The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-05-09
Daring Act of A Marylander
Harry Prtnslc Ford IN Forward

Harry Pringlc Ford N Forward.
In the quiet churchyard of old St Pc
ter :. Tbiri and Pine Streets, Philsdel-
phia Pa, a tail, tapering marble shaft. sur
mounted by an American Eagle wit6 wings
outSpread, marks the last resting place 81
Commodore stephen Decatur whose heruic
deed Of destroying the United States tricate
Philadelphia in the harbar Of TnpoH
was pronounced by Admiral Nielsen to have
been the most daring act Of the age.
Decatur was born in Worcester county.
Maryland January 9th, 1879, and was bat
- years OF aye when the daring perform
anee which is here related won for HIM the
admiration Of the civilized world
1t Is bard for ~ to believe that lsS> than
one hundred wears aga the leading European
nations. ais, the United States snuSslly
paid a tribute 10 the petty Barbsry States
in order that their merchant marine might
be protected from the pirates tia, infested
the Mediterranean along the northern
shores og Africa On the lOih of May,
lS0l. paeha q Tnpoli. claiming THAI hIs
country had nos been treated with the same
fairness in the yaymcn, oi tribute money
A. Alsiers declared war against the United
STATES For time hostilitez dragged
t,-iiuylsly along aud nothing definite vas
accomplished Among the ships sen; to
Tripnh Was the "PhilAdelphla eom
ulanded by Captain Bainbridse Arriving
Of the African coas; be captured several
vessels but on the 3lss Of October. lSo3,
in giving chase TO a co1sair. the "Phlla-
deIphia had the misfortune 20 run on =
sunkeu reef near the moath ~ the harbsr
of Tnpoh Being unable to use her guns
10 advantage she Wa compelled to sur
render Within \ few DAYS. however
the Tnpoliiaus saccecdcd IN getting Der
aaoai, and having broggh, her to the inner
harhor under the protection Of the guns
Of the castle, placed her IN charge II
large body Of armed sailors. isainbTd<r
aud his crew Of 800 rnsn were taken into
the cay They werc kslS IN PRISON for
10 months and weTe subjected to many
iudiguities-
Decatur, at the saggessiou, Il r sa'd,
of BainbFidsc himself Who Hasnagrsi 10
send him = letter frum prison. rs-oiysd
on the hazardous sttcmpt 90 destroy the
ship a. she thu. lay within range q the
castle aud surrounded by gunloai- aud
other warliSe crafts With eyew Of
Is men be embarked On his F.sriloas enter
prise. using a small Iwo mas,ed vessel the
Maslico, which be had rrceu,lg cap
tured from the Moor and which had been
renamed she Intrepid The evening
selected, THURSDAY February 10th. 1904.
Is said to have been Ideally beautiful The
afterslow Of the departed sun lighted Wish
semisropscal splendOr the hroad waters II
the Mediterranean. aud the air wzs balay
and mild a. thai q au American June.
In the ofiug, As the twilight deepened. a
solitary boat could be seen trying 70 make
the security Of the harbor The warm
southern night was 50 siiil that there WAS
scarcely enough wind 10 give her Roadway
Only she men necessary To direct her
course could be seen--Ihese being disguised
a. Moorish sailors, she appeared to be- an
ordinary c,asling merchant vessel belafrd
by lhe calm willis, plying her peaceful
vocation. There was nothing whatever
in her action or appearance to excite sus
pici0n.
Just before midnight. when all the
harbor was silent aud there were almost
no sigus Of life anywhere, the supposed
merchantmen drew slowly near the doomed
philadelphia \ drowsy Tripolitan
sentinel on her deck, noticing the approach
Of the little vessel, called oat 70 know /.
what was wanted We have lost our
anchors in a gale and would ike the priv /
lege Of making fast to YOU for the remain I
der Of the night, was the response.
After a short conference, the request was
granted. but scarcely were the two boats
made fast 10 each other than the quiet (
scene changed into one of intense action. /
Over the sides and through the portfolios 1
of the Philadelphia swarmed the armed
crew of the Intrepid, spurred on to 4
desperate daring by the very recklessness /
of their task; while, surprised and ter
rifed by the suddeness of the attack, the 4
Moors, making almost no resistance, sprang |
into the water and swan with all speed /
for the shore In less time than it takes 1
to relate the story, the ship was in the |
possession of the gallant Americans. 1t /
was known that it would be absolutely 1
impossible to remove her from the harboT |
Whilst some of the men had been fighting 1
valiantly the few Moors who had made a
stand. others had been busily engaged in
bringing combustibles from the Intrepid
and quickly firing them in different parts
of the ship. The flames spread with such
rapidly that Decatur and his followers
barely succeeded in getting their little craft
away in time to escape a like fate
The harbor soon presented magnif
cent spectacle The burning vessel light
ed up the minarets and towers of the
city and shipping Of the bay with the
splendor of the midday. Soon to the roar
Of the flames was added the thunder of
cannons as they hurled their shot after
the daring craft which could be distinctly
seen making its way out of the harbor by
the aid of oars and favoring wind which
had fortunately sprung up. Although the
sail was pierced once, not ball hit the
boat, and not man was hurt. The
"Philadel phia was totally destroyed. The
expedition had proved successful beyond
the widest dreams of its intrepid leader.