The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-24

peka people, but also to at least six
rear admirals of the United States
navy, who served under him as en-
signs and midshipmen in the civil
war and just afterwards. The officers
referred to are Rear Admiral Lam
bertson, who was Dewey's fleet cap
tain at the battle of Manila Bay;
Rear Admiral Chadwick, who COM
manded Admiral Sigbee's battleship
the New York, at the battle of San
tiago, and Rear AdmiralS Rockwell,
Almy. Erben and Davis. The adj
mirals maintain regular CORE
spondence with Captain Childs.
These facts lend additional interest
to a career which is remarkable in
many other respects.
Captain Childs was given prac-
ticaIly entire control of a merchant
ship when only about eighteen years
old on account of his knowledge of
navigation. He followed the sea con-
tinuously for thirty years. AS
naval officer he saw much fighting
during the civil war Afterwards he
remained in the service, cruising
along the west coast of Africa, up the
Amazon and La Plata rivers as far as
the Andes mountains in South Amer
lea and in other tropical parts.
The glare from the tropical sun
impaired his eyesight so that in 1869
he retired from the navy. I'm
mediately afterwards he came to
Kansas, buying a farm near Bur-
llHSdm0. 1neFe ne DVeQ until ne
came to Topeka about twenty years
ago. Since then he has made his
home here. He has been fairly well
in spite of his advanced age and life
of exposure. His hearing is good and
his memory is exceptionally clear.
He can relate stories of life on ship
board, of amusing pranks of young
sailors; of encounters with pirates
and experiences with brown-skinned
orientals. He also tells of a ghasty
GrrI,% y
flicts with men, and of interesting adj
ventures in the tropics where the
spectre like moss hung from the
trees while monkeys played and chat
tered in the branches.
Was Born in Wales.
Captain. Childs was born at Mar
beth, near Miifard Haven, Waves,
August 1S, 1920. Near his home
was huge ancient anchor
which had PROBABLY belonged to a
Viking ship 1t was brought from
under the sea Dy the captaInS reia-
tives ana was Iaiu in the lawn of their
home. The WOOD of the anchor is
petrified. This object. it is not i'm
probable, had much to influence the
boys future career. Doubtless the
adventure. AT any rate he studied
when a school boy.
At the age of eighteen he went to
sea with his brother who was in COM
sci sailed for China, reaching there af-
ter rounding Cape Horn-,a voyage of
three months. For two years the
vessel cruised around the coast of
China and among the Philippine
islands.
The last year of the voyage Childs
acted as first mate. That officer had
taken sick and the then young sailor
was given his place on account of his
of navigation. He was the
,1x-c lnV hn Chi
stood it. He made good
Ten years later he was given his
first vesstl With it he started from
New York to Point Peter, Guade
broke out on board. All of his crew
except three died. These few men
helped him to weather the worst
storm of his experience. When he
reached his destination he found that
Point Peter had been swallowed up
by an earthquake at the time of the
great storm. However he landed his
cargo at Turks Island and returned
to New York. Captain Childs con-
tinued in the merchant service. He |,
steamer Pacific" He was also cap
tain of the "Lowder" transport !!
during the Mexican war. Il
When the civil war broke out he
boat Ranger" Concerning this ves-
sci, a clipping preserved from Har-
per's Weekly of 1862. says:
The Ranger is one of the newly
purchased vessels. She is a propeller
Of eight hundred tons burthen. an II
since her purchase by the government X
she has been entirely rebuilt. sheathcO,
fastened and braced and
otherwise altered to fit her new posi-
ton. Her engine is low pressure.
condensing, with cylinder of thirty
six inches and thirty-six inch stroke
She is $50 feet long, thirty-four feet
wide and with depth of twenty-four
feet She has accommodation for fiyel
hundred troops The captain is John
Boston Childs."
The Twenty-seventh regiment of New
ork was on board. The assistant sur.
yeon of this troop was the father OIL
Dr.. L. H. Mum of Topeka. The gum