle sam in Massachusetts as in Maryland, you know
 'God bless you, boy. Your father and I fought side by side, as lads in the war of 1912, and while there are some of us who are going away l pray God your fathers son will stick to us.''
 Commodore Schley had been five years in the navy when he took this resolution to stand by the flag a resolution which saved to the service as alert, dashing and complshed an officer as ever reached flag rank. Born near Frederick, Md. in 1859, he came from line of sailors, his father having achieved distinction as a naval officer in the war with Mexico. Appointed acting midshipman in 1856, he was gradu- ated at the naval academy in 1860, and made his first cruise on the Niagara. He was promoted to be master in May, 1861, and went with the Niagara to the blockade off Charleston, whence, being already a thor ough seaman, he was sent by Captain Me Kean as master of the first prize taken by the navy in the war between the states. It was British cotton ship, the General Parkhill
 On July IS, 1S62 Commodore Schley re- ceived his commission lieutenant, and with it an assignment as executive officer to the gunboat Owasco, of the west gulf squadron. It was while serving the Owasco that he got his first command and the story of how it came to him is too good a one to be left untold. The Owasco was stationed off Mobile. and was one of a small squadron commanded by Captain James Alden, of the Richmond Her cap- tain, dead long since, was over fond of his cups, and at frequent periods had to retire to his cabin for a weeks repairs. One day a quartermaster of the Rich mond reported to Captain Alden that the captains gig of the Owasco was approach ing. with the captains pennant flying. Sup posing his visitor to be the captain of the Owasco, Alden put on his uniform coat the side boys were ordered and the boatswain's S mate made ready for his three pipes at the gangway. But when the Owascos gig came alongside the man who sprang up the lad der Lieutenant Schley. q expected to see Captain Jones-that was not his name-"of the Owasco" said Alden, with slight sarcasm. q am commander of the Owasco, sir," was Schley's matter of fact reply. Since when?" asked Alden. "An hour ago, sir" said Schley. "Where is Captain Jones?" "Locked up in his cabin, sir, drunk" "Who locked him imp
 q did. I first put him under arrest and then shut him up in his cabin. Then took command of the ship, and here I am to
 Seport for orders."
 A broad smile crept over Alden's face,
 but instantly assuming an air of severity, he said:
 "Well, the first order I'll give you is for
 you to lower that pennant in the gig go back to your ship, sir unlock that cabin
 door and restore Captain Jones to duty.
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