Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1902 — PASSING OF SAMPSON. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PASSING OF SAMPSON.

REAR ADMIRAL DIES AT NATIONAL CAPITAL. Long Illness Is Ended—Demise of the Naval Commander Follows Breakdown Which Made Him Invalid for Months—His Career Briefly Sketched. William T. Ss tnpson, rear admiral, U. S. N., retired, died at his home in Washington, D. C., at 5 o’clock Tuesday afternoon. A cerebral hemorrhage was the immediate cause of death. The rear admiral had been in a semiconscious state for several days and Tuesday forenoon suffered a severe cerebral hemorrhage. At the bedside when the rear admiral breathed his last were Mrs. Sampson, Mrs. Cluverius, the rear admiral’s married daughter; two young sons, Ralph and Harold Sampson; Dr. Dixon, the attending physician, and nurses and attendants. William T. Sampson was born in Palmyra, Wayne County, N. Y., on Feb. 9, 1840. Up to the time of the outbreak of the war with Spain he was comparatively unknown outside of naval circles, and up in Wayne County, where he visit-

ed often, everybody knew him as "Billy” Sampson. His father was a day laborer, and as boy and youth William often accompanied his father to places near the Sampson home, where he helped at “odd jobs.” Young Sampson found time to attend school in an irregular way, and showed so much ambition that he attracted the attention of William H. Southwick of Palmyra, who spoke of him to E. B. Morgan. at that time representing the district in Congress, and the lad received through Morgan the appointment as naval eadet at Annapolis. Sampson first won fame and recognition on the old Patapsco, which formed part of the blockading squadron at Charleston in 1864. The harbor had been mined by the Confederates, and when the blockading admiral decided to enter the harbor he detailed the Patapsco to go ahead and clear the way for him. Brave Deed at Charleston. Sampson was executive officer of the ironclad, and as the vessel steamed into the harbor he stood on- the bridge in the most exposed position on the boat. He was a fascinating mark for the sharpshooters. As the little boat enter ed the harbor bullets from their rifles rained upon it. Sampson’s men fell all around him, struck by the leaden missiles. He ordered them below and faced the fire alone. Slowly and carefully the mine-destroyer went ahead on its hunt. Suddenly there was an ominous roar, columns of water were thrown into the air, and "mingled with the liquid streams were the guns, turrets and sheathing of the gallant boat. Of the crew twentyfive were saved by other boats from the fleet; seventy-five sank in Charleston harbor. Sampson was blown 100 feet In the air and fell hi the water many feet from where his boat went down. In Charge of Naval Academy. After the war Sampson was detailed for service at the Naval Academy and remained there from 1868 to 1871 as head of the department of chemistry and physics. Then for several years he was attached to the Congress, but his first command was the Alert, to which he was assigned with the rank of commander in 1874. From 1876 to 1878 he was again at the Naval Academy, and ten years later he became the superintendent of the institution and maintained a high state of discipline He was promoted to captain in 1889, and the next year he was placed in command of the cruiser Sau Francisco. In July, 1892, he was inspector of ordnance at the navy yard, Washington, and the next year he was made chief of the bureau of ordnance. He held that position until the lowa was ready to be commissioned, when be was detailed to that battleship. Service in Spanish War. After the breaking out of the Spanish war Sampson was given command of the North Atlantic station, and he blockaded the ports of Cuba with his squadron, being joined in this work by the flying squadron tinder Rear Admiral Schley, who was next in command to him. At the time of the tight off Santiago, on July 3, 1898, Sampson, with bis flagship, had started for Siboney, giving the signal "Disregard the movements of the flagship," but returned after the battle was over. The details of the controversy in regard to the credit for the destruction of the Spanish warships are fresh in the publie mind. Rear Admiral Sampson was married twice. His first wife was Margaret Aidrich, a niece of Pliny T. Sexton of Palmyra. N. Y. They wore married in 1862 and had five daughters, four of whom are living. Rear Admiral Sampson's second wife was Miss Elizabeth Burling. By this marriage Rear Admiral Sampson had two sous. Ralph and Harold.

REAR ADMIRAL SAMPSON.