The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-11-13
BATTLE OF THE nile,
Where "the Boy Stood on the
Burning Deck"
cAsABIaNcA AID lis FATE.

Doomed French Flagship, the Orient.
That was a lucky child who In the
latter part of the last century escaped
the ordeal OF Standing up before a cir
Gle Of relatives and friends-outwardly
enthusiastic and admiring, inwardly
often greatly bored-to repeat those
well known IL somewhat inaccurate
lines that tell us how "the boy stood
on the burning deck" Whether, nine
times out Of ten, the infant reciter or,
for that matter, any of the members
have given the date and place of the
occurrence may be doubtful. The forty
lines of Mrs. Hemans gave them all
the history that they craved, and when
the parrot-like performance closed with
faithful heart" sentimental maiden
aunt would sigh, liberal uncle be-
stow largessc to the extent of half
crown. and that was all.
1t was in 1898 that young Casabi-
anca, the ten-year-old son of the com
modore OF the French flagship Orient.
stood amid the awful devastation of
the battle of the Nile. Bonaparte had
himself sailed in the Ill fated Orient
from Toulon in the previous May, TAX
ing with him a good stock of bur-
gundy and also that famous camp H.
brary" of cabinet editions, including
forty volumes of English novels, in
w oh 40
classed under the head of politics"
More important still for those who love
the picturesque details of history and
great men. he was accompanied by his
then private secretary, Louis Antoine
Fauvelet de BouITienne, from whose
always entertaining If not invariably
accurate pen we have Il capital ac-
count of the voyage to Egypt.
Much of the time was passed by Ma
poleon lying in his berth while Bour
rienne read to him and in promoting
discussions on various questions among
the scientific and other distinguished
men who accompanied the expedition.
The flagship carried u population of
more than 1000 souls, and the cry of
"Man overheard" was not infrequent.
On these occasions Bonaparte display
ed side of his character TO which full
justice is not always done. Bour-
rienne describes his agitation till n res
cue was effected as extreme. On one
occasion a false alarm was raised dur
ing the darkness of night, and the sup
posed "man" proved to be the quarter
of bullock which had dropped from
the rigging. but Napoleon rewarded
the rescuers even more literally than
usual, pointing out that their exertion
had been for what they believed a hui
man life.
The feet arrived Off the coast of AZ
RIGA on July 1, and here Bourriennc
and his Memoirs" leave the squadron
to accompany the army and his chief
on land. Brueys, the French admiral,
had during the voyage expressed fore
bodings as to the result Of an encoun-
ter with the British feet. Nelson,
who sailed from Syracuse on July %.
was confident. but we'll knew the price
he might be called upon to pay. When
Captain Berry said, IF we succeed,
what will the world say" Nelson re-
piled: There is no If In the case. That
we shall succeed is certain. Who may
live to tell the story Is a very differ
ent question" For himself he made
that famous anticipation. "a peer3ge
or Westminster abbey"
The battle began Mt G:30 o'clock, half
an hour before nightfall. Nelson. on
board the Vanguard. flew his colors
In six places lest they should be shot
away. In few minutes after the
ship had gone into action the crews
of the first six guns were swept away
by the terrible fire of the French feet.
and twice again during the fight were
fresh crews called for. The shot
which struck Nelson on the head tore
from his. forehead a piece of skin
which, falling over his one useful eye.
rendered him for the time being to-
tally blind. Carried to the cockpit. he
insisted ON taking his proper turn
among the wounded for the surgeons
attention. Soon after o'clock at
night, while he was still below. cry
uEOot tuut tic Oiltht WAC vi ~ y.
Unaided and unnoticed In the confu-
sion, Nelson made his way up. and
presently from the Quarterback his
voice was heard shouting orders that
the boats should be lowered to go to
the assistance Of the Orient's crew.
The doomed French flagship had but
1ust been painted. and quantities Of
oil and infiammable material Uttered
her deck. Brueys, the admiral. was
dead, but Louis Casabianca and his
little son were still on deck. At 10
o'clock the ship blew up. There came
a burst Of thunder sound" and, al
though the commodore was not at the
time lying unconscious Of his son."
as the poetess has 1t. for both were
seen clinging to Q floating mast after
the explosion. neither father nor son
was among the seventy members Of
the crew who were S---rT hy the Enc
fish boats.
From the mainmast and ironwork
Of the Orient Captain Hallowell of the
Ewiftsure had a coffin made, which
''memcnto morr' he presented to the
admiral that he might at the close of