The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1918-04-09
The Hero---B CAMBRIDGE Destroyer
Heroic Deeds Century Ago
VIII History Repeat Itself?
ISSUED BY THE NAVY LEAGUE)
VIII History Repeat Itself?
ISSUED BY THE NAVY LEAGUE)


finally ordered to take command of
the Retaliation and return home, he
took with him a report to congress
that caused the Retaliation act' to
be passed.
In 1900 cambridge was commission
ed captain and sailed for Algiers in
command of the frigate George Wash
ington on a mission of diplomacy, car
rying tribute to the Dey of Algiers.
Through his ingenuity the first treaty
was signed between the United States
| and Turkey, and he was the first to
carry the American flag to that coun-
| try.
In 1903 Captain cambridge was Civ
en- command of the frigate Philadel-
phia, A guns, and cruised in the Med
iterranean in search of Tripolitan cor
sairs. In chasing ship in the har-
Dor of Tripoli the Philadelphia went
aground and was captured by the
Tripolitans after six hours fire by the
combined enemy fleet. After being
detained two weeks, cambridge was
asked to give an order on Commodore
Preble for the release of Tripolitan
prisoners in order to avoid retaliatory
measures. He refused, and with his
officers was confined in prison where
his crew was already at work.
On February 16, 1904, when the
Philadelphia was burned by Lieuten-
ant Decatur and a large number of
the enemy were killed, cambridge and
his officers were imprisoned in the
tower of the castle, where without
light or pure air they were held for
nineteen months.
On his return to the United States,
Captain cambridge was praised by a
court of inquiry called at his own re-
quest, and was acclaimed hero.
After several years of shore duty,
cambridge, then commodore, request
ed duty at sea when the war Of 1912
began. In command of the Constitu-
ton he sighted sail December 20, 1912,
off the coast of Brazil. Drawing her
off the neutral coast, cambridge hoist
| ed his colors and the other answered
with the English colors. The stranger
bore down at once with the intention
of raking the Constitution, in the
meantime hiding her colors. Balm
bridge opened with broadside, which
restored the English flag, and was an
swered with a broadside that shot
away the wheel of the Constitution.
Despite her weakened condition, the
commodore determined to make the.
action short and decisive, and luffed
so close to the enemy that in passing,
her jib-boom fouled the Constitutions
mizzen rigging. In this position the
American frigate poured in such a
well directed fire that part of the bow
spirit, the fore and main masts were
shot away. When the enemy's mizzen-
mast went down, lodging across the
deck, Bainbridge's move to rake her
brought down her flag. The ship prov
ed to be the frigate Java, 40 guns and
400 men. Captain Lambert of the Java
was MORALLY wounded, sixty of the
crew were killed and one hundred
wounded The Constitution lost nine
killed and twenty-five wounded,
among them Commodore cambridge,
who was struck twice by shot. The
Java was so fearful a wreck that she
was blown up.
| Commodore cambridge landed his
prisoners, three hundred and fifty-one,
at San Salvador. Upon his return to
the United States, February 81, 1913,
he was voted $4,000 by congress,
which gave its thanks to the commo-
dore, his officers and crew, and medals
to all the officers.
/ A long career Of splendid naval
service was ended by his death at
Philadelphia, in 1889.