The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-07
SAMP son EXPIRES
Long Suffering Of the Admiral
at an End.
Severe Cerebral HemOrrhage of
yesterday Proved Fatal.
ROSE FROM POVERTY.
Sketch of a Career Which Was
Typically American.
He Graduated From Naval Acad-
envy in 1861.
ROSE FROM POVERTY.

Washington May Rear Admiral
William T. Sampson, retired died at his
home in this city at o'clock Tuesday
afternoon. The immediate cause Of
death was a severe cerebral hem
orrhage He. had been in a semi-con-
scious state for several days. At the
bedside when the admiral breathed his
last were Mrs. Sampson. Mrs. Lieut..
Cluverius. the admirals married daugh-
ter; Admiral SIMPSONS two young
sons. Ralph and Harold Sampson; DR..
Dixon, the attending physician, and
nurses and attendants.
Mrs. Sampson has broken down IN
der the severe strain, and was quite i'll
all during the day.
SIMPSONS father was a day laborer
in Palmyra. N Y. fifty years ago. The
family existed on his scant wages
When the boy was born and past the
time of babyhOod he split wood, raked
hay, and did chores for neighbors, the
money which he earned going into the
common purse of the family. He was
so plucky and persistent in his search
for work, so thoroughly clean, that ne
attracted the attention of men in pub
lie life. Then Congressman Morgan of
Wayne county admired him and came
forward with an offer to give him a
start. The assistance prOnered was IN
q chance to try Tor the naval academy
at Annapolis. He did try, passed, went
to the academy and graduated an hon
ored pupil in 1861, some three years
after DeWey'S graduation His tact
turnity bothered him at this time He
/ realized that a close mouth may often
be a disadvantage. He could play ten
MS, and he used his skill in this diree-
ton to lead him into social life and re-
lations with men and women where he
would have to talk. In this way he
made himself companionable.
Free from the academy, he was as
fr he fr-io to 1rtr tc7-
| he was returned to Annapolis as an in
structOr and in 1865 was executive Off
Ger of the Patapsco of the South At
] lantic blOckading squadron. He stood
on the bridge of the Patapsco the night
of January Is, 1865, while dragging for
| tOrpedOes, the boat struck one and was
/ instantly sunk He was thrown into
/ the water and picked out by one of the
/ picket boat. For his intrepidity at this
/ time he was honorably mentioned by
his commanding officer
/ In 1856 he was lieutenant commander
/ OF the flagship Colorado of the Euro
/ pean station, and in 1872 with the Con
! gress at the same station. He was fire.
/ quently returned to Annapolis during
/ this time to act as a special instructor
+ Tor snort periods. His commission as
commander came to him in 1874, when
/ he was placed IN charge of the Alert
] Eight years later he is found in the
/ Asiatic squadron, and in 1885 doing spe-
/ clal service at the naval ObserVatOr
! and a member Of the international
/ prime meridian and time conference.
/ With the opening of the last decade he
/ was on land again as superintendent of
/ the academy from which he graduated
! a delegate from the United States to the
| international maritime conference, and
| commissioned captain. One year later
! he was made commander Of the iron
/ clad San Francisco, and in another year
the first commander OF the Iowa. Still
| another year, and he went higher-this
! time to be chief of the bureau of naval
| ordnance.
President Mckinley called him to be
president of lie board Of inquiry on the
| Maine disaster, and from that work he
| succeeded Admiral Sicard in command
| of the NOrta Atlantic squadron. Then
! he was heard from off Havana, then
! Cardenas and Matanzas, then near to
the fortified lions of San Juan and
finally in the famous blockade and bat
tie of Santiago.
His home was in Glen Ridge, N. z
80 minutes out of New York city. He
was married twice, and lis family con-
sisted of two sons, Ralph and Harold,
and his daughters, Olive Farrington.
Hannah, known as Nan" Margaret
the wife of Lieut.. Roy Q. Smith, and
Kate, the wife Of Ensign Jackson, the
hero OF Samoa In his private life and
when away from his ship Admiral
Sampson was passionately fond Of ten
mis-.
His home life was that of thousands
Of unostentatious Americans great
deal of books, much of music fOndness
I
the family, aversion to publicity
Ensign Jackson, who ma -I.ed one OF
the admiral's daughters is the nava
cadet who at Apia ed his men during
the frightful hurricane 10 tEe tops anc
formed a human sail, holding the shiI
from going to the fatal coral reefs. For
this congress by special act gave hin
his commission.
Admiral Sampson learned during the
civil war the same lessons from the lips
of F'arra gut that Dewey learned
Steaming up Mobile bay Farragut KEEP
saying to his officers: Don't fire a
long range. Save your ammunition.
Then again: Get in close. Get on t
! them. Then fight"
HOW SCHLEY FEELS
Washington, May Admiral SchleS
today made the following statement re
garding the death of Admiral Sampson
. Il regret very much the death OF Ad
miral Sampson and 1 synpathize witt
his family. No one has ever heard ms
utter one unxind word about him
"On account of his death I have re
: / quested my friends in Baltimore to post
pone the delivery to me, which was in
tended to have taken place tonight, o
Z the Cristobal Colon service OF silver, ant
) they have acceded to my request.'s