Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-10-22
.SWAl'IlNG A PIRATE BUNGn
Tripoli Looms Large in American
Naval History.
DEcATUR's THRILLING EXPLOIT
How the Rear OF Death Was Carried
TO the Dashav, His Prize De-
stroyed mud n Grave
yard Fattened.

yard Fattened.
In all the stories Of sea fighting.
whether fnct or fiction, no single one car
es moro thrills to the chapter than the
exploit OF Lieutenant Stephen Decatur
In destroying the captured American
frigate Philadelphia in the harbor OF
Tripon nearly a century ago. The frigate
had been doing police duty on the Tripod
itan coast, was caught N storm and
driven upon unahnrted rocks IN the har-
/ Dor. Captain william cambridge and his
crew being captured by the pitaucal
natives and held for ransom. BY some
means the captives got word TO Commo-
dore Preble, commanding the American
fleet In neighboring waters together with
a plan for the reoapture or destruction OF
the Philadelphia. Lieutenant Decatur,
then a youth of %. volunteered 20 COM
mand the hazardous expedition. While
the daring plan was being developed a
bit Of luck dropped into the hands OF the
Americans. A Tripolitan "ketch," the
mastico, bearing a load of handsome
rls as a gift from the bashaw. to the
sultan OF Turkey, ran into the fleet an II
lay anchored off the coast of Sicily.
What became Of the lovely maidens his
tory refuses to relate. As for the ketch
| Il was renamed the Intrepid and was
assigned the duty OF carrying the Amer
leans who we're 10 undertake the destruc-
ton OF the Philadelphia The enterprise
was one of the most daring, the most
dramatic, efforts In the annals Of sea
| fight .ng. There we're no submarines, no
torpedo boats nor destroyers, no sub
merged mines-not even steam The sew
enty-four men who volunteered for serv-
Ice with Decatur could not hope TO speed
the engines and run away from disaster.
They must needs rely upon the benignity
OF tho wind and the composure OF the
sailors in the hour of greatest danger.
The Siren, under Lieutenant Stewart,
/ was ordered to escort the Intrepid as far
as was deemed safe. and this doughty
! little vessel was repGinted and rugged to
look as much like Maltese merchant
man as possible. AS for the Intrepid
itself, Il was a typical Tripolitan
frelghter. with ample cabin space. and
the Turks In the harbor had not yet
learned OF the mastlco's capture and the
fate OF her fair cargo. The place the
women had occupied was filled with ex-
plosves and shells, for there was a
double purpose in the minds OF PrebIe
and Decatur. There was no such thing
then as a torpedo; but the fireship, or
/ internal" as 1t was called was come
times employed. IL was Decatur's idea
that II his expedition should prove a
failure he could at least blow up his
own ship and thereby wreck the Phila-
delphla. II would mean the almost Ger.
tain death OF every man on board, but
that cost had been counted as a normal
part of the desperately glorious game.
In the Harbor of TripoIi.
| 1t was 10 o'clock on the night of
February l6. 1904. when the Intrepid.
having left the Siren about three miles
behind, lifted it's drags and sailed boldly
| into the narrow channel between the
rocks and shoals that protect the treach-
erous hartor Of Tripoll. A half-grown
moon hung in the clear sky and a stiff
breeze against the beam set the sails
In beautiful swell OF canvas As the
daring vessel advanced the breeze grad
ualy died down until the motion. was
scarcely perceptible. Slowly the ketch
stole along until there arose out OF the
mist before Il the shadowy outline OF
a great ship. Its foremost had not vet
been raised and IL was bare OF rigging
as II rocked at anchor, right abreas:
OF the town. Between II and the shore
lay two OF tho infamous corsairs. five
gunhoats and a host OF smaller craft Di-
reetly at It's back doomed the fort with
its murderous batteries. ghostIy In the
pale moonlight. II was with difficulty
the Americans repressed shout OF de-
light
On the open deck OF the Intrepid not
more than dozen men We're TO be seen
the others lying IN the shadows of the
bulwarks or concealed by the masts and
rigging. Decatur stood close to a Sicilian
named Catalano as he steered for the
frigate's bow where the ketch would be
out of reach OF those American guns that
the Turk who have employed only too
gladly, flor the destruction OF American
patriots. When only about 100 yards in
tervened between tho two vessels the
lookout on the Philadelphia became aware
OF the near approach OF a ship and a
challenge was issued. Catalano called
back that he had come on a trading voy-
age from Malta, that he had encountered
terrific storms and had lost his anchor
He begged the privilege OF riding by the
ship until morning. since he could not
make his vessel fast and dared not pro-
coed into the midst Of the forest OF ships
In the inner harbor. a crowd had gath
cred on the deck OF the Philadelphia and
many rude Joke was hurled across the
water. az the pilot was compelled TO emu
merate the items OF his imaginary cargo
While this conversation was going on the
wind changed suddenly. hurting the In
trepld In the direction of the frigate
stern. There. In full range OF the guns
that might have shattered II in less time
than Is required for the telling. II lay in
} suddenly tranquil sea. absolutely be-
calmed
: In another moment the sailors on board
the Philadelphia manned a boat and came
TO the rescue with a line that was passed
I TO the ketch as a boat from the ketch
rowed up TO the frigate and attached an
other line TO It's fore-chain Cautiously
the men on the Intrepid drew in the line