New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-13
ADMIRAL TEGETHOFF.
AUSTRIA'S NAVAL HERO AND HIS PART
IN THE BATTLE OF LISA

Il
Dewey's reasons for going to Trieste may
easily have been sentimental ones, and every
formal gun he fired in answer to the praceiul
cannonade at the Dalmatian seaport salute 10
the memory Of the one prominent naNdl nero
Of a country almost altogether inland-Admiral
Tegethoff-the man whom the foremost writing
authority upon modern naval warfare exaIts 's
standing forth in the long period from Iraiai
gar the war commander VINO can pe
matched with Farragut."
This man who fought and won against odds
the first naval battle on any sea in Whlch IRON
clads engaged in squadron on both SIDES
died in his pride long ago and the name even OK
the battle OF LISA is forgotten except by those
who make study of naval history
But an imperial order provides that so long as
the Austrian Empire endures an Austrian pat
teship shall bear his name, and Admiral Dewey
the next man since Farragut who damned the
torpedoes and went ahead when he rounded
the Brindisi Heel Of Italy and sailed up the
Adriatc to Trieste, sailed through the waters
where TcCr thof won his fame, and exchanged
signals with the batteries Of the great Austrian
port just one day too late to have his salutes
count in the celebration Of the thirty -thlrd an
nversary OF the LISA fight.
Maybe Ike as not, that was small piece
of Dewey diplomacy, rather than an accident TO
the shaft Of the Olympia-n view Of his subse-
quent visits 10 Italian ports.
For in that all but forgotten fight OF the war
of 1866 the true benchmark OF modern naval
history, the Italians were Unexpectedly beaten,
contrary to all the predictions Of the naval eX-
perts and with all the odds Of ships, arnor
guns and modcrnness Of material in their favor
1t was more than 4 defeat. II was a national
humiliation. And the young blood OF new ma
tional life was just them flowing strong in
united Italy
1t was quick 10 catch the infection from the
fight of the Monitor and the Merrimac, and,
after going into debt to the amount or over
SGJ.OO0.u0 for naval expenditures, had navy
in 1866 which measured quite even with those
of France, England and tn United states. then
the foremost naval Powers N the word. Her
ia h n oil ne q
Portcgallo. had been built at Webb's shlpyard,
New York. AZ cost Of over Sl6OOFD each.
They carried finch armOr and Formidable
armament ror their time; the first named TWO
800 FOUNDERS with thirty 6-nch guns ana four
smooth borcs: the second two 300 Founders and
twenty-sX G-inch guns They had the Anonda-
tore. a turrct ram, built in England, armed with
two 3'D-pCunders as her main battery ana
26- Zoo. ram. supposed 20 embody all that
had been learned in or Civil war They
had other ironclad vessels besides, and a.io-
gether went into the hcht IF LISA with an ed
vantage If pc rifled guns against III, so large
IL superior in size that they were able To fire
weight OF metal four times that discharged by
the Austrians.
The Austrian feet was in a state OF unpr"Par-
edness but Tego ,hor. was a Nelson. The krupp
guns Of his hagsh:p wer' detained In Germany
by reason Of The hostii"s between Austria ana
Prussia and he flied their places with smooth
bores. Another @, his large 81 vessels Ia kcd her
bow armor. and he put on a heavy thickness Of
pankny. With odds Of almost two 70 one
against him from every theoretical point OF
view he sailed out ~ Trieste and sought the
enemy as Dewey WHOM b. sailed into Manila
Bay. and once moro. ais Z was in Motil" Bay
and at Manila ard OF santiago and as x had
been at Trafalgar. the battle and the victory
were 20 the men behind the guns ana the brains
behind tho men.
The battle Of LISA was almost Homoric in
some OF its characteristics The italian vessels
we're painted gray. ana Ram everything gr-v'
was TegethoIs last signal 10 his fleet. lie
formed his fleet in wedge shape. with MS rag
ship at the point. and when he raWmed the
Re d'Italia only 1876 were saved o: is crcw OF
400 II is related IN the official report Of nc
commanding Italian Admiral, Persarc, tina, its
captain Faa dj Bruno. when ne saw that mis-
ship was lost with the words, "Th" captain
must die with his ship" blew out his brains
with his revolver
IL is OF record even in the Austrian reports
that in the brief time when the Re alfalfa was
visibly Iurchiug before It's final plunge an Italian
marine nailed her coiorS fast, SO that they
should not be n trophy OF the enemy When the
Italian ship Palestro was set on fire by tho Aus
TRAN shells and the fire was approaching its
magazine. its captain, Capcllni refused 10 leave
his quarter deck saying:
Whoever likes can 20 but as for me. stay"
And his officers and crew followed his brave
example. cheering their country and their king.
There were go officers and men aboard the
Paestro and only nineteen. OF whom only one
was an officer, picked up after the eX-
ploson.
This is not Casabianca poetry. IL Is history,
and II may suggest one reason why Dewey made
the port Of Trieste just in time to do honor 10
the greatest Austrian naval hero without Of
Tending the sensibilitos Of a country which
would be his natural next stopping place.