Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-06-26
COMMANDER AMSOEN
TELLS EXPERIENCES
New Officer in Charge of Local
Navy Recruiting Station Made
11,OOO-Mile Dash in Command
of Destroyer from Manila to
the War Zone

Commander w. r. Amsden, who has
just taken charge of the local navy
recruiting station, has had q wide ex
perience IN the navy. having recently
completed his nth year in the service.
lie has been around the world several
times with the American fleet He made
the circuit OF the globe with the fleet
IN lso1, and has just recently completed
what amounts to a trip around the world
IN the course of his travels during the
war. His last command was the U. s. s.
Laup' ana he Is the first regular navy
ofhcer to be detailed to recruiting duty.
j. w. Crosley, who has been in COM
mand Of the local navy recruiting
station, will remain with the recruiting
force.
When the United States entered the
world war. Commander Amsden was on
duty at China station, having been
in China since 1915 At that time he
was the commander Of a destroyer II
years old, the U. S. S. Barry which was
built about the time Of the Spanish
American War. This was one Of the
group of the first 16 destroyers built by
the American navy, none of these boats
being more than 420 tons.
Five Of the destroyers of this type
were In Manila harbor soon after the
United States got into the war, but they
were not in very good condition for a
trip In fact, they were so old that
their commanders did not expect they
would ever be called upon to leave
Manila for service in the war.
But the government evidently needed
them, for soon after war was declared.
| to how soon they could hove their boats
ready to sail for the war zone. They
replied that they could be ready in about
four or five weeks, little knowing
whether their ships would stand any
kind Of a trip.
On August l. 1917, these FIVE old de-
| stroyers. the Barry. the Chauncey, the
cambridge, the Dale and the Decauter.
set sail from Manila for Gibraltar, a
! trip Of 1000 miles. one of the most
| hazardous of it's kind ever attempted
! by small fleet of destroyers. The trip
was made by way of the Indian ocean
! and the Mediterranean. Some heavy
storms were encountered on the way,
but the little boats braved them ell and
arrived at Gibraltar after many difficult
| ties. having been obliged to put in at
! ports several times to have their engines
taken apart and overhauled.
Commander Amsden feels that this
feat Of hurrying to the war zone COM
| pares favorably with that Of Captain
Clark in the Oregon in his cruise around
Cape Horn during the Spanish American
War.
| Upon their arrival at Gibraltar, the
\ destroyers were found to be in excel.
lent condition. ready for sea. with bu,
a few hours notice. They soon had the
opportunity to get into the thick of It
| Commander Amsden does not say much
about his exploits during the nearly two
years that he saw service In the wal
zone, mostly in convoy transport work
| He calls attention to the fact, not gen.
| orally recognized, however, that during
| the entire time that the United States
was conveying their troops across the
seas. not a man was lost. This speaks
| volumes for the convoy work of the
| American navy.
During the war period, Commander
| Amsden was sailing on an average Of
1000 miles per month. He was trans
| ferred to other boats several differen
times during the war. On February /
| 1918. he was detached from the Barry
| and sent TO Queenstown. where HI
I joined the fleet under Admiral Sims
| taking command of the Balch, 1,OO0
! ton destroyer. Again, on September /
1913, he was detached and ordered HON,
to fit out new destroyer to take t,
the war zone. This was the U. S. S
Laub. 1,75o-ton destroyer Of the flush
| decker" type, capable of making a speet
of So knots an hour. Commander Ans
den commended this boat during the re
| ind 80 tIa krt,,
this country at the close of the struggle
The commander gives a graphic pictur
Of the sinking of the Chauncey, on
of the ships which left Gibraltar will
his own boat. and which was sunk whel
about 100 miles off Gibraltar. bein,
rammed on November @ 1917. about tw,
o'clock in the morning by the Englisl
transport, Rose. The Chauncey RENAME,
afloat just 81 minutes after she wa
struck. In the sinking, two officers an,
II men were lost. the others beinl
picked up. At the time she was sunk
the Chauncey was less than Ave mile
from Commander Amsden's ship.
Speaking of the 11,0O0-mile trip from
Manila to the war zone, Commando
Amsden said:
1T was fine trip, to look back upol
it-but / wouldn't take it again in thos
boats for any money"
Commander Amsden has his wife an
daughter with him in this city and h
has come with the intention Of making
Burlington his home for the present
HIS asks that anybody who Is intereste
in the part which the navy played Il
, the war come In and talk with him abou
it. and he will be glad to answer an
questions which he can about the navy
He is always glad to talk about tn
naval problems of the nation and vii
be interested to discuss the naval situa