The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1916-05-12
GALLANT SEA CAPTAIN
BRITISH NAVY PROUD OF WORK
OF LIEUTENANT COCHRANE.
His Exploits With Small ship, Poorly
Armed, Are clsssed With the
Most Brilliant Annals Of War
fare on the Ocean.

A recent writer, Mr.. ]. ]. Edgar, has
retold the almost Incredible exploits
If the Speedy, the first command OF
young Lieutenant Cochrane, after.
wards Admiral Lord Dundonald. in
ventor. fighter and strategist. The
little vessel was absurdly small ana
illequipped; an over-manned and un-
derarmed craft of 15S tons, carrying
ninety men and fourteen four-pound-
ers. Nevertheless, she soon became
so troublesome to the enemy that q
Spanish frigate was especially dis
patched to hunt her down. But young
Cochrane, foreseeing trouble. had pur-
posely shipped Danish quarternas-
ter and instead of avoiding his fermi-
dable foe. he dressed the Dane in his
own uniform, disguised the Speedy. Z
with the aid of paint and canvas, as a
Danish brig and ran UP the quaTan-
tine flag. A few questions were asked.
to which an Enthusiastically genuine
Dane, apparently the captain, replied;
and the hoodwinked enemy continued
peacefully on her course.
Some months later, however. they
met again, and an encounter could not
be avoided The action that followed
was unique in naval history. The
Speedy made no effort to escape. In.
stead, she boldly attacked. She had
at the time only ffty-four men, and
her scant crew and fourteen four
Founders were opposed to the thirty
two heavy guns and 319 men of her
six hundred-ton opponent. the frigate
Ell Gamo. Coming swiftly to close
quarters, she ran in under the fri.
gates broadside. which hurtled harm.
iessly above her, while every shot
from her own guns told. A moment
later the vessels touched, and Coch.
rane, at the head Of his crew. actually
boarded and carried the >frigate, which
struck her flag after the first rush.
Between these two exploits the
Speedy visited Yaletta, and Cochrane
enjoyed a little adventure ashore. A
fancy dress subscription bali was be-
ing given, under the patronage OF
some French Royalist officers, and
this he attended, selecting for his cos
tune the ordinary dress Of British
common sailor. A Frenchman. mis-
| taking him for genuine jack-tar of
| dubious sobriety who was intruding
among his betters, ordered him out.
He refused to. go. The Frenchman
| collared him; he knocked the French
man down, and the next day they
| fought a duel on the sands. Coch-
rane received ball through the trous-
| ers and the Frenchman one through
the leg, after which they parted gayly
| with expressions of mutual esteem.
The Speedy's career ended at last
| In capture; but although she surren-
dered to one vessel, the French bait
| tleship Dessaix, she had been gallant
| ly fighting against several at once.
| The chivalrous French captain de-
clined to accept Cochrane's sword,
saying he could not deprive Of his
sword an officer who had so many
| hours struggled against impossibili-
| ties"
The Pallas, Cochrane's first really
| adequate ship, did not achieve so
many near-impossibilitie as the little
Speedy; but her return to Plymouth
after her first cruise was marked by a
uniquely brilliant touch. She had
taken rich prizes. Among the booty
were some wonderful great golden
candlesticks from Mexico. They were
| of superb size and workmanship, and
| designed for ecclesiastical use; but
Cochrane found them equally adapted
| to enhance naval triumph. When,
at sound Of the signal gun. the inhabi-
tants OF Plymouth focked to the
wharves, to behold the Pallas sweep
nobly to her anchorage, they were
! dazzIed and amazed to see her tall
masts aglitter in the sunshine as II
tipped with living fame. To each
| mast was proudly affixed a fiye-foot
golden candlestick!-Youth's Compan-
| lon.