The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-03-14

1tSSy, YOU KNOW, - the ullIt pug
that was on board the Maine when
she was blown up, and that made such
a miraculous and mysterious escape.
The day after the explosion she made
her appearance ON board the City OF
| Washington, TO which vessel many of
the rescued crew were taken. Mo-
! body knew how she got there, and of
course, Peggy coulo not tell. But there
air of a naval hero
| Peggy, before the arrival of little An
ma Louise, was the pet of the house,
hold, and Peggy, away down in Ha-
vana doesn't know yet that her nose
/ is out of joint When Mrs. Sigsbee was
told by Herald correspondent in
Washington that Peggy had escaped
from the wreck she was overjoyed FOR
even with the advent of the new baby
there is a warm spot left for Peggy
/ Captain Sigsbee left Washington ia
April to take command of the Maine.
so he has not seen his grandchild VINO
was born just a month ago. All his
letters have place amid their sadness
for CHEEKY, solicitous questions about
the bonnie black-eyed baby who will
presently lisp Grandpa"
A NAV AL lOURTSHlP.
Mrs. Sigsbee is a daughter OF Pro-
fessor Henry II. Lockwood, U. S. N,
retired, with rank of Commodore. Pro-
fessor Lockwood, who is a graduate OF
West Point, was Brigadier- General Of
Volunteers at Baltimore during the late
war and later was professor at the
Naval Academy, Annapolis.
When a midshipman Captain Sigshee
met the pretty girl who afterward be-
came his wife, dancing and promen-
aiding, sailing and drilling through the
regular maneuyers of a naval court
/ ship. On the maternal side Mrs. Sigs-
bee is granddaughter and great-grand-
daughter of two Chief Justices, named
! Booth, of the State of Delaware. lieu
tenant James Lockwood, T. S. a., who
with Sergeant Brainard, L. S A, held
the record for Arctic exploration until
/ the time of Nansen and who died and
/ is buried in the frozen Northland, was
a brother-in-laW of Captain Sigsbee. \
/ young daughter of the Captain of the
Maine inherits her fathers talent for
drawing and is now a student in the
leading art school of Washington.
! Captain SigsDee's nerve has stood him
IN good stead on many perilous occa-
sions. The promptness of his action
in this port last July, when he ran the
Maine into a pier and thus probably
saved hundreds of lives is still fresh
in the public mind. The Maine was
on her way TO the man-of-war anchor
age at Tomkinsville, and coming from
the opposite direction was the excursion
steamer Isabel, crowded with hundreds
| OF women and children
THRILLING EXPERIENCE.
The course was crowded with small
er craft Suddenly the two vessels
were to be seen heading directly Cor
each other. Captain Sigsbee was on
the bridge, and the signals were quick
~ exchanged. But it was too late.
The commander of the Maine knew
that ne had to do one of two things.
lie had his choice of his cleaving his
way through the frail pleasure craft.
with its panic-striclzen passengers. or
OF hurting the great weight of the
| Maine against an adjoining pier per-
| maps to wreck herself and her com
mandar's career
| There was no time for more than an
| instant's consideration Captain Slgs-
bee saw the Isabel directly ahead. with
her sea of blanched faces That was
| enough.
Hard a-port!" he shouted. Sound
the call to collision quarters!"
Slowly the battleship swung from her
course. There was deafening crash.
The air was filled with flying splinters.
| The big pier was completely wrecked
with all its contents. But the Isabel
passed on the other side in safety. and
Captain Sigsbee had accomplished his
purpose. The damage to the Maine was
| fortunately slight.
| SENT THE BLAKE TO BOTTOM.
That Inflated battleship is not the
| only vessel under the command of Cap
| tain Sigsbee that has been sunk. on
one occasion, when he was in command
of the coast survey steamer Blake. he
saved the vessel from utter destruction
| by deliberately sinking her 1t was in
one of the West Indian ports and a
hurricane was blowing
! A very high sea was running and the
| ships anchors refused to hold Slowly
but surely she was drifting on a reef.
In that emergency Captain Sigsbee's
determination asserted itself in a
most extraordinary manner. He knew
that unless heroic measures were
| adopted the Blake would be ground to
! pieces on the reef.
! He knew also that If her keel rested
on the sandy bottom the action of the
waves would be much less severe So
| he actually sank his ship. Naval men
still speak of it as daring thing to
| do, but Captain Sigsbee, once he had
| decided upon his plan of action, never
faltered. He opened the ships bottom,
the water poured in and she quickly
settled.
! SAVED THE VESSEL.
| After the storm had subsidized divers
were sent down, the water was pump
| ed out and the ship YVES raised There
was no little damage and no little ex-
pense connected with this startling OPP
/ Grafton, but the vessel was saved, and
| that was the main thing.
| That is the kind of a man Captain
Sigsbee is.
| Small wonder that the European
press has unanimously pronounced his
course in regard TO the Maine disaster
as one of most admirable judgment.
| "Sigsbee," remarked an old naval
veteran the other day. is a man who
absolutely does not know what it is to
lose his head There isn't man in the
service who does not envy him this
| trait. He has nerves of IRON
a BRILLIANT RECORD.
Captain Sigsbee also has a war rec
ord, having participated in some of the
/ fiercest engagements of the rebellion.
! After having been graduated from the
Naval Academy in 1868 he was given
| the rank of Ensign on the steam sloop