Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-15
TURKEYS YANKEE ADMIRAL
American Sea Rover Anchored in OF.
toman Navy.
IS REAL SAILOR OF FORTUNE
Former cabin hoy on Lakes shows the
Turks How 10 Tell Naval
junk From Real
Warahipa.

Warahina.
on the register of a New York hotel
short. squarely-built man wrote the other
day. "R. u. Buchanan. ConstantiRople."
That Is the way Buchanan Pasha, vice
admiral Of the Ottoman navy, aide-de-
camp and naval adviser to the sultan,
puts himself down when he gets among
his old friends. The admiral is. or was,
an American. He has had a career OF real
adventure. Twenty-seven years ago he
was a cabin boy on a schooner on the
great lakes
Ransford y. Buchanan was born in Nova
Scotia. in 1863, but his parents almost inn
mediately removed to Maine. At the age
OF "A he felt the call Of the sea and fol-
lowed II TO the great lakes where he be-
came cabin boy on a schooner whose
skipper was its owner. The captain and
his wife took a liking to the youngster.
At 10 Buchanan went out from New York
as quartermaster OF a schooner bound for
the Pacific When the little vessel reached
Manila the captain and the mates died OF
cholera, and as the boy was the only per-
son left on the craft who had studied nav
igation he went before a special examining
board. got a masters certificate. became
a captain at II and brought his vessel
home.
About twenty years ago Buchanan sailed
out Of Tampico in command OF a steam
ship laden with hemp and silver bound
for New York Twenty-four hours later
he smashed his propeller on sunken
wreck. The captain called for volunteers
to go back to Tampico in the ships long
boat and cable New York for a tug. The
mate and three men stepped out. They
accomplished their task without mishaP,
but the steamship drifted without motive
power and the tug searched for It twenty
days before finding it.
DOdgIne a Dry Dock.
Arrived at Key West, It was assumed
that the ship would have to put in dry
dock. but Buchanan wasn't paying out
money for what he thought was unneces-
sary lie crowded all his cargo into the
forward holds, which had the effect of
throwing the ships stern almost out of
water. II was not quite enough. however,
to enable the propeller shaft to be re-
paired, so the resourceful skipper bought
little schooner, tied It to his stem and
loaded II with stone ballast. This pulled
the bow down and raised the stern so that
DuCkndm was hulo 10 dCHlGNG Nl6 uibNhnC-
ton of being the first man to put pro-
peller in a steamship without docking II.
An American admiral who saw the opera
ton said 1t was one of the cleverest
achievements OF its kind he had ever wit
messed
But Bucknam had to dry dock his ship
after all, for the shaft had become twisted
and il pounded so on the way to New
I % lit hill
we're loose when the ship reached Sandy
| Hook.
After that Buchanan went TO the great
lakes again and became commander of
the first OF the whaieback steamers just
building. His first trip on the Joseph l.
Colby was exploited far and wide. He had
charge OF the building of the whaleback
passenger steamer Christopher Columbus,
and was in command OF her during the
worlds fair Soon afterward he went out
| to the Pacific coast, where he built the
whalebRck Sydney. In 1896 he became a
mate in the service OF the Pacific Mail
! Steamship company. Two years later he
was captain in charge of the island of
Naos, Panama. While there he invented
an electrical device by which a compass
may be made to trace the route OF yes
sci. About ten years ago Buchanan was
put in command OF the new steamship
City Of Pekin and became a transpacifio
skipper
Buchanan had not made many trips
across the Pacific before he was asked by
/ the Cramps Of Philadelphia to become
their nautical expert. When the battle
ship Maine made her trial runs he was IN
command of her and when the Cramps
finished the Turkish cruiser, Medjidia he
! va aaaganad 70 daIiyar har ganf n
Turkey with a three months contract to
train the crew.
Improving a joke.
The Turkish navy had been a joke, al
least since the battle Of NavarinO. Some
how Abdul Hamid took q fancy TO the
American sailor and asked him how he
would like a job as naval adviser to him
self at a princely salary. Buchanan asked
for long enough leave TO come home and
get married. After a hurried trip TO San
Francisco. he reported to the sultan on
April 49, 1904. He started to put things
shipshspe far as he could. 1t was not
long before the sultan made him a pasha
and admiral, conferred on him the Order OF
Osmanlieh, and gave him a medal fol-
distinguished service.
Report has it that Buchanan saved tn
sultan's life when an attempt was mad,
to assassinate Abdul Hamid several year.
ago. While the sultan was returning TO IN,
Yildlz Kiosk from the Hsmidieh mosque
bomb thrown into the imperial escort killet
scores OF men and horses, rent the groun,
theTeabouts and shook neighborlng build
ings- Buchanan Pasha stepped to the ad
Of the sultan's carriage and shouted tina
he would lop off any hand that dared I,
stretch forth toward the sultan. He wake,