Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-28

to which he is attached. OF course he is q good
sailor always-has at least an average amount
of wel-grounded information as to seamanship
and navigation-but we don't try to stuff him
so full of all subjects that he shall know more
about them than anybody else on board ALI
around officers are very desirable things to
have but there cannot be many Of them and
they cannot be made by any course Of compul-
sorry education that was ever planned"
SOMETHING ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL FIGURES.
A good many people are interested in the
very fine specimens of naval architecture which
Great Britain has contributed to the celebra-
ton now going on in New York harbor. and II
the ships are interesting surely the men who
most closely surround their commander-ln-
chief are none the less The central Inquire
on all occasions of course. is the commandment
chief himself-a tall, well-built. gray-headed
and gray-bearded salt Sir John Ommanney
Hopkins, X. c. B.. is a vice admiral, and II the
popular vote of those who met him and enjoyed
his society at Old Point Comfort could give 1t
to him he would instantly obtain tine highest
possible rank in the British navy. He is the
son of the Rev. W. T. Hopkins of Oxford and
was born in 1884. His wife The has been mar
ried twice. is daughter OF Admiral Sir
Sidney Colpoys Dacres. G.. G. Il. He served in
the Black sea in 1884 and 90; was
before Sebastopol in the Crimea; was secretary
TO the first lord of the admiralty from 1881 to
1888: was aid -de-camp to the queen from 1881
to 1895: director Of naval ordnance from 1888
to 1886; administrative superintendent of Ports
mouth dock yard during the queens jubilee
and until 1888; became a naval lord of the ad-
miralty and controller of the navy in 1899. and
so continued until 1891. Last year he became
commander-in-chief of the North American
squadron and the West Indian station. His
home in London, in Warwick square, and
people who write letters to him in that city
generally address them to the United Service
Club. of which he is a prominent and active
member.
His chief of staff is Capt ". Des v. Hamil-
ton. He is flag captain and is a bright. clever,
refined officer; nervous as to temperament, but
a thorough seaman. fit in every respect to bear
the burden of responsibility.
Lieut. III. j. Sandman, who is the flag lieu
tenant, strikes the average American observer
as being very young for such a position as he
holds. His duties arduous. but he
brings to their performance an enthusiasm that
seems TO be limitless and he has a full share Of
that courtesy which is common on the
Blake. from the figure head to the stern walk.
The admirals secretary is W. III. Rowe, who
is typical and highly pleasing Englishman of
medium height and cleanly even to primness in
his appearance which. by the way, the Amer
lean Anglo,naniac can never hope TO counter
felt.
Commander C. II. Bayly is fine specimen of
manly beauty. TALL erect. his face decorated
with close-cropped dark-brown mustache and
beard. he looks just like the boy ideal of ships
his hands and he attends to it admirably.
Ashore he is crack rider and at all times he Is
athlete.
Among the extremely interesting features of
the English ships are the bells, used to mark
the time of day. They are just plain bells,
made Of the commonest kind of bell metal. and
constructed without regard for those melodi-
Gus results which the bell founders of today
hay To ,,roJuca is axtrapnplv to
that the history of these bells cannot be traced,
for il is their history which makes them inter-
esting. No ships captain knows whence came
the bell that belongs to his vessel 1t NAV
have been with Nelson the Victory. with
Blake when he swept Van Tromp from the
face of the sea. and the chances rarely are
favorable to its having been on at least one of
those wooden walls of England. of which every
Britain who reads history is proud. and over
which foated ''the flag that braved
thousand years the battle and the breeze"
But otherwise than in the matter OF
age there is considerable difference between the
English bell and the American bell. II really
enjoy hearing your ships bells. said Sir John
Hopkins the other evening, as the air bo:e to
him from the white squadron the meiodious
sounds when six bells striking; they sound
like church bells and are SO different from the
harsh-toned instruments with which our ships
equipped. OF course, we value our bells
for their age. and would probably value them
much more highly did we know the history OF
their associations but for all that / cannot
help saying that l wish our bells sounded as
sweetly as yours do G. H. III.