Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-10
HAULED DOWN HIS FLAG
Admiral Meade Gives Up His Flagship,
the New York.
Interesting Ceremonies Attending His
Wlthdrnwnl-His Differences With
the Admin list ration.

Rear Admiral Meade hauled down his flag
On the New York, flagship of the North At
1antic station. yesterday afternoon at New
York. The call to quarters sounded at 12:45
o'clock. and the men were marched aft to
the quarter deck. The officers '1ined up
the opposite side. When the admiral
came on deck the regulation salute of two
aourishes of the bugle and two ruff1es of
the drums was followed by a march. The
executive officer was then directed to pub
lish the general order in which the admiral
expressed his regrets at leaving the ship
ard thanked his personal and general staff
and the officers and men of the flagship for
the way in which they had one and all sup
ported him. The saluting battery of the
navy yard fired thirteen guns, at the last of
which the admirars flag came down.
The officers assembled in the ward room,
where Capt. Evans made short address,
and every officer drank to the admiral
health.
The admiral was much affected. and his
reply was full OF feeling. He spoke of his
love for the service in which he had spent
forty-six years as an officer, and said that
II was indeed, severe wrench to give 1t
up He highly complimented the officers
and crew of the New York. and wished
them a pleasant voyage to Kiel. He then
returned to his cabin, and a few minutes
later left the ship.
The Admiral and the Administ ra ton.
Admiral Meade was seen last night, and
asked by q New York Tribune reporter
about his retirement from the navy. He
was pacing up and down the corridor of
the Park Avenue Hotel if on the quar-
ter-deck, and from his face one would have
judged that he was ir an excellent humor.
When reference was made to the hauling
down of his flag on the New York, and the
Incidental salute. Rear Admiral Meade said
ir reply to the question:
The hauling down of my flag means
simply that have been detached from the
North Atlantic squadron. The salute Is
aaval etiquette. | am detached from my
squadron through my own request"
When he was asked by he had asked to
be retired he said. bitterly: My ideas are
not in accordance with those of this adj
ministration. l am just as much Disguised
with 1T as the people at large in this coun-
try are. ard I preferred to quit rather than
continue my connection with it,"
What were the causes in detal?" was
asked In reply he said:
u am an American and a Union man..
Those are two things that this administra-
ton cannot stand"
TIE causes must have been severe that
led you to ask 10 be retired" was sug-
gested Admiral Meade said:
II am young man yet. I have five years
before me that might serve before retire
ment. In two years I would be the rank
Ing officer of the navy. That is a pretty
desirable position. isn't it? WE'LL I pre-
ferrsd to resign and sever all connection
with the navy; r@nounce all right of sue
continue IN charge with all that l had to
contend against. That ought to give you
some inklng of the gravity of the causes"
The Kcrshner Case.
Had the affair of Medical Inspector
Kershner. the teet surgeon, anything to do
with your retirement" was asked, and in
reply the admiral said:
That was only petty case. The re-
ports that have been given of that are
ul3illy I xvi Toll bnu oil
happened. The fleet was lying there in the
West Indies when little Nova Scotia
bark slipped in. She was lying a long way
from snore, and flying a signal calling for
medical assistance. 1t would have been a
great deal of trouble for her to send ashore
for a surgeon, and as it was a case of hu-
manity l ordered surgeon to go to her.
That was strictly within the province of
even the captain. When the order was
given kershner did not refuse to so out
right, but demurred. He said that 1t might
be fever, and he must protect the men on
his own vessel. II he had refused to go
outright It would have been an act against
discipline. and he would have been placed
under arrest. When Capt. Evans told me
of his objection | at once ordered him TO
go, or seEd a subordinate. A subordnat lie
went ard attended to the case. I took note
of the occurrence, and forwarded the pa
pers to Washir gton, indors.ng them with
the facts In the case, wherein the feet sur
geon had manifested timidty and a lack of
obedience.
The present court-martial all grew out
of article published in the Tribune.
That article was a clear violation of the
naval regulations. Some one had gwen out
the Information, and it my duty to
find where the leak was. l put every Off
Ger. from myself down, on oath. Each
man solemnly swore that he had nothing
to do with disseminating the information.
A marked copy of the Tribune is in the
Office of the Secretary of the Navy with
enough information concerning Mr.. kersh-
ner's completely in the publication of the
article to warrant an investigation. and
the present court-martial is the result, and
some perplexing questions Will be asked. -
The AImiraTs Future.
When he was asked what his plans for
the future were, he said:
Il haven't any. AS l said, I am young
II an, and / had good prospects. but 1 be-
l:eved that / could do better for myself
unattached than l could in working for
people who did not appreciate It, 1 will
soon be a private citizen. 1 had one OF
the most touching tributes paid to me by
my men today that l ever received.
hated to leave them. 1 expect to so to
Washington tomorrow and clear UP a little
business. and after that don't know what
/ shall do
at the administration as he said:
81 am a republican and a man who lives
on the ocean is apt to imb.be patriotism
and loyalty. / find these articles at a lis
count with the present regime l want to
be untrammeled when l can think and
speak as l like, and to that end l will dOff
the gold lace and don the habiliments of
citizen. who at least has the preroga-
tive of standing up for his country s