Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 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
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 1T for sea again But Buck
nam baked at the expense. SO he
shifted all his cargo into the forward
compartments. thus elevadng the
stern. He managed TO get the pro
pelIer out OF water and then went
ahead with his repairs.
It Is said that Bucknam was the nrst
man to put propeller on ship with
out drydocking her.
Devised New Lake Steamer.
shortly before the worlds fair at
Chicago, in 1893, Bucknam went TO
that city and built the whaieback Co
lumbus. In 1897 he went to the island
of Macs at Panama, and 1t was there
that he met W. Fl. Ledbetter, former
ly an officer in the United States navy.
Buchanan and Ledbetter became great
chums. This friendship has lasted,
for Ledbetter also became Turkish
admiral through the favor OF Buck
nam. and quit the service with Buck
nam and joined him In the lattews oil
ventures
About 1900 Bucknam was trans
ferred from Naos to the City of Pekin,
then the Pacific Steamship company'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
tieships 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 of flrecrackers 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 bIuff and jovial sailor
that he asked him to enter his serv-
ice as naval adviser at a huge salary.
Els popularity with the sultan in
creased to such an extent that he was
made a pasha and 8 vice-admiraI, and
the sultan conferred on him the Or
der of Osmanlieh and distinguished
service medal.
buchanan distinguished himself at
the time a bomb intended for the sui
| tan was exploded near Yildiz Kiosk.
| 1t was the sutlan's habit to go
every Friday from his palace to the
| Hamidich mosque, about thousand
yards from the palace Diplomats and
other privileged visitors view the pro
cession from a terrace under the
palace windows and the rest of the
! route is filed 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 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.
Buchanan 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 monarcf'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 hts palace said Bucknam, 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 bo1nb or Infer
nal machine had been buried nnder.
ground.
"Afterward the palace people and