Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-05-12
SAMPSON DIED
OF BROKEN
HEART
HIS STEP FEEBLE, HIS MIND.
CONFUSED AND HIS TONGUE
REFUSING TO .ARTICULATE,
HIS LAST DAYS PITIEUL.

Admiral Sampson came to Washington
last September. He was relieved Of duty
as commandant of the Boston navy yard
jlist before the beginning of the Schley
court of inquiry. Stories came from Bos-
ton that he was in failing health, both
mentally and physically, but they were
denied by the admirafs relatives. He
went to a New Hampshire summer resort
in August. At that time his step was
feeble and his mind confused. After he
came to Washington he became steadily
worse.
Sampson did not realize except vaguely,
that there was a Schley inquiry. He was
more vitality concerned IN that court than
anybody except Schley. He never knew
what the verdict was, for his mental pro-
cesses had become so involved with dis
| ease that It was impossible to make him
understand even If the attempt had been
made He was retired on February 9th
| last when he had reached the age of 81,
and after IS years of active service in the
navy. The date of his retirement was the
anniversary Of his entrance to the navy.
He. comprehended none OF the twists ana
| turns of the Schley court. He was ignorant
of the fact that the president. on an ap-
peal from Admiral Schley, had upheld the
findings of the court.
He died without understanding that he
! had been placed on the retired list. None
of the events from last September were
was utterly oblivious. He might have un-
derstood that Theodore Roosevelt. who,
as assistant secretary of war, helped Sc
iect him for the command of the North
Atlantic fleet that destroyed Cervera's
vessels at Santiago, had become president,
but that is doubtful.
His mind failed faster than his body.
for he was able to take walks in the VI
cinity of his home. but could not talk CO.
herently on any but the simplest topics.
He could not frame words nor could he
articulate them. The disease was COM
monty diagnosed as aphasia, but in reality
It was softening of the brain. with de-
generation of the arterial system. F
More than a year ago SIMPSONS friends
noticed that his highly trained mind was
refusing to work. His condition was kept
| a profound secret. The first intImation
washington had of his failing powers was
when he came here last summer and visit.
ed the navy department. While in one OF
the bureau offices he broke down abso-
Iutely and for a few minutes became
mentally irresponsible. He was sent back
to Boston In company with an attendant,
and the navy department at once took
steps to felieve him from duty and to
make 1.-THE remainder of his life as COM
Portable. as possible. Soon afterward the
order was issued putting him on waiting
orders. f;e
Personality and Career Of Sampson.
Admiral Sampson was a quiet. reserved
| man, tan, erect, and singularly handsome,
says the New York World. In his later
years HIS brown beard and hair were
streaked with gray. His eyes were deep
brown in color. and were his most attrac-
| tive feature. He unbent only among his
I intimates, and then he was jolly and COM
panionable. He looked more like a student
than a fighting man., although he was a
| fine specimen of the American sailor when
I. g. -
! ty and participated in the gayeties OF
Washington while he lived there.
SIMPSONS career was remarkable. even
| in this country where poor boys become
great men so frequently He was born in
| Palmyra, Wayne county, N. Y, on Feb
| ruary 9, 1870 Palmyra is the town where
| Joseph Smith claimed to have dug UP the
Mormon bible or book of the Latter Day
| Saints. When a boy young Sampson lived
| IN a most humble home near Bible Hill.
His father was a common laborer who
worked by the day and around the village
at Whatever he could find to do. He dug
| gardens and trenches, moved lawns, at
| tended carpenters and masons. and did all
| manner of work for small wages. The
| family was very poor.
Young Sampson. who was the eldest of
! eight children, was sent to the village
I school. After school he helped his father.
| There are many people in Palmyra now
who remember when the tall, grave young
| fellow dug in the street beside his father.
Laborer's Son Took II.
In 1857 Representative E. b. Morgan, of
the Wayne county district, had vacancy
| at Annapolis. He offered the place to
/ several Of the well-to-do boys of the dis
| trict. They all refused it, Then some
| body spoke of young Sampson, the son Of
/ the village laborer, who was recommended
| to Mr.. Morgan as an honest. upright and
along under the most adverse circum-
| stances. Mr.. Morgan asked Sampson II
| he would like to go to Annapolis.
| The proposition was so far beyond any
/ thing of which Sampson had ever drean1ed
that he said himself in after life that he
did not believe Mr.. Morgan \ was in
| earnest.
He gladly accepted, went to the naval
academy and graduated first in his class.
He was made a second lieutenant in 1862
| and served on the practice ship John
Adams. From the John Adams he went
| to the Patapsco. He wa slieutenaht and
| executive officer of that ship when she
| was sunk by torpedo in Charleston har-
| Dor in January, 1865.
He was made lieutenant commander in
| 1866, and was instructor at the naval acad-
| envy from 1868 to 1871. He served on the
| congress in 1872 and 1873, and in 1874 was
made a commander and assigned to the
"A
the naval academy, and in 1886 after vari-
Gus tours duty on shore and sea he was
made superintendent of the naval academy
while still commander.
Before that time no one below the rank
OF captain had held that office. He receiv-
ed his captains commission in 1889 and in
1898 became chief of the bureau Of ord
nance.
When the Maine was blown up In Ha-
vana harbor and President Mckinley de-
cided on a court of inquiry, Captain Samp-
son was chosen both by the president and
by Secretary Long to be president of the
court He returned to Washington with
the report and was almost Immediately
placed in command of the North Atlantic
fleet superseding Rear Admiral Sicard. He
was in command during all the operations
IN West Indian waters. After his return
to washington he was placed in charge of
the Boston navy yard where he remained
until his health failed.
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