The morning times., 1895-11-08
ADMIRAL SHUEELDT DEAD
Bronchitis Carried Off the Dis
tinguished Naval Officer.
He Was Foremost Figure In the
Creation of the New Navy-His
Honorable Career.

Rear Admiral Robert W. Shufeldt died
at his residence at Seventeenth and De
Sales streets in this city yesterday MORN
ing.
bronchitis was the immediate cause OF
death, though the admiral had been in
feeble state OF health for some time.
Last summer lie was thrown while
riding in Virginia and severely hurt. This
shock, with the cnfeeblemcnt resulting
from most severe attack OF the grip
some years since, rendered him nearly all
invalid.
The funeral exercises will be held with
all naval honurs at st. Paufs Episcopal
Church, Twenty-third street, Saturday
morning. at / o'clock. The interment viii
be at Arlington.
Owing to the illness Of the Rev. DR.. Hard
ing, rector of the church, the services VIII
he read by his assistant. A detachment or
eight blue1ackets from the Navy Yard VIII
DE the active pallbearers, while the follow
ing named officials Will be honorary pail
bearers:
Rear Admirals Hughes, Calhoun, Russell,
ana Roe, Prof. Asaph Hall, OF the Naval
Observatory; Commodore Howell, Navy
Yard; Col. Elliott, U. $. A, and Hon.
William ii. Tres,ott
RearAdmirai shufeldt died at his resi-
dence in this city at 1925 O'Clock TINS
morning.
closes a naval and dipluuIatic career oi eA-
ccptional briliancy.
be was born at Red Hook Duchess county,
y. V, February FL, 1922. and entered the
naval service as Il midshipman from his
native State May IL. 1889, making ms
first cruise in the friraie Potomac, beinS
attached succcssive!y 10 the Brazil station,
TO the brig Bainbridge, Ia the home squat
ron as acting master, and 10 the naval
school at Philadelphia, being promoted
to passed midshipman July z, lS4o.
He served as chief officer Of the unltcd
States mail steamers Atlantic ana ueorgld,
1S4S-51, was commissioned as lieuten-
ant in 1864, and resigned from the naval
service thai year.
While out of the navy he was active IN
the organization OF the steam commercial
marine OF New York, experimenting the
building OF and commanding the steamers
Black Warrior and Cahawba.
For year he was engaged in attempting
to open a transit route across the Istllnus
OF Tehuantepec, and Just before the com
neDcemcnt of the civil war he was com
uanding the Quaker City" plying be
tween New York and Havana, when he was
appointed consul general to Cuba by Presl-
dent Lincoln.
At the outbreak OF hostilities he promptly
volunteered for naval duty, was appointed
lieutenant, and ordered to command the
Quaker city that ship having been
turned over TO the United States govern
ment. Secretary Of State Seward had him
ut once returned to Havana to perform
important services, for which he was
deemed especially qualified, and which, 1t
is believed, prevented much aid TO the Con-
federacy from the Spanish colonies.
At the end OF TWO years, having, under
very trying circumstances, fulfilled the
mission intrusted TO him, lie resigned the
-t..g
mission as commander, which had pre-
viously been rendered him by President
Lincoln.
In 1859, while .still consul general.
President Lincoln and Secretary Seward
intrusted him with a delicate diplomatic
mission o the president OF N exico. AT this
time the French troops were in possession of
Vera Cruz, and the duty was accomplished
after most hazardou circumstances.
In 1868 he commanded the ConenIaugh.
South Atlantic Squadron. He participated
In the capture of Fort NJ orris, and in the at
tacks on Fort Wagner; commanded The Pro
teus, East Gulf Squadron, 1S6i-65, and
was senior naval officer in the attack on
Saint Marks, Florida.
In S65 and 1866 he commanded the
flagship Hartford. and from S66 to s6S
the Massachusetts on the Asiatic station.
After the naval rendezvous in New York, in
which he participated, he received his com
mission as captain December 81, 1868. and
wasplaced IN command ofthe Miantonomoh,
and had charged of the Tehauntepec and Mica
ragua surveying expedition in 1S71-T2.
Subsequently he was urgently requested
by the Chinese Emperor, through Ii Hung
Chang, to take command of the Chinese
navy and coast defenses, and was made
honorary adviser TO the empire.
He declined these hOnors, with their at
tractive emoluments, preferring to remain
in the United States service, but upon his
advice Ii Hung Chang fortified Port Ar
thur 5 the chief strategic point OF the coast
line. on his return home he was made
president of the Naval Advisory Board.
which designed the first steel cruiser and
mapped out the new Navy.
Recently his health has rapidly failed,
and, although possessed of gigantic ply
sique. 1t has been known for some time that
he could not survive another winter. To
the last his mind has been unimpaired, and
he has been busy with his memoirs.
He leaves an adopted daughter and two
sons, George. for the past fifteen years the
United States marshal at Shanghai, and
Robert. the ornithologist of the Smithsonian
Institution. His younger brother estab-
lished the great alcoholic distilleries of
Illinois, and another is a clergyman near
Chicago.