Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-05

the schooner Enterprise and a few days
later he captured a Tripolitan ketch, the
Massico. Early in December. 1903. Pre-
BILE sailed past Tripoli with his squadron
In the harbor the Americans could see
the Philadelphia. which the pirates mao
floated and made the flagship of then
navy 1t was bitter. indeed, for the
Americans to see that sight, but it was
worse for them to contemplate the fate
of cambridge and his men. To several
of the daring spirits in Preble's squadron
the same idea occurred: to go into the
harbor guarded as it was by frownlng
forts. the big frigate and multitude OF
gunboats. and cut out or destroy the
Philadelphia. They all suggested it to
the commodore. but the first sug-
gestion came from Decatur, and the
commodore. like a just man, gave pref
erence to him. The squadron proceeded
to Syracuse and there Preble issued his
orders Decatur was to pick his crew,
man the ketch, which had been renamed
the Intrepid, and, with the Siren, unoer
command of Stewart, to support him, he
was to go into the harbor of Tripoli and
burn the Philadelphia, escaping as best
he could.
February 8, 1904, the Intrepid and the
Siren left Syracuse, and February u
they were before Tripon. A storm arose
and they had to beat to sea. For week
the gale continued. and in that week De-
catur and his men had desperate time.
A., the provisions were spoiied by sea
water and they We're half starved. When
the storm subsidized Decatur got food from
the Siren, and early in the evening OF
February 16 the two vessels were peioIa
Trpoli again. 1t was a calm, moonlight
night and Decatur sailed right into the
harbor. The Philadelphia lay at anchor
under the protection OF the bashaW $
castle and various batteries which
mounted 115 big guns. In crescent lot
nation nearer the shore ..Ian the Dig
frigate were nineteen gunboats On shore
and within easy call of the castle were
more than $3.50 troops. The Philadelphia
which was crowded with Tripoitans. was
more than ten times as big as the ketch
and almost any one OF the gunpoats was
a match in size for Decatur's vessel. For
sheer audacity the project in which De-
catur was engaged has few parallels In
history.
But the security of the Philadelphla
really gave assistance to Decatur, for II
lulled the suspicious of the pirates AS
the ketch crept into the harbor the wind
freshened and Decatur. fearing it was too
early to attack, put out drags to check
the boat. 1t was not until 1870 pm,
when the city was still and only the night
watches were alert, that the ketch drifted
within mailing distance of the Philadei-
phia Decatur had headed the ketch Tor
the frigate's bow, intending to board there,
but the wind suddenly failed, and at the
same moment there was hail from the
frieate. A Sicilan pilot Decatur had taken
aboard answered that they were traders
and had lost their anchor in the storm.
He asked permission to tie up to the
frigate's cables for the night PERMITS
sion was given and the Tripolitans man
ned a small boat to assist in moorlng the
ketch Decatur's boat drifted right under
the guns of the Philadelphia. Discovery
at this moment meant death to all. but
Decatur, cool as ever he was gave his
orders placidly and calmly. Slowly the
ketch got from under the guns and
brea sted into the frigate, but she did
so the Trpolitan commander saw the an
chors on the bow of the ketch and almost
at the same moment the crowd on the
frigate discovered the men on the ketch
crouched ready to board. There was
wild cry of "Americanos. Americanos.
All need for concealment being past.
Decatur ordered "Boarders away and
sprang for the frigate's chains. His foot
slipped and he had difficulty In getting
aboard, but in few moments the men
of the ketch were clambering over the
sides of the frigate. scrambling over the
rails or creeping into the portfolios. Those
who got on deck formed into companies
ard hurled themselves upon the startled
Tripoitans. Up from below came the
officers and men of the frigate only to be
cut to pieces by the swords of the Ameri-
cans.
The Tripoltans had the reputation OF