The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-28
IS A MAN OF NERVE
Commander Young of the
Gunboat Bennington
Narrow Escapes.

Washington, July 2s. Commapder
Lucicn Young. who was ashore at the
time the eSr4osion occurred on the
Bennington IS san Diego harbor, has
had his share q hairbreadth escapes.
Fee one which Is best remembered
although Il occurred MANY yeors rgo.
was in canneciloa with the wreck 81 the
Huron That was 10 tee early los and
YOUNG was only a junior oficfr.
one evening IN the late fab The old
sIoop Of war Huron put out from she
harbor Of Nor1ork. II is said thar sns
was nos Ia condition TO 60 to sea. an
Il is whispered about tiw Navy depart
menf thai some OF the officers had
dined fpo freely or their Judgment would
nave been better but that was long
time ago. and thtaavy is fun Of ioss in.
The fAct rer0ains hat she put 20 sea
IN the face Of threatening weather and
With boilers which soon showed them-
selves inadequate TO cope with tho stress
aud strain OF northeast sale IN the
course OF the evening it became oppar-
tnt that the boilers were not making
ste.tm and before 10 O'Clock tto ergines
we're quite helpless and the ship wac
drifting
BY this time the Huron had made way
down the coast Of Nertf Csroilna to "a
roint near Kitty Mawks and TIE north-
westef devoped into a hurricane be-
fore which the ship was drising help
less upon the breakers.
II was then that Lucien Young am
boatswain mate responded TO cali for
volunteers 10 man the life lire Taking
"balsa which IS a species % Hight
aeat made for work in the surf and this
life line connected with the ship they
Fprang into the sea and swan Cor the
shore
1t was a light for fheir lives and for
That oi the crew. Affer what scemed an
eternity 20 the swimmers. they re. CHI
ri the shore, moro dead than alive.
But after a brief rest they won't 10
work OF the deserted beach far thesr
disifess had hot been discovered, AID
succeeded in rigging a line from this
fast hreakins up ship TO rae on shore
over this line ther o. GRATED the traveller
life saving dcvice ana nearly ail cf the
crew were rescued TheH Youue made
his gay 10 the nearest telegraph sta
ton ard made his report Of the anair TO
the Navy department
This rosdited IN the FIRST OF his sub
stantai Promotions.
The next time Lucien Young waa called
upon 20 face death at close range was
during the Spanish American war. when
ne was in command Of the Hist and Sc
fen to his lot TO enter the harbor Of
Aianzanola on the south shore Of the IS
land ot Cuba drive ont The Spanish g1ln-
boats which We're ghere and then oYt
'he cables This ne accomplished upder
heavy FIRE
The spaniards on shore proved very
aggressive and poured a deadly fire in
10 the cable cutters. aud st one time
Capt Young. who WIS personally eort-
mandinR one Of the cutters, was IN the
midst Of "A veriiabIe rain u spouish
bullets. one ripped MS sleeTe and an
other touched him tghtly on the shcul-
der
4n experience OF different nature
which brought Lu. len Young into the
public eye occurred al the time OF the
res oiution in tho Hawaiian islands. The
insurrectionists had 0ep,seS Queen iii
oulaIani and had FsiseS the American
Gag at Honolulu. he American war
vessels had arrived IN the nartor under
Tho command Of Adriiral Erw'l.
he ia.ter ordered Young to 20 ashore
and haul down the flag. Yor1g declined
lie told his superior officer that he W. uld
submit gladly 10 court martial but he
never would have 1t said OF him tnat he
hauled down his coun'ry's nag
lie was not court -martialed
Affer The spanish war Commander
Young was made captain OF the rort OF
Havana and while staticnef th,ra had an
escape which Is no chroniclcd in fhe
offisiai U-,or'is re was returning 20 his
vessel IN The harbor one evening. after
day IN town. As he wis about 10
mount Tie Iadser from his small boat.
being heavy man and the iiGht not
very good, he swayes backward and
plunged hcadforward into the waters OF
Havana barber
His pnllies caught him by the heels
as he went down and pulled him back into
tie sender