The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-02-07

ed the test trimphantly and was made
captain at seventeen. He brought
the ship home.
Early in the "nineties" Buchanan
was In command of a steamship that
sailed from Tampico for New York
laden with hemp and silver. Twenty
four hours out of Tampico he struck
a sunken wreck and smashed his pro-
peller. With the aid Of tug he got
the vessel into Key West
1t was assumed that the ship would
have to be dry locked before she
would be fit for sea again. But Buck
nam baked at the expense. SO ne
shifted all his cargo into the forward
compartments, thus elevating the
stern. He managed to get the pro
peller out of water and then went
ahead with his repairs.
It is said that Bucknam was the first
man to put propeller on ship with
out drydocking her.
Devised New Lake SIedIhSF'
Shortly before the worlds fair at
Chicago, in 1893, Bucknam went to
that city and built the whaleback Co.
lumbus. In 1897 he went to the island
of Naos at Panama, and it was there
that he met w. H. Ledbetter, former.
ly an officer in the United States navy.
Bucknam and Ledbetter became great
chums. This friendship has lasted,
for Ledbetter also became Turkish
admiral through the favor OF Buck
nam, andsquit the service with Buck
nam and Joined him in the latter's oil
ventures.
About 1900 Bucknam was trans
ferred from Naos to the City of Pekin,
then the Pacific Steamship company's
new trans-Paciflc liner. 1t was not
long afterward that he as engaged by
the Cramps of Philadelphia in order to
superintend the trial runs of new Bat
tleships and cruisers.
The Cramps directed him to deliver
the Philadelphia-built cruiser Medji-
dieh to Turkey in 1904. Bucknam was
| to stay three months in Constantine.
pie In order to train the crew. 1t was
the Fourth of July when the Medji-
dieh arrived in the Golden Horn, and
the new conner, fired with patriotic ar
dor began to set off firecrackers and
fireworks on board the new warship
The Turks were aghast and there
was excitement in the city.
Won Admiration of Sultan.
Bucknam was summoned into the
imperial presence of the gray old wolf
in the Yildiz Kiosk. Abdul was so i'm
pressed by the bluff and jovial sailor
that he asked him to enter his serv-
ice as naval adviser at a huge salary.
His popularity with the sultan in
creased to such an extent that he was
made pasta and vice-admiral, and
the sultan conferred on him the Or
der of Osmanlieh and a distinguished
service medal.
Bucknam distinguished himself at
the time bomb intended for the sui
tan was exploded near Yildiz Kiosk.
1t was the sutlan's habit to 20
every Friday from his palace to the
Hamidich mosque, about a thousand
yards from the palace. Diplomats and
other privileged visitors view the pro-
cession from terrace under the
palace windows and the rest of the
route is filled with troops. Just as
the sultan was leaving the mosque
there was a terrible explosion. Scores
of men were killed or injured. Buck
nam was uninjured, though a man at
his right fell dead with his head
crushed.
The sultan stepped back into the
mosque when he heard the explosion
and the irregular firing in the air was
begun by the panic-stricken soldiers,
but in few minutes came out again
and tottered toward his carriage.
First to Monarch's Aid.
Bucknam drew his sword and rush
ing to the side of the despot stood
ready to repel any attack The Amer
lean was the first to reach the fright
ened monarch's side and directed the
soldiers in drawing lines and pressing
back the rabble. Sword In hand, Buck.
nam walked beside the carriage all
the way back to Yildiz.
When the sultan reached the safety
of his palace" said Bucknam, in de.
scribing the event later, "he became
much more agltated than he had been
Immediately after the explosion.
told him of my observation, and added
that in my opinion the bomb or infer.
nal machine had been buried under
ground.
"Afterward the palace people and