Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/281

Rh assisted his father in odd jobs about the village, for the Sampson family was large — eight children — and he was the eldest. He stood high in his classes at school and was a great reader, boiTow- ing as many books as he coulil, especially those re- lating to natural science, history, mechanics, and mathematics. When he was seventeen years of age he was appointed to the naval academy on recommendation of Congressman E. D.Morgan, of Aurora. He entered the acailcmy, 24 Sept., 1857, and was graduated in 1861 at the head of his class. In his last year he received the honor of the appointment of adjutant of the class, an appoint- ment bestoweil not so much on account of scholar- ship alone as on account of the general qualities that go to make up a good .seaman and officer. After leaving the academy he was assigned as mid- shipman to the U. S. frigate " Potomac." and here he proved so efficient that he procured his promo- tion to master before the close of the year. In July, 1862. he was made lieutenant, and in that year and the next served on the practice-sloop "John Adams." He was assigned to duty as in- structor at the naval academy during 1864. In 1864 and I860 he saw service on the ironclad "Patapsco," with the blockading squadron before Charleston, South Carolina. He was on that ves- sel when she was blown u[> by a torpetlo in Charleston harlwr, 15 Jan.. 1885.

After the war he was assigned to the flag-ship "Colorado" on the Kuro[>ean station, on which vessel he remained from 1865 until 1867. He was promot«d lieutenant-commander in July. 1866. Aft«r his service on the European slalioii he was assigned again to duty at the naval academy as instructor from 1868 to 1871. During 1872 he was on the "Congress "on special duty, and in 1873 he was with the same vessel on the European station. In August, 1874. he was promoted com- mander, anri a-s such commanded the "Alert." Prom 1H76 to 1878 he served a third time as in- structor at Annapolis. As instmctor his work was chiefly in physics, chemistry, metalhirgy, and astronomy. He was sent to Separation, Wyo., with Prof. Simon Neweomb, in 1878, to observe the total eclipse of the sun of 2il July. From 1870 to 1882 he was in command of the "Swatara" on the Asiatic station, and in 1882 was a.xsigneil to the C S. naval oliservatory as assistant superin- tendent. He was one of the I'. S. delegates to the international conference at Washington in October, 1884, for flxing upon a common prime meridian and a common system of time. During 1885 and 1886 he served a« superintendent of the Newport torpedo-station. Here his work was large- ly in connection with scientific investigation of powder and other explosives Adapteil for naval warfare. He was also a memlwr of the boanl of fortifications and other defences. In 1886 he was as.signed to the naval academy for the fourth time, this appointment Ijcing for suiicriiitendent. lie held the post until 1800. In the autumn of 1888 he was one of the representatives of the United States at the international marine conference at Washington. He had been appointed captain in March, 1880. When the new cruiser " Chicago " was placed in commission. 15 Nov., 1800, {'apt. Samps'in was assigned to command her. and he was with the vessel on the Pacific for two years. In 1892 he became superintendent of the naval fun-factory. During 1803-'7 he was chief of the urcau of ordnance, a position in which he was chargeil with the expenditure of m<ire than six million dollars aimiially. He had the duty of providing the armor and of buying and testing projectiles and ammunition for the vessels of the new navy, at that time beginning to assume pro- portions commensurate to the dignity of the coun- try it represented. The position gave him oppor- tunity also to give full play to his scientific and investigating inclinations. He developed the plans for the superposed turrets in the two new battle- ships " Kearsarge " and " Kentucky," and he con- ducted many experiments in investigation of the resisting power of armor-plate and of the most advantageous arrangement of the plates that com- posed the protecting armor when in position. The small-arms now in use in the navy were tested and adopted by him. and to him belongs much of the credit for the detection of the armor-plate frauds which were costing the government many thou- sand dollars. From the bureau of ordnance he was assigned to the command of the first-class battle-ship "Iowa" when she was placed in com- mission in June, 1897.

On the morning of Wednesday, 16 Feb., 1898, the country was startled and shocked by the news of the destruction of the "Maine" in Havana har- bor on the evening of the 15th. Kelief measures were at once rushed forward to Havana by the gov- ernment, and on the 17th President Mckinley ap- pointed a naval board of inquiry, consisting of Sampson as president. Capt. F. E. Chadwiek, and Ijieut.-Commanders William P. Potter and Adolph Marix. charged with the duty of investigating and re[)orting upon the disaster. The board l>egan its work on 21 Feb., took testimony at Key West of' the survivorsof the ac- cident, examined the wreck at Ha- vana, took testi- mony there, and made a careful in- vestigation of all circumst-ances pre- ceding and suc- ceeding the disas- ter. It concluded its work on 22 March, and from Key West forwanl- ed to Washington its report. Sampson thereupon started to return to his ship, but on 26 JIarch he was put in com- mand of the North Atlantic fleet. This fleet had been under command of Admiral Montgomery Sicard, who asked to be relieved on account of his health, and therefore Capt. Sampson, who was the senior officer present, and who was thoroughly familiar with the pemountl and nialiriel of the fleet, and with all the arrangements that had been ma<ie against the outbreak of hostilities, was put in command, with the rank of rear-admiral. War was declareil against Spain on 21 April, and at 0.:lO A. M. of the next day Admiral Sampson sailed from Key West with his fleet to blockade the northern coast of Cuba from Cardenas to Bahia Honda. The matter of maintaining the blockade was comparatively simple : the critical point for naval success lay in the disposition made of the Spanish fleet under Admiral Cervera, which had left Cadiz on 8 April and was reported to be at the Cape Verde islands, whence it sailed on 20 April, consisting of four armored cruisers and three torpedo-boats. The destination of the fleet was of course unknown. The duty of discovering