The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-05-02

ed the test trimphantly and was made
q captain at seventeen. IIe brought
the ship home,
Early in the "lineties" Bucknam
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-
reller. With the aid of a 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 ballie:! at the expense. So he
shifted all his cargo into the forward
compartments, thus eleyating the
stern. He managed to get the pro
peller out of water and then went
ahead with his repairs.
1t is said that Buchanan was the first
man to put propeller on ship with
out drydocking her.
Devised New Lake Steamer.
Shortly before the worlds fair at
Chicago, In 1893. Buclsnam went to
that city and built the whaleback Co.
lurnbus. In 1897 he went to the island
Of Naos at Panama, and it was there
that he met W. II. Ledbetter, former
~ an officer in the United States navy.
buchanan and Ledbetter became great
chums. This friendship has lasted,
for Ledbettcr also became Turkish
admiral through the favor of Buck
nam, and quit 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 conpany's
new trans-Pacific 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 PhilaGelphiA-buil cruiser Medji-
diah to Turkey in 1904. buchanan was
to stay three months in Constantine
pie in order to train the crew. 1t was
the Fourth of July when the Medji-
<lel arrived in the Golden Horn, and
the new conner. fred with patriotic ar
dor. began to set OF firecrackers and
tirew orks on board the new warship.
Tho Turks were aghast and there
was excitement in the city.
Won Admiration Of Sultan.
Buoknam was summoned into the
imperial presence Of the gray old wolf
in the Yildiz Kiosk. Abdul was SO i'm
that he asked him to enter his sery-
ice as naval adviser at a huge salary.
His popularity with the sultan in
creased to such an extent that he was
made a pasha and vice-admiral, and
the sultan conferred on him the Or
der Of Osmanlieh and a distinguished
service medal.
Rucknam distinguished himself at
the time a bomb intended for the sui
tan was exploded near Yildiz Kiosk.
It was the sutlan's habit to 20
every Friday from his palace to the
Fla Eidich mosque. about a thousand
va: ds from the palace. Diplomats and
othsr privileged visitors view the pro-
cc;siol from a terrace under the
! palace windows and the rest Of the
ro'.lc is filled with troops. Just as
; t!.s sultan was leaving the mosque
there was terrible explosion. Scores
o. men were killed or injured. Buck
r SIN WAS Uninjured, though q man at
! his right fell dead with his head
crushed
The sultan sterped 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 tottcred toward his carriage.
! First to Mcnarch's Aid.
! Buchanan drew his sword and rush
! ing to the side CT 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
! CT his palace said Buchanan. in de-
/ scribing the event later. he became
much more agitated 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
"Af1crward the palace people and