The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-04
HE SAVED TIE
HARTFORD.
HfaotNn Of Admiral Wafsoa,
Roevs Successor. When
Ea,rAouf Was Forcing His
Way Past Fort St. Pklp.
Il M

ne way TAsf ron 1t. fbdp. g.
|%i'''''''''''''.....i&
-HE nomination of Rear Admiral
coed Dewey in chief command Of
- the American squadron In the Phii-
ippsnes is an Incident of more than
ordinary interest Every officer in the
naval service realizes how difficult it will
be TO follow Dewey. "A thousand QEes-
tons are likely to arise" said Rear Ad-
miral Jouett, United States navy, retired
known IN the service as Fighting Jim
Joaeit--.to perpIex and bedevii the man
who goes out TO Manila as Dewey's re-
Eef. Well. the department has builded
wiser than ii knew In ordering Watson
10 the Philippines. Know him? Why. I've
known Watson all his life He is the
son of DR. Watson. Of Frankfort, KY.
and his mother was the daughter OF exc
Attorney General of the United States
and ex-senator John J. Crittenden, Of
Kentucky. Union man when II cost
something TO be a Uhion man IN Ken.
lucky. Watson Is an admirable compound
In character OF cool courage in the hour
OF danger and audaeisy He will meet
every trick and stratagem Of the FIJI
pinos with one little better. and there
Is not a hitter man In the service for that
most difficult Manila detail than John
Crtttenden Watson"
II is rather astonishing fact that some
OF the most dashing and brilliant officers
of our navy came from Kentucky. LOO
miles from blue water but so IL is. There
is Jouett, chief OF them all, In his bril-
liant record of almost reckless daring,
whom Farragut-a Tennessee man--trust-
ed as he did his good right hand, in the
fierce naval eombats Of 1863 4. Then
comes Phythlan Berry. William Nelson.
q naval lieutenant. whom President Lin
coin made a major general Of volunteers.
killed In 1852, and latest. Lieut.. Comman-
der Lucien Young. whose brilliant dash
at Santiago is fresh in the country's
memory.
But to fesupae- Watson was born at
Frankfort. KY. late in 1si2. He Is
nephew OF the late Mai. Gen. Thomas l..
Cr!ttenden. who commanded the Twen-
tieth corps. who died shortly after the
war. Another uncle was Gan. George p.
Crittenden. who went South in 1861. and
commanded division in the Confederate
army. Watson was appointed to Annap-
oils in 1857, in his fifteenth year. the age
limit for youth then being IL TO -. In
1861 a passed midshipman. he was on the
Hartford with Farragut. and there won
the friendship of the great admiral by
. feat OF courage that was as necessary
IL was daring. 1t WAS fine April
morning IN ls6a when Farraguts fleet ran
by Forts Jackson and ST. Philip. on the
Mississippi River. ff'y-two miles below
New Orleans. The ships Of Farragui's
feet were all of wood. and Gen. Duncan.
commanding the forts. With hts second.
Col. Higgins though. the Lord had de-
l.vered Farragut and his feet into their
hands as they b~heid IL coming up.
formed in two lines. the Hartford being
easily distinguished a. the flagship by It's
bread blue admirars pennans. The forts
were admirably arranged for effective
gunnery having barbette battery OF
s4s and quick guns that swept the river
for miles Had not Farragut directed
his fee. to run IN shore and under the
gun-nre no, a ship would ever have got
away. The forts are situated on the two
ba nks OF the river. and about mile and
half below each othsr. As the Hartford
passed Fort 81, Philip shower If grape
from one of the big guns tore the FORE
mast into matchvood and seriously dis
at'sd the sa8'-p5wer of the ship.
II was necessary 20 take in some sail
and set others but the blocks had Jam
med and the Hartford was in danger OF
swinging about and running aground
The fire os grape asoft WAS SO terrible
that the command. Go aloft and clear
blocks and tackle on main yard" was
not obeyea with that promptness tina.
follows an order given by the commander
momentaFy. come on. you sons OF sea
cooks" yelled young voice and up the
ratlines Is the disabled rigging went 81
nidshlprnar followed by the entire watch.
shamed beyond words al their monentary
hesitation. Running out lightly TO the
end of the yard and standing sixty feet
from the deck. with the grape clipping
ropes and tearing great siiver~ Of wood
from mast and spar. yog1ng Watson as
calmly gave the necessary orders as II he
were AZ a practice drill one after ar.
ether the men were struck by the howl
ing storm % grape and either fell Ifeiess
On the deck below or Was knocked cut Of
the rigging into the river boiling with
the strcs. Of shot and shell hu; the In
dian lighting blood 81 RS heroic ancestry
was ug and John Cri,isnaen Watson
never taoksd around When everything
was tant and in working order following
the "taekies' down. Watson saIated the
admiral ard reported "AiI clear. sir
Grim old FarraeGt simply 9elxed the dar-
Tag hoy in MS arms, and how the crew
ehesred- HAD we ever got aground there
the Confederate guns would have 8e
strgyed IS tn Eve rEiuuf@z" sai1 Fleet
Capt Ferctval D-ayton. ~ the West Calf
squadron. as he told iAs story 70 Captain.
afterwards Rear Admiral. Brvsoa
Young Wafsons ready appreciation ~
the danger ard prompt actior saved the
Hartford, ~ my spsnlea. ard FarraEut
always Thought Sc &1o-
Frsgn thar hour Watsogs fortune was
made lie became naval 4. u. g. To the
admiral e tae raw aga wAs IN all the
sDh@s~ssan. SEQ fights along the South
Atlantic seaAoAy3 and al Nickshur9.
nodney and Grcana Gvsf after that ~
Charleston. I. any n~8c@- IN the navy
IS ths lagsezi Ieewsy rei3ef, John Critics.
64n Watson Is sA@ ore. II vigorous rs8 n
Aeod w3sh experience IN var, ard h1gn
courage sns coed Judgment 80 an equal
degree she prestige q the Amsr3caa
name Will De fatty maintained among
European s$sa&Arofs sta;saned here 20
Manila a. vel as wssh he natfw*s.-S:-
Louis GsEssss- psrrGcvst-