The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-06
(san Francisco CALI

tar He may be rear admiral yet.
Farenholt has done it.
Seaman and rear admiral-those
were the shores of an uncrossed gulf
until Farenholt. the Norwegian sailor
man. performed the miracle Forty
years ago ne started out in life wear
ing the blue blouse of the common sea-.
man: and this month he retires from
active service, having won the big but
tons and epaulettes of rear admiralty
There's hope ahead for the. Jack tar.
lie has been used to look upon him
SELF as once sailor always a sailor
He has been satisfied. to be sure. He
mas. for that very reason. been known
as the jolly tar. Those days are over
for him. For in the light of what Far
enholt has done. the tar's ambitions are
awakened.
The navy of the United States is not
able for the fact that, according to ex-
lsting law, there is no promotion from
the ranks to an officers commission.
In the army many promotions from the
ranks take place every year. but no
one can become commissioned officer
in the line of the navy without grad
uating from Annapolis. True, there
are still a few officers in the service
who were transferred from the volun-
teer to the regular establishment at
the close of the civil war. But these
entered the volunteer navy, not as en-
listed men. but as officers-they have
always been officers.
On Sept 2 last however, an officer
was withdrawn from active service
and placed on the retired list who is 4
remarkable exception to this rigid rule.
He is a man of foreign parentage, who
has risen, step by step. from the lowly
grade of seaman to the rank of rear
admiral the highest rank attainable by
American naval officers. except in such
cases as those of Farragut. Porter and
Dewey for whose especial benefit. as
n reward for distinguished public
services, the grade of full admiral has
been successfully created. to expire.
however. with the death Of the incum-
bent.
The exceptional officer in question is
Oscar w FarenhoIt. who is unique in
our navy. There was a somewhat sim
liar case several years ago, when, in
1895, J. K. Winn retired as a comman-
der He. too first entered the service
as an enlisted man and served as such
for eleven months, but his case was
quite different from Farenholts. not
only because he reached no further
than commander. but for other rea-
sens.
Farenho1t. with the exception Of
Vim. was the only man to achieve the
peculiar distinction of obtaining a corn
mission from the enlisted ranks. All
the other line officers of the navy en-
tered as officers. His experience was
the result of a remarkably brilliant
war record. combined with recognition
OF his conduct by his superiors.
Born in Texas. of Scandinavian par
entage- FarenboIt who had been
a sailor from boyhood, at the
outbreak of the civil war de-
cided to cast his lot with the north.
and on April q. 1851. almost as soon,
fired upon. enlisted as a common sea
man in the United States navy. Of
sturdy build. he was a likely jack tar.
but no more so, apparently, than thou
sands of others. He was friendless
obscure. Speaking with a strong for
consideration than if he had been a
typical Yankee of the Gloucester fish
ermen or New Bedford whaler class.
But he soon showed that he had the
stuff of which old Vikings were made.
Being Immediately drafted to the big
steam frigate Wabash. at that period
regarded as one of the finest and most
formidable war vessels afiOat. he soon
found himself attached to the North
Atlantic blockading squadron off the
Carolina coasts, and the dull moments
became scarce He had fighting ga
lore. On board the Wabash he took
part in the attacks on Forts Hatteras
and Pulaski. and in the battle of Port
Royal He also was member of every
one of the boat expeditions, and they
were many, which the Wabash sent out
on various missions during 1861 and
1862. His gallantry was always con-
spicuouS
But he could not always escape IN
Scathed from these many hazardous eX-
expeditions. which landed four howit
zers to assist in covering the retreat Of
the army at PocOtallgo. y. G. he was
severely wounded. After the engage
ment he was brought hack to Eis shin,
and thence transferred to the New York
naval hospital, where ne lay a long
while disabled. Upon his recovery he
was honorably discharged from the
navy. but as soon as his health was
well restored, in February. 1868, his
appetite for war Whetted rather than
lessened by his hard experience, he re-
enlisted and was promptly again sent
to the front, where the hardest kind of
fighting was the order of the day.
This time he was assigned to the
monitor Catskill, and on this doughty
little ironclad he took part in all the
engagements before Charleston, S. c.,
during the balance of 1863 and the early
part of 1864.
On August Il: 1853 he exhibited the
heroism which, combined with his pre-
vious excellent record, won for him his
commission and opened up the career
which has just closed in honorable re
tirement with the highest rank and
good pay for life.
On that day the CatskiIl was actively
engaged with the formidable FORKS and
batteries at Charleston harbor. Get
ting close in, she was soon the favored
target Of 2 terrible cOnverging FIRE
Farenholt was at the wheel. and al
though, shot. shell and shrapnel were
hurting and bursting all about him.
he continued to steer as coolIy as
though doing by trick" on a peaceful
sea. Commander George w. Rodgers.
one of the navy's most gallant officers.
and Paymaster J. c. Woodbury.. who
was acting as mis- aid. were both killed
by Farenholt's side. but he continued
unmoved at his post of duty and
steered the vessel to safety. when she
was withdrawn.
His conduct on this occasion was so
conspicuously meritorious that it at
tracted the attention of the higher Of
ficers. and strong as is the sentiment
in the navy against the forecastle in
vading the ward room. efforts were in
aUgurated to reward him suitably for
his behavior in such a trying time
He added still more lustre to his rec
ord in the following month (Septem-
her 1897 xvba1 he