Evening star., 1902-05-07

sons two young sons. Ralph and Harold
Sampson; DR.. Dixon, the attending physi-
cian and nurses and attendants.
Admiral Sampson passed from life to
death in a state of unconsciousness. Sur
geon S. H. Dixon his attending physician,
made this statement Of the last illness of
the distinguished officer:
Rear Admiral Sampsons death was
caused by cerebral hemorrhage. About five
days ago the admiral, who had been up
and about the house, had a slight hemor-
rhage. He became rapidly weaker and it
was apparent that the end, which had been
so long anticipated and so frequently ward
ed off. was near. During the last three
days he has been in semi-conscious con-
dition. Today he had very severe hemOr-
rhage, and for six hours preceding his
death he was unconscious.
Admiral Sampson has been an invalid
since the close of the Spanish war. In fact
he was not In robust health during that
campaign. From time to time he has been
slowly sinking but his remarkable vitality
and the splendid nursing and the tender
care of his wife enabled him to rally and
show indications of returning health. He
was able to take nOurishment regularly
and in good quantities up to the time of his
last collapse. The food he took seemed to
nourish and sustain him, so that he showed
little or no loss of flesh up to the time Of
his death"
Mrs. Sampson has broken down under the
severe strain, and was quite i'll all during
the day. But for the critical condition of
the admiral she would have been confined
to her bed.
Rear Admiral Sampson had been seriously
i'll since he came to Washington from Bes-
ton last October. His detachment from
command of the Boston navy yard was due
to his declining health and since he ar
rived here he had continued to lose
strength. Two months ago 1t was thought
he would not live a week, but he improved
and
in the last month. He had been under
the constant care of a naval surgeon and
was visited occasionally by other phys-
clans.
Career of William T. Sampson.
William T. Sampson was born at Palmy-
ra, n. Y, in 1910. AS boy he was a great
reader. HE devoured all manner of books
on history, mechanics and branches Of nat
ural science, and he even enjoyed mathe-
matical works. says Ray Stannard Baker
in sketch prepared for Mcclure $
Magazine. Novels did not interest him.
Before he was sixteen years old he had
borrowed and read, so Mr.. Sexton told me-,
nearly every book in town, except story
books. And most of this reading was DONE
like Lincolns, early in the morning or late
In the evening, for there was always. hard
work to do as long as daylight lasted. Dur
ing school vacations young Sampson work
ed steadily with his father saving wood
ing odd jobs about the village. For time
he worked for % cents a day in a brick
yard"
Sampson as a Cadet.
At the age of seventeen he was appointed
to a cadetship at the United States Naval
Academy.
Dewey and Schey We're at the academy
during part of SIMPSONS term, Dewey
three classes ahead and Schley a year
ahead. The late Rear Admiral John
w. Philip was in SIMPSONS class,
81 In the sketch of Sampson by Mr.
Baker just mentioned Admiral Philip
is quoted as saying that no matter what
the subject of study Was-mathematics
French moral science or seamanship-
Sampson, with invariable regularity, had
the perfect marking in his class standing.
i remember well, said Admiral Philip,
the struggle of the three Ss-Sampson,
Stewart and Smell. They fought for first
place throughout the course, but SAMPSON
came in ahead. He was graduated No. l."
Blown Up.
The war of the rebellion was drawing to
close before Sampson got a chance to
hear the guns. He was assigned to the
ironclad Patapsco, and in June, 1864, Joined
in the work of the blockade of Charleston.
Blockading is usually one long stretch of
dreary waiting. of nerve-racking tension
lie lHoHOlOny OH Charleston, however, was
destined to be broken in most terrible
manner. The Patapsco went in one night
as usual, under cover of darkness to cover
the patrol boats. Without an instant's
warning the ironclad was hurled into the
air, mass of wreckage, to sink to the
bottom of Charleston harbor with most of
her officers and men. Sampson who was
executive officer of the ship, had been in
the pilot house with the captain. AS he
jumped to the boarding netting his foot
caught in a mesh and he was dragged down
with the sinking ship Instead of strug-
Cling frantically to extricate himself, and
thereby probably tying himself up more
tightly, Sampson weighed his chances, act
ed coolly, carefully slipped his foot from
its ENHANCEMENT, and was saved
Succeeding the civil war came several
long cruises, interspersed with the shore
duty of a long peace. Sampson was with
the flagship Colorado on the European sta
tion from 1865 to 1867, and on the Congress
in 1S71-1S73. He commanded the Swatara
on the Asiatic station from 1879 to 1852
and the San Francisco in the Pacific from
1890 to 1892.
Distinction as q Scientist.
SIMPSONS shore service was largely that
of the trained scientist, a department of
work to which his mind turned with avid
ity He was twice connected with the Ma
val Academy as instructor-five years in
baf ha