The New York herald., 1876-11-11
OBITUARY.
ALFRED @. GRAY.


-frcd G. Gray, the ranking officer OF ihe Pacific
Nail Steamship Company's feet, died NJ his residence,
No. 3ss Pacific street, between Bond and Nevins
sets Brooklyn, AT six O'Clock A. NJ yesterday, alter
about Two months or Illness Commodore Gray was
born in July 1878, at Norfolk, Va where his father
held Tor many years the position OF British Consul
he became sailor when seventeen years old, was
saptain at twenty seven and has been in almost unn-
terrupted active service commander since ls4a AT
twenty five he was a lieutenant IN The independent
Texan navy, and May l6, lS43, was commanding
ofhcer OF the Texan soop-oi-war Austin when that
vessel, with the Wharton of Campeachy, engaged the
Mexican war steamers Moniezuma. kesenerador,
Guadaloupe and four sailing craft The sailing craft
did no lighting, but the steamers did or seven hours
when they retired into, shallow waters, WINNER the
Texans. for lear OF grounding. did not follow, aud
whence the Admiral did not out again. The
total killed aud wounded were twenty-five, nve nav
ing been killed or died of wounds The Austin was
struck eleven tmes-once by part OF shell, by
athirty-two pounder once by iorty-two ana eight
times by a sixty-eight pound SOLID SHOT Lieutenant
Gray, In his report OF this action, said that II tho
Guadaloupe or the Monezuma had been properly
managed commanded By brave men either OF them
ought 10 have sunk the Austin and the wharton IN
hai the time occupied by tho engagement About
The beginning OF ls4i Lieutenant Gray came to Sew
YORK, where he remained for short time, and then
went to ST. John n. b., where he obtained command
OF sailing vessel which traded 10 Europe. He made
several voyages in different ships out OF that port
HIS experience in sailing ships-sixteen years long
ended in 1851 after he ha mong other things crossed
the Equator sixteen times, on meridians ranging
between degrees and 135 degrees east Of Green
wch lie made several voyages between New Orleans
md AsDnwall as first mate oil the steamship Philade
phia, which the first steamer in which he had
berth. In few months he was (ls53 gwen his first
raptancy OF steamship, the Falcon, OF the same
hne. Later he became captain ofthe FL Dorado, on tho
Bame route, and subsequently OF many others Under
him the steamers made voyages to Aspnwal, Havana,
New Oreaus and ono Of them to Europe On April
I, 1861, Captain Gray was employed by the United
States government TO command the Atlantic as char
tered steamer. In September following he was trans
ferrcd the army transport Mcclellan, wherein he
made twenty three cruises and served three years.
During this service he thanked for his skill and
zeal by several OF the principal generals CON-
manjing the Northern armies In tho South.
Tho Pacific Mail steamship Company built
steamship Henry Chauncey in 1865, and Gray was
appointed to command her In 1858 he was given the
command OF the Alaska, then new, and which made
several voyages TO Aspnwall before going TO the
Pacific Ocean, Since September, 1876 he has not been
o his house He preferred to SAL out OF this port
because his family has always been settled here and
consequently he declined 10 command any oil the
Pacific Nail vessels built since tho Chauncey every one
OF which going to tho Pacihc has been offered him.
Ho has sailed from New York for Aspinwal l20 times
and never lost injured OF his ships and never
lost life n dollars worth OF the hundreds OF mill
ions Of treasure no transported He was always ex-
tremcly popular with his passengers but not moro
favorte with them than with the underwriters and
owners, by whom he was always spoken OF as "lucky"
Commodore G ray was nearly six ieet.in height, some-
what corpulent, and had tho expression OF genial
keen and energetic man.