Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1909-04-08
BATTLE OF THE NILE,
Where "the Boy Stood on the
Burning Deck"
CASABlANCA AND HIS FATE.

| Mrs Hemans Famous Poem, his
Father and the Tragedy Of the
Doomed French Flagship, the Orient.
That was u 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 If 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
of the applauding family circle could
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" a sentimental maiden
aunt would sigh, liberal uncle be-
stow largcsse TO the extent of half a
crown, and that was all.
Ii was in 179S that young Casabi-
auca. the ten-ycar-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 i'll fated Orient
from Toulon in the previous May, TAX
ing with him good stock of bur
gundy and also that famous ''camp Ii
brary" Of cabinet editions, including
forty volumes of English novels, In
which the Bible and the Koran were
claSsed under the head of politics."
More important stlll for those who love
the picturesque details of history and
great men, he was accompanied by his
then private secretary, Louis Antoine
Fauvclct dc Bourricnne, from whose
always entertaining If not Invariably
accurate pen we have a capital ac-
count Of the voyage to Egypt
Much OF the tine was passed by Ma
poleon lying In his berth while Bour
rlcnnc read to him and In promoting
discussions on various questions among
the scientific and other distinguished
men who accompanied the expedition
The flagship carried a population Of
more than 2.000 souls, and the cry of
"Man overheard" was not infrequent.
On these occasions Bonaparte display
ed n side of his character TO which full
justice Is not always done. Bour
rienne describes his agitation TIL res
cue was effected as extreme. On one
occasion false alarm was raised dur
Ing the darkness Of night and the sup
posed man" proved TO be the quarter
of bullock which had drorfed from
the rigging but Napoleon rewarded
the rescuers even more literally than
usual, pointing out that their eXertion
had been for what they believed hui
man life.
The fleet arrived Off the coast OF AZ
RIGA on July l. and here Bourriennc
and his Memoirs" lenve the squadron
to accompany the army end his chief
on land Brucys. the French admiral,
| had during the voyage expressed fore
holdings rs to the result OF an encoun-
ter with the British feet. Nelson
who sailed from Syracuse on July -,
was confident. but well knew the price
he might be called upon to pay. When
Captain Berry said IF we succeed
what win the world sayf" Nelson re
piled There is no II IN the case. That
we shall succeed Is certain Who may
live 20 tell the story Is a very differ
ent question" For himself he made
that famous anticipation, "A peerage
or Westminster abbey"
The battle began at ESQ O'Clock. half
an hour before nlghtfall Nelson on
board the Vanguard few his colors
In SIX places lost they should be shot
away In q few minutes after the
ship had gone into action the crews
OF the first six guns were swept away
| by he terrible fire of the French fleet
and twice again during The fight were
fresh crews called for The shot
which struck Nelson on the head tore
| from his forehead n 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 fer the surgeons
attention soon after 0 o'clock Mt
Iulsht. while he was still below, a cry
arose that the Orient was on Ere
! Urai1rd and unnoti Cd IN the eonfu-
Sion Nelson made his way up. and
presently from the auarlordcek his
IvoI.a was hoard shouting orders that
! the boats should Be lowered 10 80 to
| t7o assistance ~ tho Oricuts row
! The doomed Trou h hasshlp had hut
| Jus, been painted and quantities "
|oN "d lu.'ammatlc material Uttered
her dn.k Bru2ys the admiral was
I'wi hrt Louis Casahlanea and his
|Nt.' SON wern sfiu un Gcak At 10
|''." tine hIp blow mp There came
IL .ust uf thurGcr sound" and al-
| 'h.'-H ''lH commodore w8a not a. the
It," lying unconscious Of his son,
las '.n uorn>s hes &C. for both wore
+"'" n-.Ug toa faatlue mast after
." explosion mother father nor son
"'s mong the seventy members ~
| r.w Who wore saved by the Eng
1 r.. ..ts
.u De mainmast and ironworE
p. Orient IHptain Halloween III the