New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-30
BUCHANAN PACHA
DEAD IN TURKEY
American Sailor of Fort
une Became Rear Ad-
miral to Sultan.
tBy Cabs 70 The Tribune J

buchanan Pacha, the American sailor
Of fortune. who formerly was rear adj
miral in the Turkish navy, died on May
81 after several weeks illness. He leaves
a wife, who is now in the Ottoman
capital. The funeral, which was at
tended by most of the American colony,
was held yesterday.
Ransford D. Buchanan was a Cana
dian by birth, an American citizen and
a Turkish admiral by choice. He was
born in Hantsport, n. S., in 1869, but
was brought to Mount Desert, Me-, when
still an infant. When the boy was four
years old his sailor father was lost at
sea. This left him dependent on an
uncle OF Worcester, Mass, where he
lived for a short time, but soon after
ward went to Northwest Canada. How
ever, he longed for the sea. and when
fourteen started for the New England
coast
He got as far as Duluth, Mimi. where
he secured a place as cabin boy on
ship plying the Great Lakes. After
remaining at this job for two years he
finally ran away, and this time reached
Boston, where he got a berth on a
steamship bound for Australia. He
was wrecked on the north coast OF that
continent, and when next heard from
was in the Philippine town of llollo.
Dotn 20 a
ing trade, he became master of a whale
back, and subsequently was promoted
to be manager Of the Alexander Nc
Dougall feet and superintendent OF the
American Steel Barge Company. Short
" after the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company made him captain of the City
Of Panama. He was in this service for
three years and then attracted the no.
tice of the Cramps Shipbuilding Com
pany, in Philadelphia. He commanded
the ill-fated battleship Maine on her
trial trip, and later was made first Off
Ger of the cruiser Medjida, which was
built for the Turkish government.
Bucknam brought the warship 10 the
Bosporus on July 4, 1904. He insisted
on celebrating the day, and fired the
Sultan's runs many times in jubllation.
Abdul Hamid sent for him, and was so
attracted by his bluff personality that
he insisted on retaining him as naval
exnert 10 teach the Ottoman sailors
how to handle warship and to shoot
accurately For his services TO the sui
tan he was decorated with many medals
and the insignia of the Order OF the
Osmanieh His salary was $4,000
year.
Abdul Hamid was most impressed
with the mans honesty. Shipbullders
were accustomed to sell the Turkish
government old hulks for expensive
battleships. This Buchanan stopped
Immediately. and the Sultan made MN
an admiral and pacha. One day when
the Sultan was returning to his palace
from a mosque a fanatic hurled pow
erful bomb at the escort and many were
killed Bucknam instantly drew ms
sword and cried out that he'd lob oil
the heads of any who attacked the
monarch. Abdul also loved HIM be-
cause he once neglected to salute the
French flag in Algerian waters.
Bucknam was member OF the Ma
rine Architects Society Of Boston, the
Lotos Club of this city, the Pen and
Pencil Club Of Philadelphia. the Inter-
national Club Of Panama and the Con-
stantinople Club Of the Turkish capital.
After Abdul Hands overthrow he
was retained in the service and was tho
leading authority at the Turkish adml-
raltv dur.l>. the Balkan wars. No re-
ports Of him have come from the Porte
since the recent war, but il is supposed
that he still was active in the Otto
man service.