[299] Born in New York, 1840; died, 1902. Graduated at the head of his class at Annapolis, 1860; promoted to master, 1861; lieutenant, 1862; was executive officer on the Patapsco when it was blown up in Charleston harbor, and was blown into the water; lieutenant commander, 1866; commander, 1874; superintendent of Naval Academy, 1886–1890; studied with great care all branches of the service, but more especially those of ordnance and the defensive armor of war vessels; was president of the Board of Inquiry into the causes of the destruction of the Maine; commanded the North Atlantic Squadron, with rank of acting rear admiral, in the battle with Admiral Cervera, July 3, 1898; promoted to rear admiral, September, 1898.
[300] Just about this time considerable anxiety was felt as to the fate of the battleship Oregon, which had left San Francisco in March, under Captain Charles E. Clark. After a voyage of fourteen thousand miles, she finally reached Key West on May 26, and served in the battle of Santiago.
[301] The American squadron, with Commodore Sampson in command, had long been watching the mouth of the harbor, day and night. On the morning of July 3, Sampson started for a consultation with Shafter, who was some miles east of the mouth of the bay. Before going he had left specific directions as to methods of action in case of Cervera’s appearance. Sampson was some miles away when the approach of the Spanish fleet was detected. Though he returned at once, he reached his fleet only at the close of the engagement, in which Commodore Schley (§ [685]) was the highest officer taking active part.
[302] Born in Massachusetts, 1839. Entered the army as a volunteer, in 1861; became a major general of volunteers, and commanded an army corps at the age of twenty-five; greatly distinguished himself in numerous battles; entered the regular army at the close of the war; conducted many campaigns against Indians on the frontier; commanded the United States troops at Chicago during the strikes of 1894; appointed general in chief of United States Army, 1895; commanded the army during the war with Spain; appointed lieutenant general, 1900; retired, 1903.
[303] Born in New York, 1858. Graduated at Harvard, 1880; member of New York legislature, 1882–1884; chairman of National Board of Civil Service Commissioners, 1889–1895; president of New York Police Board, 1895–1897; Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1897–1898; resigned to organize the First United States Volunteer Cavalry, commonly known as “Roosevelt’s Rough Riders”; distinguished himself in action before Santiago; elected governor of New York, 1898; nominated for Vice President, June, 1900; elected in November, 1900; succeeded to the Presidency on the death of President McKinley, in September, 1901; nominated and elected President in 1904. Is the author of a number of historical works.
[304] Born in Maryland, 1839. Graduated at United States Naval Academy, 1860; served as midshipman in Chinese waters, 1860–1861; was in West Gulf Squadron, 1861–1864; served again in Chinese waters, 1864; became lieutenant commander in 1866; on duty at Naval Academy, 1866–1869; head of modern language department at Annapolis, 1877–1878; commander in 1884; commanded the successful Greely Relief Expedition, 1884; captain in 1888; commanded the Baltimore and settled difficulties at Valparaiso, 1891; carried Ericsson’s body to Sweden, in 1891; commanded the New York, and was made commodore and put in command of the Flying Squadron in Cuban waters, 1898; was senior officer at the destruction of Cervera’s fleet, July 3, 1898; advanced to rear admiral, 1899; retired, 1901.
[305] The new mayor was George B. McClellan, who was reëlected in 1905 for the lengthened term of four years. He broke with Tammany Hall during his second administration. In 1901 Judge William Travers Jerome was elected District Attorney along with the reform ticket. In 1905 he stood for reëlection as an independent candidate, and his victory was rightly regarded as a good sign of the growth of independence among the voters.
[306] Another event of great popular interest marked the year 1902. This was the friendly visit of Prince Henry of Prussia, which took place in February and March. The Prince came to America ostensibly to witness the launching of a new yacht built for his brother, the Emperor of Germany; but, in reality, his mission was one of courtesy and amity to the Republic. He was received with an enthusiasm not equaled, perhaps, since the visit of Kossuth in 1852. He was entertained in New York and Washington, and was especially welcomed by the large German population of St. Louis, Chicago, and Milwaukee. He won great favor everywhere by his simple dignity, and did much by his visit to further the cause of peace and international good will.
[307] The bill for putting the reciprocity convention into effect was finally passed in December, 1903; that is, at the beginning of the first session of the Fifty-eighth Congress. A treaty concluded by Secretary Hay and the Commissioner of the republic of Colombia for the purpose of securing concessions necessary to the inception of the Isthmian Canal was ratified by the Senate only after an extra session of that body had been called in March, 1903. (See § [690].)
[308] There were also many strikes in 1904, the chief of which was that of the Colorado coal mines. Much disorder was created, and the Cripple Creek region had to be placed under martial law.