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Sampson, William Thomas

naval officer, was born Feb. 8, 1840, in Palmyra, N. Y. He came out of the naval academy in 1860 and went into service on the frigate Potomac.

He was made master in 1861, lieutenant in 1862, and served on the practice ship John Adams for one year. After that he was a lieutenant on the ironclad Patapsco with the South Atlantic blockading squadron. He escaped luckily from that ship when she was destroyed in Charleston harbor on Jan. 15, 1865. After the war Captain Sampson served on the flagship Colorado and became lieutenant-commander in 1866. For three years, until 1871, he was stationed at the naval academy. He was then assigned to the Congress, served a year on that ship at the European station and got his commission as commander on Aug. 9, 1874. He was placed in command of the third-rater Alert, on which he served until 1875. Since then he has commanded the Swatara, has served at the academy, at the observatory, at the torpedo station and in other posts. In 1898 he was made rear-admiral for his services during the Spanish-American war.