The Washington times., 1904-04-24
Deck Officer of Maine.
to Whom Explosion
Brought Insanity.
CHASTITY Find Made by
DreSeIS Wife in a Bal
timore Hotel.

pines" was the answer. Many are
there who need a trip home. and those
in this country now must tae their
places. Lieutenant Dresel must GO
So he arranged 10 make the trip, and
his wife was to come TO Baltimore to
BID him good-by. The appointment with
her was for November "A, 1895. When
she reached his rcSn al the hotel it
was to find his dead body. the revolver
that had ended his life clutcheG in his
hand.
1t is probable the fate of Blandln. who
had died insane only a few months be-
fore, had had for him the effect of a
terrible warning. He realized his rOn-
dition of health was similar TO that Of
his brother Officer. ana that IN the hot
climate of the Philippines the eventual
result might well be the same with
all the vigorous determination Of his
nature he shrsnx from such an end. He
could not contemplate the possibility
of the gradual loss OF his reason and
possible years Of life in such eondi-
ton of mental collapse. So he ended
it.
Mrs. Dresel is now clerk in the bu-
reau of navigation Of the Navy Depart
ment. 1t IS her reward and recon-
pense.
A Multiplied Misery.
And so the story goes. Instances
might be multiplied. till they would
become as wearisome as a thrice-toId
tale. and gruesome facts added until
the brain would reel. 1t is not death
in battle; that is an incident Of war
and the service, for the soldier or
sailor risks his life as does the mer-
chant his capital. Probably. in The
grasp of the fatalism that more or less
inheres in the profession of arms. he
expects his end viii come that way.
Certainly. If the choice were his. it is
the death he would select. Behold,
how good and blessed a thing II is for
man 10 die for his country" ex-
claimed the old Roman. and Americans
of the army and navy echo the cry to-
day.
But to die from some wretched dis
ease. contracted in the course of ar
duous but inglorious duty, or to sit
supinely by and watch the decay OF
ones own inteIlect-that is another
matter. No flourish OF trumpets or
bugle call to arms marks an end like
this. 1t Is Ibsen tragedy, pure and
simple, with no glamour of romance
thrown about it, and no thrill OF vic
tory TO take away the sting OF death.
1t is mean and sordid and miserable.
the tragedy of the realists and tho
real tragedy OF life
AS is the way OF this queer Old
world, the women bear the brunt OF
the suffering. They suffer when the
men are far away and suffer when the
news comes that their tour of duty is
ended forever. Then, in too many
cases, they keep on suffering for the
rest of their saddened lives.
Yet there are compensations In 1t all
There never was an array OF persons
who got more fun out of life than
those of the navy. When an Amer
lean vessel touches at foreign port
society relaxes and there is gayety all
along the line. The life at the navy
stations is the epitome of cultured and
pleasurable intercourse, with bright
girls from all over the country who
are very wont to succumb to its fas-
cinations and accept a life sentence, 10
give il an added charm.
| Then there are the home-coningS
/ from abroad, when husband and father
returns to wife and little ones II is
/ like there Is an ecstasy in such mo-
/ ments that those for whom life joys
| along ouieter paths. at a more gentle
/ and even gait, can never feel