Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1902-05-07

AT the bedside. when the Admiral
oreathed his last. were Mrs. sampson,
Mrs. Lieutenant CluveIius, the Admiral
married daughter; Admiral Simpsons
two young sons, Ralph and Harold. DIR.
Dixon, the attending physician, and the
nurses and attendants. Mrs. Sampson
has broken down under the severe strain,
and was quite Ill during the day. But
tor the critical condition OF the Admiral
she would have bee n confined to her bed.
It has been suggested to Mrs. Samp-
son that the naval cemetary on the Sew
ern would be proper place for the last
resting place of the remains. while other
friends have represented to her that be
should be buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Washington. Admiral Sampson resided
in Annapolis eight years. during four
years OF which he was superintendent OF
the Naval Academy. Mrs. Sampson pre-
fers Annapolis, but the matter has rot
been definitely decided. The pallbearers
have not yet been selected. but they will
include among them some of the captains
OF the ships of the feet which engaged
in the Santiago campaign.
Mrs. Sampson suffered a slight acci-
dent four days ago while attending to
the wants OF the Admiral, and has been
in bed since. She probably will not be
able to attend the funeral services. A
number of kilograms and messages OF
coincidence already have been received
at the house, among them one from
Secretary Moody.
SKETCH OF CAREER.
Admiral William Thomas Sampson
was born February 9. I84o, at Palmyra.
N. Y. HIS father was about the poorest
man in Palmyra. William spent much OF
his boyhood tramping from farmhouse TO
farmhouse with his father, asking for a
days work. Between chores he studied
with all the earnestness and concentra-
ton that was the secret OF all the sue.
cesses which came to him as a man. He
studied late at night until his mother
dragged him to bed.
The boys efforts to make the mos, Of
his slender opportunity for study attract
ed attention, and Congressman Morgan
was persuaded TO appoint the young man
a naval cadet in 1857. Four years later,
after a record at the Naval Academy
that put him at the head of his class, be
became a midshipman and went off TO
war. He was on the frigate Potomac in
1861 with the rank of master, and got his
lieutenant's commission in July, 1862.
He was on the ironclad Patapsco OF the
Fourth Atlantic blockading squadron as
the executive officer.
He played a remarkable part in the
disaster which resulted from the collision
OF the Patapsco with mine in Charles
ton harbor on January IS. 1865. The
Patapsco had been selected to hunt up
the mines and destroy them. As execu-
tive officer. Sampson occupied an ex-
posed position on the bridge, and the
rebel sharpshooters made holes in the
air all around him. Suddenly they stop
ped shooting, but almost immediately
the Patapsco rose out of the water, blown
up, and then came down in many pieces.
Lieutenant Sampson was picked up zs
yards away. Of the Patapsco's crew only
zs out OF 100 were saved. After the war
Sampson was at the Naval Academy for
three years as an instructor, and until
late in 1873 cruised in European waters
on the Congress.
COMMISSIONED COMMANDER.
In August. 1874, he was commissioned
commander, and his first ship was the
Alert. He spent several years at sea and
at the naval observatory. He was super
intendent of the Naval Academy from
1886 to 1890. In 1893 he became chief
of the ordnance bureau. He was never
so happy as when he was handling big
guns. He was the first commander Of
the battleship Iowa.
Not all of Simpsons work has been in
the line of his duty as a naval officer
He has written many articles for scien-
tific publications. There was some sur
prize through the country, but none in
the Navy Department, when il was an
nounced in March. 1893. that if war
with Spain should be declared, the PFesi-
dent would ask the Senate to put Ssmp-
son, who was then captain, at the head
of the feet assembling al Key West.
The bloc xade Of Havana, the lombard
ment' of San Juan and the blockade Of
Santiago. which ended with the destruc-
ton Of the Spanish feet. followed.
DID NOT WRITE THE DISPATCH.
Admiral Samns0n has heen held re-