The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-12-21
VAIN WRIGHT TO
!: Leave THE navy
Famous Commander Has Reached
the Age Limit.
INCIDENTS IN HIS CAREER.
He Was on the Old eattIeship Maine
With Sigsbee When She Was Sunk In
Havana Harbo-cer4era Surrender
ed to Him.

| With Sigsbee When She Was Sunk In
Havana Harbor-cer4era Surrender
ed to Him.
Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright,
aid for operations in the navy depart
ment, one of the greatest fighters, best
fellows and most beloved officers the
service afoat has ever had, will cele-
brate his sixty-second birthday on
Dec. II, on which date he will be re-
tired from active service.
The line and staff will sincerely re-
greet the retirement of their comrade
of so many years. They are not likely
soon to forget some of his deeds in the
navy. 1t was he who commanded the
Gloucester at the battle of Santiago,
and to him Admiral Cervera, the de-
teated commander in chief Of the
Spanish fleet, surrendered He was
the executive officer of the old battle
ship Maine when she was sunk in Ha-
vana harbor on the night of Feb. 49,
1893, and as he saw the waters close
over her shattered hulk is said to have
registered VOW that 1.-THE Maine will
be avenged"
Admiral Wainwright comes of a IA
nous naval family, and. fortunately
for the service, the name will remain
on the active list after he goes into re-
tlrement. for his son, Lieutenant
"Dick'' Wainwright, is much like his
famous father and inherits his affec-
ton for the service afloat.
The admiral is the second Richard
Wainwright Of the navy, his father
having been Commander Richard
Wainwright, one of Farragut's most
brilliant tsubordinates. He Was in
command of the Hartford at the battle
of Fort Fisher, in which Admiral Rob-
ley D. Evans was MANNED for life and
where Farragut won one of his great
est victories.
President Lincoln himself appointed
the son of the Hartford's commander
to Annapolis. The future commander
OF the Gloucester was a member of the
class of 1868, one of his. classmates
being Seaton Schroeder, one of the ia
nous sailors Of the modern navy. Ad-
miral Schroeder married Admiral
Wainwright's sister.
His Early Career.
The early career Of Wainwright. was
That OF an earnest, Woodworking Off
Ger, and it was not until in the early
n1neties that his name began to be
heard outside Of the service. From
1880 to 1893 he commanded the old
Alert, and in 1896 he was ordered to
Washington to become chief intelli-
gence officer of the navy. Two years
later, in November, 1897, he was re-
lieved of that duty and ordered to the
battleship Maine as executive officer
under Captain Charles D. Sigsbee.
On the night the Maine was blown
up In Havana harbor Wainwright
stood beside Sigsbee on the quarter
deck as the vessel was sinking, and it
was Wainwright who issued the order
to lower the lifeboats in which the sur
vivors of the crew escaped From the
beginning Admiral Wainwright was
one OF those who believed the Maine
was not blown up by accident and
none was more impatient than he for
a chance to avenge the death of the
266 officers, bluejackets and marines
who went to their death in the battle
ship.
In the interval between the blowing
up Of the Maine and the declaration of
war against Spain Wainwright remain
ed on board one Of the American ships
that were in the harbor, and during the
seven weeks that the Sampson court
of inquiry was in session he never set
foot in Havana.
| Havana Harbor Incident.
During the weeks that the wreckers
and divers worked on the hulk of the
Maine Wainwright remained at Ha
vana. At last the wreckers gave up
and one by one the officers were order.
ed to Washington. It was known then
that war was coming.
On the day that the last wrecker was
ordered home Admiral Manterola, the
Spanish naval commander in Havana
ordered the Spanish guard to haul
down the American flag floating from
the rigging of the wrecked battleship.
|
calling an interpreter. he issued an
order that has become famous in the
navy.
'Tell the officer in charge of the
guard" said Wainwright, that if any
Spaniard touches the flag that flies
from that wreck there will be another
wreck in Havana harbor. Tell him I
will sink his barge myself if he at
tempts to carry out that order.''
| When Wainwright got his orders to
come home he hauled down the flag
himself. On his arrival in Washington
the governmtnt was buying all the sea-
going vessels it could get. and among
them was the fine yacht Corsair. own
ed by J. Pierpont Morgan. She was
converted into gunboat and renamed
the Gloucester. Wainwright being as
signed to command her. In the battle
of Santiago he destroyed the Spanish
torpedo boats Furor and Pluton with
:, her battery.
When the gallant Spanish admiral,