Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-10-07

Admiral Schley is not the first naval Of
ficer in the history of English-speaking
people who has had to face serious criti-
! cism, amounting, as many of his country
men think, to persecution, after having
won a brilliant victory over his nations
| enemies. No great commander ever es-'
| capes criticism. Envy is too conspicuous
| trait In humanity to permit of the ele-
walton of one man in public esteem while
| others, who rank themselves as deserv-
| ing. are passed by unnoticed. There are
| few Instances, however, in which an Of
1cer has been dealt with as severely by
| his associates and as strenuously upheld
| by the people as has Admiral Winfield 5.
! Schley But the history of the English
! navy furnishes at least one case that eX-
I ceeds in malignity and persistency any
| thing that has thus far befallen the hero
! Of the naval fight off Santiago, says the
| Chicago Tribune
The career of Thomas Cochrane, tenth
| Earl of Dundonald, is a story that might
| be considered unworthy of belief were 1t
not written in the records of the English
| navy He entered the service on June q,
| 1898, as a midshipman, aboard his uncle's
ship, the Hind. Though but II years of
| age, he soon learned all the details of sea-
| manship and became thoroughly versed i'm
| the theory Of naval warfare. England
was then at war with France and Spain,
( and for time he was employed harassing
a lieutenant and developed such fertility
| of resource in action. such excellent sea-
manship and achieved such marked sue
cess that jealousy was excited and in
! Huences set in motion that operated
against him until the day of his death.
The trouble probably arose from the
natural conflict between the interests of
the geagoing and the non-seagoing portion
of the navy. 1t is the jealousy. 1t is said.
between these interests that has caused
the present inquiry al Washington. Be
this as IL may, II is certain that Lord Coch-
rane became early i'm his career a persona
non grata at the admiralty ONCE He
knew what he wanted and he was never
slow to ask for. 1t. He was stormy
petrol and when in service never rested
Forced to promote him to a captaincy
the admiralt gave him the Speedy, boat
which he described as ''little more than
burlesque on a vessel of war. even Tor
those times. 1t was 15S tons burden and
was crowded, rather than manned, ne
said, with a crew of 81 men and six ofii-
GERS Its armament consisted of IA 4
Founders, and, knowing the inefficiency of
such guns. he asked for heavier ones.
The admiralty gave him two 12-pounders,
which he desired to mount as bow and
stern chasers, but found there was not
room enough to manipulate them. The
weight of a broadside from his ship was
il was he once put an entire broadside of
shot in his coat pockets and walked his
quarter deck with It,
GOOD RECORD WITH BAD BOAT.
Knowing he had received all he was like
~ to get he sailed away, and during
cruise of about fourteen months cap
tured more than fifty vessels, with 122
guns and 5S4 prisoners. One Of these cap
lures was the Spanish frigate Gamo, -
guns and $40 men, which was taken In
Nav. 1901 off Barcelona. The fight was a
terrific one. BY reason Of putting men
aboard prize vessels, Speedys crew was
reduced to "A men. but they took their lit
tie craft alongside their big opponent,
filled her hull with shot from their pop
gun four-pounders," as the captain called
them. and finally boarded and Captured
the ship The Spanish commander, the
boatswain and thirteen seamen were Kill
ed in the action, and Al were wounded.
Speedy lost three searnen killed and one
officer and seventeen seamen wounded.
To take into port a vessel with 26S unhurt
prisoners was no light task, but the cap
| tain of the Speedy was equal to IT, he
drove the prisoners into the hold, trained
! the guns down the hatchways and kept
men standing over them with lighted
| matches. In this way he reached Port
| Mahon and delivered up his prize. AS
reward for this service he was sent with
his little toy snip to intimidate the Dey OF
| AIgiers He had keen sense of the ridic-
ulousness of the situation and said Of 1t:
1.-The mission was singular one to be en-
| trusted to the captain of one of the small
| est and worst armed vessels in the British
service Remonstrance, to be effectual
with a piratical government, ought to
have been committed to an officer armed
| with sufficient force at least to induce
respect" However, he performed the mis-
| sion without any great satisfaction to him
| self or his government, and on his way
back lost the Speedy in conflict with
three French line-of-battle ships. He
| fought his little vessel four hours, and
when he struck his colors and rendered his
sword to the French commander that
worthy declined to accept it, saying he
would not accept the sword of an of1cer
| who had for so many hours struggled
! against impossibility."
CAUSE OF HIS BLACKLISTING.
Captain Cochrane was soon released on
parole, and shortly afterwards exchanged
| for a French officer. The government,
| however had refused to purchase the
| Gamo and put Captain Cochrane in COM
mand Of 1t. as was usual. but had sold
| the vessel to Algeria for trifie. It like
! wise refused to promote him to the rank
| of post captain, under the rules of the
navy. despite the pressure brought to
bear in his behalf. He was, in lieu of pro-
motion, sent to convoy an old tub of a
mail ship to Gibraltar. his orders requir
ing him to take the mail bag aboard his