Evening star., 1902-05-07

details in the great macaffe of the navy.
His attainments were recognized in his ap-
Notifications and defenses and as the dele
gate of the United States to the interna-
tional maritime conference. Between No
vember 1, 1884. and June /, 1885, he was
assigned to important special duties twen-
ty-one times.
SIMPSONS shore duties also included the
executive direction of some of the govern
ment's greatest business Institutions Few
country spend $6,0l0,000 "a year and vet
Sampson directed the expenditure of more
than that amount annually during his four
years service as chief of the bureau of
ordnance. Here, and at the naval gun fac
tory, of which he was superintendent in
1892, SIMPSONS scientific attainments
found their greatest scope. He had charge
of providing the armor plate for the ves-
sells of the navy, and of buying and test
Ing projectiles, ammunition and small
arms, and, at the gun factory, of building
the great guns.
He tested and adopted the new small
arms now used in the navy, and to him
more than to any one else was due the
successful exposure Of the armor-plate
frauds, which saved the government many
thousands of dollars. II do not think the
bureau of ordnance ever had a more eff
cient and more able chief" ex-Secretary
Herbert said of him.
Early in 1897 Sampson was ordered to the
command of the Iowa, with the construc-
tion of which he had been SO closely identi-
fed.
In the Spanish War.
The events of February, 1893, the destruc-
ton Of the Maine and the imminence of
war with Spain, found him next in
rank to the commander-in-chef of the
North Atlantic squadron. Admiral Sicard's
health was such at this critical period
that he found 1t necessary to give up the
command, and Sampson was at once ap-
pointed to fill his place.
mo one was more surprised at this than
Sampson himself" said Captain Chadwick;
this l know to be a fact. The captains
of the squadron were unanimously wishing
that he might be selected, hoping-rather
against hope-that the few months inter
vening until his promotion to the rank
of commodore might not stand in the way
Whatever was said in favor Of the appoint
ment was not said by Sampson or with
SIMPSONS Knowledge
August 10, 1893, the President recon-
mended that Admiral Sampson be ad-
vanced eight numbers for eminent and
conspicuous conduct in battle The ad-
vancement would have enabled him to rank
Admiral Schley, and the Presidents rec
ommendation was never observed.
Sampson was much worn after the Span
fsh war, but he did not take a leave of
absence; instead, he returned to Havana
almost Immediately, to take part in the
labors of the evacuation committee. Fol-
lowing that, he made an extended cruise
command at the Boston navy yard. In
February last he retired from active serv-
Ice on reaching the age Of sixtytwo.
Himself and Family.
Admiral Sampson was twice married. His
first wife was daughter of the late David
S. Aldrich, a leading business man of Pal
myra. By his first marriage he had two
daughters, both Of whom married naval
officers. His second wife was Miss Mary
Burling. They had four children. two
boys and two girls, named. respectively
Ralph Earle, Harold Hannah (named after
his mother) and Olive Farrington His
daughter Hannah married Ensign Culver
ius of the navy, and his other daughter
Olive, married Henry Harrison Scott Of
San Francisco.
In personal appearance the admiral was
slender man, straight as a column until
sickness bent him down. and looking much
taller than he was. He never seemed
strong, although his constitution was equal
to almost any demand upon it. While in
the hot tropical seas during the war with
Spain his anxiety and vigilance worked him
to shadow and he became a prey to the
terrible fever of that climate
He never recovered fromj the terrible
strain incident to the direction of the Gu
ban campaign and early last summer be-
came practically an invalid.
The Sampson-schley Controversy.
The Sampson-Schley controversy was a
controversy between the supporters and
friends Of those two officers rather than
between the admirals themselves. 1t arose
from the wording of the dispatch sent by
Admiral Sampson on the night of July 3,
1898, announcing the destruction of the
Spanish fleet off Santiago, Cuba, and the
construction put upon those words by the
public. On the morning of the day Of
battle Admiral Sampson in his flagship the
New York, had left his place in the block
aiding squadron and had moved toward
Siboney to confer with General Shafter.
He had been gone forty-ffve minutes, when
Cervera's squadron came out, The parti
sans of Commodore Schley claimed that
he was in command The friends of Samp-
son asserted that the latter had not gone
beyond signal distance and still retained
command. SIMPSONS dispatch announc-
ing the victory said: THE feet under my
command offers the nation as a Fourth of
July present the whole of Cerveras fleet"
When the public learned that he was some
distance from the blockade when the Span
ish fleet appeared many claimed that the
admiral was trying to deprive Commodore
Schley of honor belonging to him. Shortly
after appeared Admiral Simpsons criticism
of Schleys movements while in command
of the flying squadron, which was given
in a communication to the Secretary of the
Navy and which characterized Schley's
conduct as "reprehensible' This criticism
incensed Schley's friends, and they ear
nestly fought every attempt to elevate
Sampson above Schley AS a matter OF
fact neither received any reward for his
conduct in the Spanish war. The contro-
versy was waged in the newspapers for
three years until Admiral Schley asked for
a court of inquiry, which met last fall.
The public Is familiar with it's findings,
Schley's appeal and President Roosevelt's
statement intended to put quietus on
the quarrel. Harsh words were never eX-
changed between the principals. Mr. Goode,
the Associated Press correspondent who
accompanied Sampson throughout the war,
says in his book, There was as far as l
know absolutely no ill-feeling between the
two officers on this or any other OCCASION
SChley in his official report congratulated
Sampson on the victory of the squadron
under his command and a week after the
battle telegraphed to the Secretary of the
Navy: Feel some modification that the
newspaper accounts on July have attrib-
uted victory of July almost wholly to me.
Victory was secured by force under the
ommander-in- north Atlantic station
and to him the honor Is due" Had the
controversy depended upon the utterances
of those most concerned it would have died
a speedy death
The Morgan Incident.
Probably the incident in the life OF Ad-