Show IT 40 0 b ff ah t F ff a X tfx A M 4 1 mn ROMANIA ia 1 K e so SEA 1 is ifs A 4 ackle nis A 1 7 hii lei ip 11 A WWW A 1 acca X 41 A V A 1 i i tl MY HAf I 1 batron T ako f 1 lu com odore edward preb A POTO A the Barbary coast commander 0 eli blowing up of the 1755 philadelphia by ELMO SCOTT WATSON IT T WAS admiral nelson the great british sailor who when lie he heard beard of lieutenant stephen decature Deca bril brilliant ilant exploit of entering the harbor of tripoli and destroying the U S S philadelphia right un der the noses nose s of the B arbary pirates called t it t the most daring act of the age and now it Is 13 another distinguished fo foreigner regner who Is proposing to pay a tribute of another kind to the desperate valor of a young american navel naval captain more than a century after he had thrilled the hearts of his fellow country men with his daring for premier benito mussolini dictator of italy has conceived an ambitious ambitions project of putting the old barbary coast on the map again and making it easy easi for american tourists to visit the spot where took place one of the most glor glorious lous deeds in american naval history not only will lie he make it easy for them to visit the place but it is said that he Is planning special cial inducements to attract them during several visits to tripoli mussolini wae wa particularly impressed by the historical attraction the place held for the american people especially as it has always been more or less closed to them for there still survive there many relies relics of americas almost forgotten war with the barbary pirates at the opening of the nineteenth century the I 1 lie hull hulk of the philadelphia lies iles in 25 feet of water less than feet from the end of the mole to where it drifted before exploding and when the sea is clear one can row out and see the timbers divers report that abat the hull Is mostly intact rind and well preserved and it is said that mussolini even intends intend to raise the vessel eventual eventually 13 for exhibition purposes to take advantage vantage nd of this american historic appeal premier mussolini is going to cut a broad tourist trail straight across italy sicily and the mediterranean to tripoli ile he will have special train services kes special sailings and then luxurious hotels in tripoli to lodge the visitors the hotels are being built now it was partly for this new attraction tint that the italian government Is several fine new liners laneis which will still directly for the mediterranean and stop at tripoli ns as well its as naples the liners carrying winter cruises will be invited to stop there the situation which brought about decature Deca chance for glory was as this por centuries the barbary Barl iary pirates had preyed upon the commerce of all nations finally it became Eu ropes custom and also tint that or of america to make mahe mah e presents of goods and money to the fierce rovers of northern africa and when those gifts were not promptly forthcoming the swift galleys of the corsairs cor ranged the seas and committed every net act of piracy in the buccaneering bucca calendar the cruelty of these rovers was unbounded their arrogance unmitigated their demands insatiable america its colonies established as a free rind and independent nation following the revolution its marl maritime tinie troubles with its erste bille ally france now turned its attention to the vexatious and dangerous problem of the barbary barb iry cor calm the war really opened in 1801 but it was not until 1803 that the third squadron squi dron sent out by the united states gathered at gibraltar under the command of commodore adward preble one of whose lieutenants was stephen decatur the von POD of another of the same naine name who had com an american privateer during the revolution after several bloodless encounters preble its as signed two american vessels the famous philadelphia adelphia la und the vixen to the task of blockading tripoli tills this was exceedingly difficult because the coast was a high dangerous one full of reefs shoals and strong unknown currents r as well as being harassed by strong winds the difficulty of the situation became acute when the vixen made off toward the east in search of 0 sk cruiser and the philadelphia a 4 0 decatur home in deep draught frigate fell heir to the duties ai i in shoie chasing during the course of this duty the philadelphia ran on a reef immedi immediately abely the Tripo Tripoli litang tans fi swarmed warmed about the ship and her commander capt richard bainbridge was forced to surrender bainbridge tried to sink the ship to prevent her falling in the hands but failed ile he and his men were thrown in a dungeon in tripoli and within a week the pirates had the Philadel philadelphia ohia re fitted and ready for action against the americans commodore preble hearing of the catastrophe determined upon a vigorous course of action and making good a promise given decatur indicated that the latter was to head the perilous expedition he had projected preble first had thought that recapture capture re of the philadelphia la would be possible but upon mature consideration resolved that her destruction was the only course plans were carefully worked out and finally decatur received these instructions from his commander it Is my order that you proceed to tripoli in company with lieutenant stewart enter that harbor in the night board the philadelphia burn her and make good your retreat with the intrepid if possible unless you can make her the means of destroying the vessels in the harbor by converting her into a ore fire ship for that purpose and retreating in your boats and those of the siren you must take fixed ammunition and apparatus for the frigates 18 pou riders and if you can without risking too much you may endeavor to make them the instruments st of destruction to the shipping and ba shaws castle you will provide all the necessary combustibles for burning and destroying ships the destruction st of the philadelphia Is an object of great importance and I 1 rely with confidence on your tour and enterprise to effect it steward will support yon yoa with the boats of the siren and cover your retreat with that vessel be sure and set ore fire in the gun room berths cockpit storerooms store rooms forward and berths on the berth deck after the ship Is well on tire ahre point two of the 18 down the main hatch and blow her bottom out the expedition consisting of the siren and the intrepid set forth loaded with combustibles and anxious but eager men arriving before tripoli just as bad weather was setting in decatur sent out a boat with the pilot and midshipman morris to reconnoiter recon their report wits WAS cn rn favorable anti and the decision was against goins I 1 ng in the wind getting constantly worse blew blev n gale and drove the adventurers to the eastward recalling that the boats were small and that they were overloaded with men and combustibles one can sympathize with morris morria in his account of the situation of the intrepido crew ile he says the commander three lieutenants and the surgeon occupied the very small email cabin six rold and the pilot had a platform laid out on the water casks whose surface they covered when they lay down for sleep and at so small a distance below the deck that their beads beada would reach it when seated on tho the platform the marines had corresponding accommodations on an the opposite side and the sailors had only the surface of the casks in the hold bold to these inconveniences were added the want of any room on the dock deck for exercise and the attacks 0 of f innumerable vermin which our predecessors the th e slaves had left behind them the provi provisions ns proved to be decayed and offensive finally however the I 1 little ittle fleet again stood before tripoli and this time the grim drama diama was not to be interrupted with approximately 84 64 men aboard the intrepid commanded by stephen decatur drifted into the harbor a pale beautiful young moon overhead lighting her way the harbor and town were still no sound was to be heard but the gentle lapping of the waves as the intrepid moved quietly to her destination her quarry the philadelphia la stood before a handsome ship her 40 guns all loaded and double and well manned this was the enemy wiach which the little ketch of CO 60 tons and four small guns faced and in addition there were the guns of the pashas castle as well as other batteries furthermore there were floating defenses close by consisting of two or three cruisers and some galleys it was a tense moment and had suspicion been directed against the intrepid she would have been blown out of the water and not a man could have escaped all the men on the ketch were kept concealed except a few in native dress and owing to the smooth TrIpoli tanese of the sicilian pilot no suspicion was excited aboard the philadelphia the watch hailed and the pilot of the intrepid replied that she had lost anchors in the gale and would like to make fast to the philadelphia for the night this was agreed to but after the ketch was warped alongside the philadelphian Phila delphias crew scented danger and there came the cry americanos Amerl Amerle canos anosi 1 americanos Amerl canos I 1 in anether another moment the intrepid had swung broadside on and quickly passed lashings held the two ships locked in deadly embrace then decature Deca cry of board I 1 rang out and with a quick rush cuili and the discharge of only a single gun the decks were gained the surprise was as perfect as the assault was rapid and the crew panic strick en huddled like rats at bay awaiting the final dash decatur had early gathered his men aft stood a moment for them to gain sight of the enemy and then with the watchword philadelphia delp hla rushid upon the rovers no defense was made for swarming to leeward they tumbled overboard over the bows through gun ports by aid of trailing billiards and stranded rigging out of the channels pell mell by every loophole they went and then such as could swam like water rats for the friendly shelter of the neighboring war galleys one by one the decks were cleared ten min utes after the boarding party swung over oter the ralls rails decatur was in full possession of the ship events then moved with lightning rapidity parties especially assigned of course darted here there and elsewhere setting ore fire to vulnerable points then with the ship already a blazing mass which lighted the entire harbor and sent seat terror to the hearts of the native onlookers the brave little crew crew of americans americana made for the in trepid then came caan the struggle to escape with the town awakened the tripoli tanese batteries coming into action and the tiny ketch the object of every missile through gli a veritable hell of gunfire the intrepid made its way safely out of the harbor and as they did so a mighty explosion shook the earth and sea and a column of flames shot to the sky the philadelphia had blown up the impossible had been accomplished and not a single one of decature Deca men had been killed I 1 shortly after the epic firing of the philadelphia preble recommended to the secretary of the navy that decatur be promoted this recommendation ommen dation was promptly carried out and the secretary addressed a letter to stephen decatur esq captain in the navy of the united states decatur was just twenty five years old the youngest captain ever appointed in the united states navy 0 by western Now union |