The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-18

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terranean we read almost daily of feats of con-
spicuous personal gallantry on the part of the
modern seamen. Sailors are said to be much
alike the world over. The United States is not
engaged in war, but if it were it is believed that
our dreadnaughts would be manned by the same
kind of men that made famous the Constitution,
the Constellation, the Kearsarge, the Hartford and
the other old frigates and ships of the line.
IN the navy department in Washington there
are the records of American sailors daring on
many high occasions. The seaman always is in
danger, being compelled to engage in instant war
with the elements. So it is that where there is
peace on land the sailor is never sure of peace at
sea. Wind, the wave and the lightning always
seemingly are ready to declare hostilities, and
then there are the other perils of the deep-the
derelict, the rock, and, when the fog hangs heavy.
the moving ship whose warning signals have been
unheard or have been misunderstood.
in the whole record of serious disasters which
have overtaken Uncle Sans ships in time of
peace there is not to be found one instance of
lack of discipline, carelessness, or cowardice.
The stories touching the bearing of officers and
crews of American vessels overtaken by tenn
pestuous seas, wrecked or cut to the waters edge
by collision, are such as to make every American
feel that there has been no degeneracy in dis
cipine since the days OF the elder Porter, Balm
bridge and Decatur.
In the number of men lost the accident to the
Maine leads all the other casualties in that part
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In the first month of the year 1870 the United
States steam sloop-of-war Oneida went to the bot
tom of the bay of Yeddo, carrying with it "a
officers and 1852 men, 1t is questionable whether
the account of the loss of this vessel be pleasant
reading for British eyes. 1t was a dark night
and a foggy one. The British merchant steamer
Bombay crashed into the stern of the American
vessel and practically carried away it's whole
quarter.
The British steamer was uninjured. It pro-
ceeded on its way, refusing to answer the halls
to stand by which came from the deck of the
Oneida. A large number of the Oneida's boats
were stove in and rendered useless. Into what
were left 80 men, told off, were placed. Then the
remainder took their places we'll forward and
awaited death. In less than fifteen minutes from
the time of the collision the Oneida sank.
Capt. e. P. Williams commanded the Oneida.
The men he caused to be placed In the boats
were the ships sick. The surgeon was ordered
to go with the invalids. Not one man of those
to whom death was a certainty murmured at the
captains act. The surgeon and the sick saw the
men standing on the deck and fearlessly awaiting
the fate which soon came.
1t is, perhaps, forgotten today outside of nava,
circles that Rear Admiral Sicard, now deceased,
once lost, by w%recking, a vessel under his COM
mand. 1t happened As years ago last October. and
the scene of the wreck was Ocean island, in the
South Pacific. The admiral was then a lieuten-
ant commander in charge of the United States
steam sloop Saginaw. 1t was the subsequent
heroism of an officer and four men of the Saginaw
that marked the accoun: of this disaster as one
Of the bright pages of American laval history.
The Saginaw ran on a reef in an unexplored sea.
1t was an early hour in the morning. The COM
handing officer lad been on deck all night alert,
knowing that he was coming to the vicinity of
Ocean island. Speed was diminished t. four and
then to two and a half knots, while soundings
with the lead were constantly made. There was
a breeze dead astern.
Suddenly the lookout called, Breakers ahead!"
The command vas given to back the engines.
The topsails had been set for an hour and there
was not power enough in the vessels steam plant
to drive the ship back while the wind in the
filled topsails drove her forward. The .jaginaw
struck the reef, rtove a great hole in her bow, and
the crew we're compelled to take to the boats.
They saved large quantities of stores from the