The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15
REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE
ITS RESPLENDENT. HISTORY AND ITS
VERY sCANT RECOGNITION.
Lieut.. Nevcomb's Gold MedaI-Navy
Famous Names in History.
New York Press.

VlOuS wars of the United States, the dtten-
ton of Congress is justly attracted. 1t is
singular indeed that the only commissioned
officer OF any service in the war with Spain
TO whom Congress awarded gold medal
for heOrism in battle is First Lieutenant
Frank II. Newcomb, Of the revenue cutter
service, now commanding the Sperry at
Patchogue. The story of his heroism at
Cardenas on May IL. 1898, when the cutter
under his command, the Hudson, stood by
the Winslow in the jaws of hell and towed
the torpedo boat to safety, ought to go in
the schoolbookS.
4he first shot fired at Manila by United
States vessel was from gun on the rev.
enue cutter McCulloch, and the man that
fire. it was Lieutenant AT Lee, of the rev.
enue cutter service. 1t was the McCulloch
that carried the news of Dewey's victory
to Hong Kong, and it was Captain Hodgson
OF the revenue cutter service who sent the
cable message to Washington. Revenue
cutter men destroyed the forts at the en-
trance to Manila bay.
On the American scroll of fame are the
names of Joshua Barney, Thomas Truxton.
James Nicholson, Samuel Nicholson, Ste
pnen Decatur-names immortal in our
service officers. Would not our present
navy be GENEROUSLY attracted to them? And
don't forget the glorious old Constitution
and the historic Constellation. Both were
in the revenue service before being trans
ferred to the naval establishment. In the
war of 1877 with France the little treasury
feet of twenty vessels captured sixteen of
the twenty-five prizes taken from the
French. Isn't that record enough?
OTHER GOOD WORK.
The revenue cutter service did much to-
ward stopping the slave trade in 1884 II
suppressed piracy in the Gulf of Mexico.
In the war of 1912 it was the revenue
cutter Jefferson that captured the first prize
taken from the British. Twelve other valu-
able prizes were taken by cutters, with sOC
| prisoners. Revenue cutters were the first
vessels to respond to the call of the en-
dangered Union in 1861. 1t was the revenue
cutter Harriet Lane that steamed to the
rescue of the garrison at Fort Sumter. The
cutter Nemaha received Sherman on board
| after his march to the sea, and conveyed
him to the fleet of gunboats below Savan-
nah. Revenue cutters were in the attacks
| upon SewalPs Point Newport News Hat.
| teras Inlet, Fort Darling and elsewhere
and were very active in blockade duty.
| The Hfe-saVfng service is a product of the
revenue cutter service. For many years
| the cutters patrolled the coasts to assist
| storm-driven vessels, and in three-quarters
| of a century only one cutter has beer
wrecked while cruising for the relief OF
| lives were saved every year. In 1895 122 yes
1 sells were assisted, their cargoes being
valued at 81 ,0S1 900, or $50 900 more than the
| appropriation for the maintenance of the
/ / x inn.
| ball, chief of the revenue marine for sever
years, established the first life-saving sta.
| tions, and when the service became in
| dependent bureau was made it's genera
| superintendent, which office he now holds
| His salary is $1,000 year AS chief of the
revenue cutter service it was only $500.
| The power that is exercised by the Presi
| dent in regard TO directing revenue vessel:
| TO cooperate with the navy in time of wal
| Is power he can exert over no Other
| branch of civil establishment
| OF all the officers in the revenue cutte
| service only fourteen are graduates of tn,
| Naval Academy. Staring them in the fac,
| is the knowledge that the highest attain
| able rank in this corps Is that of captain
and the highest compensation only 81 500
| year. Some of the officers were active par
| Elephants in the civil war. There is no pen
sion list. Only when an officer is disabled
or loses his life in the line of duty while
| cooperating with the navy is his mann
entitled to be placed on the pension roll
! Congress did have the decency to place on
| thirty-nine infirm officers. many Of whom
| were eighty years of age and had served il
| the Mexican war.
POLICING THE HARBOR.
One of the duties of the revenue cutie
service is policing the harbor. The Man
haitian, for instance, is engaged in enforc
ing the regulations governing the anchor
age of vessels. At certain seasons tn
waters about the New York Yacht Clul
station in East river near Twenty-thir,
street are thronged with vessels at anchor
The Manhattan steams up there each da,
| or oftener to see that none lies outside o
the prescribed limits. All captains are in
| formed of the ranges, so that it is easy t
comply with the regulations, yet notwith
| standing this the rules are being violate,
| constantly. All revenue cutters ar
| equipped with modern breech-loading rifles
| and commanders are directed to compe
| obedience by means of shot and shell. Wit
| yachts there is but little friction A mil,
| remOnstrance keeps them within bounds
But not infrequently the captain of
| merchantmen is refractory and stern meas
| ures are required
The revenue cutter McCulloch. Dewey
dispatch boat in the Philippines, was ofte,
! visited by the admiral after the battle O
| Manila. In his uniform of white duck, witt
| white canvas shoes and a golf cap h.
| would lounge for hours in a comforta bI
| armchair on the vessels poop Under tn
| awning that shaded the deck a lazy breez
Modified the tropic heat, and every one
| in awhile Uncle George" would sing on
10 the lieutenant: Mr.. Joynes, if anythin,
| could add to the pleasure of this visit
I would be another of those glorious Scotcl
| highballs, which seem TO attain a perfec
| ton on the McCulloch never dreamed o
| elsewhere. He was most companionabl
| old chap. loved and venerated wherever h
went in the squadron. To him the revenu
cutter was sort of private yacht, and I
I step aboard of her two or three times
day was his recreation.
| Cavite is now a matter of history PEG
pie who were not there in 1895 or since
/ pronounce il as if il were spelled Cave
| tay. Officers who fought there speak of /
| as If IL were spelled thus-Cayveety
| Lieutenant Newcombs medal weigh
| three pounds, and is worth intrinsicaII
| about $3.50. OF course the most shockin
| taste had TO be displayed in it's size bu
| there Is at least the consolation that If tn
hero should ever com right down 10 har
pan he could sell il old junk for S75(
But instead OF giving him a medal of thre
pounds would IL not have been far nice
III Congress had given him a pension n
$1,000 year and an exquisite little bronz
! badge about the size of the Victoria Cross
The latter is made of Russian cannon fror
Sebastopol, and is accompanied, in the cas-
Of noncOmmissiOned officers and men. by
pension OF $50
HAEF-HOIR'S DAILY REaDINC