Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-20

er. La Bourgogne was sinking. The
crew had gone mad and, assisted by
the craZed coal passerS and firemen
thrOnging up from below. We're stab
bling and beating the passengers-men
and women who ran about as sense
less cattle run. DelOncle saw all this
from the bridge. but he was powerIess
to do anything. Some of his officers
had fought to suppress the panic ut
the cost no doubt of their lives: 9th
erS were at the boats. Lower and low
er went La Bourgogne. Her captain
seems now to have abandoned him
self TO il mood OF strange eXaltation
in the presence of death. for he seized
the whistle rope. and while steam last
ed his wild. waiting. roaring salute to
death rocked over the heads of those
who were drowning below him. And
with this last salute DelOncle babe
farewell to the face Of the sea.
Captain Griffith of the Atlantic
Transport line steamship Mohegan ran
his vessel on the rocks near the Nee
dies. in the English channel. in Octo-
ttI. 1905. lilNlfi 'pil'illlOilN " lii' H. Ii'''
he lived. would have justified capital
punishment II was not darker than
twilight landfalls were unShrouded.
and yet the Mohegan. miles out of her
course. went on the rocks and sank
with most Of her passengers. Griffith
directed his crew from the bridge. with
out avail. however. as the work of
lowering the boats was hungled afro
ci0usIy The last seen of him he was
still on the bridge. shaking his fist and
curSing the waters as they rose over
the deck or the tIounderinG crew OF
both.
Admiral Tryon, standing on the aft
erdccK of the British battlcship Cam
pcrdown. had no thought other than dy-
ing with his great flagship as she sank
in the Mediterranean off TripOli after
collision with the hattleShip Victoria.
Tryon had given the signal calling for
Il vancouver within dangerous distance.
and its disastrous ending placed him III
such position that no doubt he deemed
death far simpler solution To the
problems that must have flashed
through his mind.
Inspired by the ethics of his profes-
sion and 10y the dignity of his office,
Captain Tuuis Augustus Craven of the
monitor TecumSeh died i'll 4 way that
will live as long as the history of this
country lives. His monitor was one
of the vessels attached to Admiral Far
ragutS squadron, then collected for
the attack on Mobile. ON tine morning
of Aug. >. 1864. the TecumSeh, in the
post of honor ut the head Of the at
lacking squadron, engaged the de
lenses of the city. The orders to fleet
captains We're that in order to avoid
torpedoeS at the entrance to the bay
vessels must pass To the eastward OF
certain red buoy. which was directly
under the guns of Fort Morgan. The
Confederate ram Tennessee WAS lying
TO port of the Tccumsch and inside the
line of torpedoes. Captain Craven. in
his eagerneSS to engage this craft, neg
lected the course warming and passed
to the westward of the buoy. The pen
atty was immediate. TE2-e vs. a
muTiled explosion the monitor listing
sharply. AS she began swiftly to sink
Captain Craven and his pilot. John
Collins. met at the foot of the ladder
leading to the top of the turret-a lad
der of iron leading to maEhoIc above.
to safety. The turret was nearly sub
merged. There would he time for one
to mount the ladder perhaps, but only
| one. The pilot knew this; Craven knew
it. There was no hesitation. With a
smile Craven stepped away from the
ladder.
After you. pilot" he said.
Collins sprang up the ladder, and as
he gained the top round the vessel
went to the bottom and Craven. the
Sydney of the American navy" with
| her.
! In humber but wonderfully heroic
| way the captain of the oil ship Loodf
! ana, burned at sea several year. ago
saw every man jack of his crew clcal
| Of the doomed ship before thinking OF
his own safety. Then it was too late
! Foot by foot he was driven forward
until he hung over the bow. the flames
| shooting far out above him. \ tramI
| steamship came up. 1t was too rough
| to lower. and there she stayed, watch
ing the unequal fight on the part of s
man who could not know that human
| eyes We're upon him and human hearts
| aching for him-stayed until at las
! the man relaxed and cleaved the darl
waters, while his ship burned on.
There are many such as he-mer
who have fought the good fight anC
died calmly where they might have
lived - whose names will never b,
known, whose deeds are enwrapped IL
that mystery which invests the sea
But, for that matter, it is not for glory
that Il captain sacrifices his comfor
or happiness or life. 1t is only becaus.
his calling includes such things as
part of everyday routine. - Lawrenc,
Perry in New York Post.
Hunting for Trouble.
give lived in California 30 years, an,