The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-10-17
NOTABLE CONVERTS IN
THE AMERICAN NAVY

If the United States navy cannot
show so large a percentage of converts
as the army, it yet has given us a
number Of distinguished men, while the
convert relatives of naval officers are
legion, writes Scannell O'Neill in the
American Rosary Magazine.
From the beginning of our navy,
with Commodore Barry, to our own
day there has been a constant stream
of conversions from the ranks of those
who go down to the sea in ships. Com
modore Barry's two wives were con-
verts. the second Mrs. Barry being a
granddaughter of John Austin, who
came over with William Penn. Mrs.
Barry and her sister, Miss Mary Aus
tin, with other ladies of Philadelphia,
made and presented to Paul Jones the
flag Of the Bon Homme Richard.
Old Commodore Jacob Jones saw his
entire family pass over into the good
Ship of the Fisherman, and the great
est grief of his long life was when he
stood over the open grave of his dearly
beloved daughter, the sanity Sister
Mary Stanislaus of the Sisters of the
Visitation, Georgetown, Sister "Sannie"
as she is affectionately called, was a
beautiful character, and the example
Of her holy life was the means of
bringing into tie church her brother
Lieutenant Jones. and his son. also
lieutenant in the navy. one of whom
became a priest.
Commodore Theodore Hunt. who
served under cambridge in Tripoli, was
another early convert. He was cousin
of General Robert Lee, and is remem-
bered as a man of great ability and
blamelesS life.
Looking over the roll, we find among
the passengers in st. Peters ship two
great-grandsonos of BENJAMIN Frank
lin-Rear Admiral Andrew Allen Har-
wood and Commodore Bache.
Years ago, and perhaps today, very
popular book in naval circles was
From Refer to Rear Admiral" mar
rating the various steps by which Ben
ja1nin T. Sands rose from the lowest
ranks to that of a distinguished naval
commander.
Rear Admiral Sands saw service as
early as the Mexican war, and he rem
dered valuable aid also during the civil
war He was for years superintendent
Of the Naval observatory i'm Washing
ton. After his conversion to the Cath
Ole faith Admiral Sands edited all who
knew him by his childlike faith and
strict observance of his religion. His
son, the present Rear Admiral Sands,
is a worthy son of worthy father.
Rear Admiral Selfridge and Rear Adj
miral Beaumont are two more heroes
of the civil war who became Catholics.
Beaumont was commander of the Aroo-
stock of the North Atlantic squadron
at Fort Darling, of a monitor on at
tacks on Charleston harbor and Fort
Fisher. while he later commanded the
Mackinaw-
Another hero of the civil war. who
was converted through the example
1. nf
Sands, was Rear Admiral Samuel
Rhodes Franklin, a younger brother of
General Franklin L. s. A. He was
born in Pennsylvania in 1925, and en-
tered the navy as midshipman at the
age of 16 He took part in the naval
operations of the Mexican war. and
was for a time in Brazil. On his re-
turn to the United States Admiral
Franklin was for some years instruc-
tor at Annapolis.
He was with Admiral Thatcher in
the operations against Mobile. and was
the naval representative at the surren-
der of that city. Among the ships COM
manded by him were the Saginaw, the
Mohican, and the Franklin. After the
war, Franklin was appointed president
of the board Of naval examiners. Later
on he commanded the European sta
ton, and on his return to the United
States was placed on the retired list
But he did not retire from active life
for shortly after coming home, he was
appointed one of the American dele
gates TO the international marine con-
gress which assembled in Washington
in 1889, and presided over that body.
He was also a delegate to the interna-
tional congress for the purpose of es-
tablishing a universal prime meridian.