The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-19
OBITUARY..
Samuel Judd whiteside.

Capt. Samuel Judd Whiteside died
Thursday night in New York, after a
weeks illness of pneumonia. His con-
dition had been critical almost from
the time he was attacked by this last
illness, and for the past several days
little or no hope of his recovery had
been entertained.
His death closes a long and eventful
life, during which he had been pion-
eer in many movements for the adj
vancement and prosperity of the sec
ton of the country with which he cast
his lot His life had been adventurous,
too, and many stirring incidents were
included within its lengthy span.
Capt. Whiteside was born in New
York city, March 10, 1881, and, there
fore, had but recently concluded his
list year. He was married in New
York on Feb. 20, 1850, to Miss Anna
]. Jones of that city, who, with a num-
Der of children, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren survives him. At
the time of his marriage Capt. WHITE
side had not completed his nineteenth
year.
He came south in 1852 and settled in
Il ldsI NlOAC AN AtfN0
til the beginning of the war. At the
outbreak of hostilities he removed to
Columbus, Ca, where he remained I'M
til the war was ended. He was a
consulting and constructing engineer
for the Confederate navy and many or
the South's battleships and monitors
were built under his direction. Then
he returned to Apalachicola and en-
gagged in the steamboat and cotton
| kt.A Gref
compress ever erected in that section
of the state.
He removed to Savannah and en-
gagged in the cotton compress business
in 1870, when he built the Central Cot
ton Press. Later on he organized
company and built the Gordon Press,
which is still in operation. He was
the moving spirit in the organization
of the Gorrie Ice Company. and was
for many years it's president.
He retired from the ice business two
years ago and again assumed his con-
nection with cotton COMPRISING. AT
the time of his death he was vice
president and consulting engineer OF
the Atlantic Compress Company and
represented the Central of Georgia
Railway on the board of directors OF
that corporation. He was probably
better known than any other man con-
nected with this business in the South.
one of the remarkable achievements
of Cart Whitesides career was in
connection with the steamboat Flor
ida, which he built at Pittsburg, Penn,
in $780, for the old Central Railroad
and Banking Company of Georgia. It
was in type and construction an ordl-
nary, side-wheel river steamboat,
drawing only a few feet of water and
certainly not designed or intended to
buffet successfully the waves of the
ocean.
Capt. Whiteside brought the Florida
from Pittsburg to Savannah, carrying
her down the Ohio river to the Missis-
sippi, on the Mississippi to the Gulf,
then through Florida straits to the
Atlantic, and finally to her wharves
here.
1t was considered then, and deserved
ly so, Il remarkable feat, and it was
not accomplished without the occur
renee of an incident still more remark
able. While the Florida was beating
her way up the Atlantic coast towards
Savannah, she encountered heavy
northwest gale that threatened to blow
her out to sea, United for heavy
weather it seemed every moment the
Florida would go down.
The best anchor was let go and for a
little moment this served to stop the
outward sweep of the vessel. Only,
however, for a moment, for under the
terrific strain to which the cable was
subjected it parted and again the Flor
ida was at the mercy of wind and
waves.
The second anchor was Jet go. but
it was not heavy enough to battle
against the gale, and outward and still
outward the apparently doomed YES
cal "a
caught and though the vessel tugged
desperately at her mornings, 1t held.
In this perilous and precarious position
the Florida, with destruction every
hour impending, at last rode out the
gale. When the wind and waves had
subssded the cable was drawn in and
it was found that the second anchor
had caught in the arms of the first.
1t was a happening almost incon-
ceivable. The Florida had been drag
ged wildly along the shore and that
the single thing should have CHANGED
which alone had power to save it,
seemed directly providential. Had she
not been driven across the spot where
the lost anchor was imbedded in the
sand, she would have been driven out
to sea and her destruction, with all
the valuable lives she carried, would
have been assured.
The funeral OF Capt. Whiteside Will
take place from the residence of his
sister, Mrs. Rebecca Smack, in Brook
lyn, tomorrow afternoon. The inter-
ment win be in the family lot in Green
wood Cemetery. Owing to the illness
of Mrs. Whiteside no member of the
family went North to attend the
funeral, and no one of Capt. White
sides immediate family circle WIN he
present save Mr.. S. NJ. Whiteside,
his son, who was with him at the time
Of his death.
Besides his widow, Capt. Whiteside