Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-05-12

dies in Washington May 6, after
lingering illness, was born in Palmyra,
Wayne county, New York, February 8,
1840. He was four months younger to
the day than Commodore Winfield
Scott Schley. Sampson did not come
of distinguished naval lineage, nor, in
fact, of a prominent family. He was
the first of his line to attain distinc-
ton. George Sampson, his father, was
a day laborer, and the early life of
his son, William, was not the pleasant
est and easiest. Frequently he accom-
panied his father on the tramps from
one farm house to another in Wayne
county, helping to split and pile wood
and other hard work. In his spare
moments he studied the few text books
at his command and managed to at
tend the public schools in the county
at intervals Old Squire William H.
SOuthwick of Palmyra liked young
Sampson for his. energy and ambition.
The squire was friend of e. B. Nor
gan, who represented in congress the
district which includes Wayne county.
Representative Morgan had the right
to appoint a midshipman to the United
States naval academy and when
SQUIRE Southwick heard this he eX-
erted himself in young Simpsons be-
half
This was in 1857, and Sampson went
to Annapolis in September of that
year Four years later, less than
year before the beginning Of the civil
war, he was graduated at the head OF
the class. The opening of hostilities
found him on the frigate Potomac,
with the rank of master. Captain
Sampson was too young a man to get
a command during the war, but he
conducted himself in a manner that
won him promotion as lieutenant in
July, 1862, and while holding that COM
mission he served on the practice ship
John Adams at the naval academy, on
the ironclad PatapscO of the south At
lantic blockading squadron and on the
steam frigate Colorado, the flagship of
the European squadron.
Admiral Sampson, then lieu
tenant, was the executive officer on
the ironclad Patapsco on January 16,
1865 His boat was a part of the
bIockading fleet before Charleston.
The rebels knew that sooner or later
the boats of the union feet which
were DOING blockade duty would seek
to enter the harbor and compel the
surrender of the city or reduce it, and
for days they spent all their time
laying submarine mines and tOrpedoes
preparatory to giving the union boats
a reception that they would not for
get. On the morning of the 10Th the
admiral of the fleet decided that the
time was ripe to get into the harbOr.
Of course he expected that the place
was full of mines and tOrpedoes, and
he had to get rid of them in some way.
He selected the Patapsco to do the
work She was ordered to enter the
barbor and search for the hidden
enemies and to pick up or destroy
them when she found them.
Lieutenant Sampson was on the
bridge and as soon as the ironclad got
within range a torrent of fire fell upon
her Despite the terrific onslaught,
the little ship bravely steamed ahead.
Confederate sharpshooters lined the
hills and bullets swept over the deck
like hail driven by a furious wind.
Sampson orderd the marines and sail
ors below to hide behind the iron pro-
lection, while he alone remained on
deck All at once the firing ceased
with i'll boding suddenness. The next
instant the ironclad went up in the air,
split into fragments by an enormous
torpedo Along with the ship was
blown Lieutenant Sampson only
to be thrown back into the water 100
feet away. Others struggled near him
in the trough More than 70 of his
men had been torn to pieces. The
castaways were picked up, and the
next day Sampson was ready for duty,
as serene and unconcerned as if he
had not the day before emerged
from the portals of certain death.
In 1866 while on the Colorado, Ad-
mfral Sampson received his commits
sion as commander From 1868 to
1871 he was at the naval academy, and
in 1872 and the following year was in
Europe and elsewhere on the Con-
gress. His first command was the
Alert, to which he was assigned just
after he attained the grade of com
mander in 1874 From 1876 to 1878 he
was again at the naval academy. Ten
years later he became superintendent
of the academy and served four years.
He was considered an authority on
the subjects of armor, ordnance and
torpedoes. With Lieutenant Joseph
Strauss he designed the novel double
turret system which has been adopted
for the new battIeships Kearsage and
Kentucky It's purpose was to avoid
the difficulty in the way of concentrate
ing the fire of the heavy guns. The
superinposed or double story ferret
was designed to solve the question.
On the formation of the new navy he
commanded the cruiser San Francisco