Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-26
FAMOUS NAVAL OFFICER.
Interesting Incidents In the Late
Rear Admiral Philips Life.

L
Rear Admiral Philips Life.
The late Rear Admiral John W. Phil
ip's life was full of incidents showing
| his well known characteristics-cour-
| age, self reliance. devotion to duty,
consideration for others and a belief
in practical Christianisy-say the New
York Tribune. He was a devoted
church member and 4 habitual reader
of the Bible. He never offered liquor
| to his guests and never swore, his only
expletive being by cracky"
The following characteristic story is
told of his visit TO Galveston In the win
ter of 1875: On the day after the
blowing up of the battleship Maine one
Of the Galveston papers published an
interview with Captain Philip. In the
same column was a story relating TO
certain conditions in the United States
navy. The information was such as
no commander in the navy had any
right to give. 1t did not come from
Captain Philip, but was simply piece
OF reprint worked over from a New
York paper. Captain Philip, unaware
of this fact, feared that the disclosure
might be attributed to him and was
considerably troubled, but he used no
violent language. He simply sent u
note to the reporter saying:
When you visit the Texas again. q cigar,
! will have q bone to pick" with thee; and, as
the boy said. why did you do itg Ever sincerely
yours, J. W. PHILIP.
In January, 1868, while attached to
the flagship Hartford in the Asiatic
squadron, soon after the opening of the
ports Of Hiogo and Osaka, and when
that vessel was lying of the mouth of
the Osaka river, he showed cOnspicu-
Gus gallantry by going in command of
one of the cutters to attempt the rescue
of Rear Admiral Bell and other officers
and sailors. The admiral and his staff
had left the ship to go to Osaka, six
miles up the river, on an official visit 20
Satsuma, the mikado's leading COM
mander in the revolution, and in at
tempting to go through the breakers ut
the bar their boat preached to, and
nearly all ON board We're drowned.
The story of Captain Philips utter
ances after the battle of Santiago gives
him n high place in the hearts of re-
ligious people. His Don't cheer, boys;
the poor devils are dying" when the
Almirante OQuendo of the Spanish
meet went on the Deacn anu Surrenuef-
ed to the Texas, was the first. After
the battle the bugle sounded "All hands
on deck" and when officers and men
had assembled Captain Philip said:
Il wish to make confession that 1
have implicit faith in God and in the
officers and crew of the Texas, but my
faith in you is secondary only to my
faith in God. We have seen what he
has done for us in allowing us to
achieve so great a victory, and L want
to ask you all, or at least every man
who has no scruples, to uncover his
head with me and silently offer a word
of thanks to God for his goodness to-
ward us ALL
In speaking of this incident, Harry
w. Jones, chaplain of the Texas, said:
Il went into the cabin after the cap
tain had gone there. Holding out my
hand to him, l said, Captain, l con-
graduate you, not only for your ire
mendous victory, but for the stand
you took after the action His coun-
tenance frightened up as he replied,
Why, chaplain, 1 was sure of it when
1 went on the bridge. for surely God
has been with us. and it has been all
on account of prayer"