The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-18
ArTOCRAT OF THE NAVY.
.,opE OF ACTING ADMIRAL WAL
N01 KER'S VICTIMS.

commander FLlebrown to HIS Grave.
Gallant Onicer Who Was De-
graded
From, the Net0 York Times
,-.sg1vGroN, Sept 15.-The arrange
- some of the vessels in the North
,.,antic whether or not it is intended to
,,..orrape the indignation provoked by
Ur,ILors treatment of Gherardi, does not
..aor 10 have that immediate result. The
'TI,r,rersv has got beyond the point when
90 easily checked. The encourage
" If disrespect by subordinate toward
,,rerior seems to be a hazar dous expert
.a,t now that the controversy has gained
much headway, aud reasons are asked
y the nersons who engage in the contro-
ysrsy.
There appears to be a great desire to in
,;,, that the navy department shall make
r,owo 10 the public all 1t knows OF the
..rsa of the recent outbreaks. II Admiral
Cbsrerdi made his complaints to the de-
.o-rment in such indefinite language as to
make pp''eit impossible for Secretary Tracy to
rome an inquiry upon them that might
arovoke regret among the friends of Ad-
pp,;rol Gherardi, but while it might lead to
.to conclusion that he had not met a trouble
ss hodly as he ought 10 have done, IL would
not excuse Walkers impudence or restore
The shirt of subordination that SO bad an
example has impired.
There is still great deal of talk among
naval officers about Walkers arrogance and
narciless treatment of old officers whom he
tried to force into retirement when he was
"a. A -,I
officer of much experience and high stand
ing who is out of the reach of Walkers
ENABLED hand" talked to-day with free
dom. giving additional instances of his
tyranny and lack of feeling. He said:
"The Times correspondent at Annapolis
might have carried the developments of the
administration of the navy department
under the chief of the bureau of navigation
very much further if he had chosen to do 50.
Not one in the navy can forget the untlmely
death of Commander I. S. Fillebrown while
in command of the Brooklyn navy yard,
where he was fairly bounded to his grave.
This officer was known throughout the serv-
ice as one OF the most gentle and amlable of
men, possessing a fair and honorable record
Of service. Impossible and contradictory
geographic orders overwhelmed him with
confusion, and his nerve gave way under
the continued but perplexing strain. Or
dared to send tugboat with some officers
away from the yard upon some trifiing
service, he replied that he had no officers to
send, and when he asked the department to
send them the reply was:
"'lf you have no officers to send, go
yourself
THE nervous system of the harassed Off
Ger gave way. Palpitation of the heart
set III and he died, wronged and injured
man. Another vacancy could be scored to
which the bureau chief could mount.
No man in the navy was so respected
and eudearet to the service as Rear Admit
raj Earl English. His career in the service
had been an uninterrupted one for over
forty years in peace and war He was
wounded in the war in China and to this
day carries with him q crippled leg, caused
by shot from the bogus fort at the mouth
Of tie Canton river. He saw distinguished
service during the civil war, and at one
time had about twenty vessels under his
command. He had held the Office of chief
Of bureau of equipment and re-
Tuitng for eight years, when he
deemed it his duty TO 60 to sea.
"He was ordered TO command the Euro
pean station, and had barely assumed COM
mand when telegraphic orders were sent to
him to proceed TO the north coast of Africa,
theuce to the Congo, on the west coast, and
him from the command Of his squadron in
Europe, and placing him in the attitude of
commander of single ship, and all this
without word Of explanation. Subsequent
information told that an anonymous letter
had been received at the bureau of naviga-
ton from Europe 10 the effect that the ac-
compiisbed wife of the admiral was enter>
tanning foreign officials in Nice, or, as ex-
pressed, holding high carnival aud that
certain young officers of the squadron at
these receptions had spoken not TOO fatter~
ingly of the bureau chief, aud this was al
legged as sufficient reason for the removal of
the admiral from the command. 1t was re-
ported and believed at the time that this
anonymous letter had its origin in the
bureau itself. 1t is sufficient to say that the
contents and statements of that letter were
found to be malciously false.
Failing to force the admiral on the re-
tired list, lie was detached from his flagship
and was ordered on waiting orders, nearly
agar before the time for his retirement
according to law. Every officer in the navy
stood agbast at such an official humiliation
Of one OF the most distinguished officers of
the navy. On his arrival in Washington
he begged and implored the department ID
grant him court of inquiry upon these
transactions. The court was finally prom-
lsed, merely to Quench bis pleadings, but
lie chief Of the bureau OF navigation knew
TOO well that such an inquiry would be one
searching into his own administration, and
tne promise was basely broken. No vacancy,
however, was made in this case, and the
gallant English, dishoaored and degraded,
retired only when the time set by the law
was accomplished
when Acting Rear Admiral Walker,
tnen captain, took the Office OF chief of
bureau OF navigation there was a commo-
uore, his superior III rank, who was pres-
Gen1 OF board of much Importance in the
department. This officer was one of Farra-
CUTS men and greatly esteemed by him. He
mao served during the war with distinction.
unoer Farragut and Lee, and was associated
WIN some OF the finest ploits of the war,
ana MS name to-day is historic in our naval
u Ia ne had been employed at the close
vi Ine war IN Admiral Palmer's SQUADRON
IN the most delicate diplomatic and profess
sIonal services in Mexico, during the evac-
uasion OF that country by the French army,
auo at the critical period of the fall of Max
linliian and the re-establishment Of the re-
puohc. he had received the commenda-
Tons IN public paper bf the Secretary of
= Staue, Mr.. Seward, acf had been sent for
oy the President, incaJiuet meeting. where
n1 e'eiFso the thsiks of the President him
!: "ltnout preponltt ion or advice of any
ti' tuls gehtlelan Il office was abruptly
, SaAou from hlm'hd iven over to band of
cSS;uHs olnceIs the service of the bureau
80. anu netoo, vas relegated to the
Mill s-ordeai lS1, Ind, after years hui
Son' w i1ail n banished to the COM
he 80. VI an y ~ tuln for old seamen, where
han, St daA'i SFSl lie law required him to
tWa 10 lug and pass into retirement.
said Of of3car ported that Capt. Walker
- VI A4SoF hat he had skfCkad tho