The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-01-25
SHELLEY MAN
BY MABEL L1EFE ,CURNOW


To have played a part in events
4 which went toward the making OF
the history of two nations is dis
tinction which falls to few. In
every city and hamlet in the United
States there may be found few,
who relate with pardonable pride,
the part they took in the history
which completed the foundation OF
this country.
! In Idaho Falls lives a withered
old man whose claim antidates that
of the' average pioneer; George
King, upon whom it has been said,
rests the distinction of being the
sole survivor of the historical
Crimean war, living in the west.
Altho three score years have passed
since England and France resisted
Russia's attempt to crush the Turks
| by invading Crimea, time has not
dulled the memory of the old soldier
who was an eye witness to the
famous siege of Sebastopol. His
eyes undimmed by the years,
twinkled as he recalled with startl-
ing vividness, events that took place
in the worlds history early in the
eighteenth century, when an English
man owar was dashed to Russian
ship in the harbor of Sebastopol, and
hand to hand battle of swords
helped to decide who should control
Crimea.
The life of George King, were it
written in detail, would read like a
tale of Bret Harte or one of Jack
London's sketches of history and
romance.
Born in Staplehurst, Kent, Eng
land, King early became imbued
with the spirit of adventure. When
a boy of fourteen he ran away from
home and enlisted in a school ship
in the English navy for period OF
ten years. He was taken aboard the
warship Royal Albert, which at that
time was the largest in the British
navy.
Under command of Admiral
Lyons, the Royal Albert was sent on
a cruise thru the Mediterranean and
into the Black Sea, where trouble
was brewing owing to threatened
invasion of Turkey in Asia by the
Russians The cruise lasted seven
years. During that period came the
ulSIOTlCdl OIluCdA wall VhASh
reached it's climax when the battle
ships of England and France as
sembled at Varna, in the Black Sea
and descended upon Sebastopol, the
arsenal of the Russian fleet.
With graphic description King
told of the battle of Sebastopol,
September "a, 1854. "There were
1900 men, including the officers, on
board the Royal Albert" he said.
"The warship was equipped with
131 cannon. Firearms and smoke
less powder were unknown. Close
fighting was done with swords, and
when the cannon were in action, the
air was heavy and black with the
smoke, and firing was largely mat
ter of guess work. Owing to our
youth we boys were allowed no
actual part in the fighting, but we
were kept busy carrying the powder
from the ships magazine to the
gunners. This gave us chance to
be in the thick of things.
"The f1ercest part of the fight
came when a Russian battleship
jammed into the Royal Albert and
the two were dashed together. A
terrible hand to hand struggle with
swords nearly annihilated the two
forces, but the English won out, and
the fight ended when the Russians
raised the white flag. Was 1
wounded? Oh, little. My right
arm got in the way Of somebody's |
knife and was pretty badly mangled,
but I came out all right. oh it was
a great fight
1t was at that time that Florence
arrived at Scutari, near
Sebastopol, with staff Of nurses
and thru the dark days of the |
Crimean campaign they devoted
themselves to care of the wounded.
Three years later the term Of Kings
enlistment expired and he was dis
charged from the British navy at
Halifax, Novia Scotia. He drifted to
Boston, where he learned the tailor
trade. But his love of adventure
once more asserted itself, and three
years later leaving the English SER
vice he Joined an American mer-