The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-01-24
A FATAL PROFESSION
The Great Number of BreakdaWns Among
Engineers of The Navy is Appalling.
COLlAPSEs DUE TO TOO MUCH WORK
The Number OF RetircmeutS Four
Times Greater. From Ibis Cnuse
Than Age the Cruiser Detroit
VIII Have Go Face the Bubonic
Plague.

Ahnn Age e-Ghc Cruiser Detroit
viii Have 90 Fnee tic Bubouic
Plague.
Washington, Jan. 23.-Chief Engineer
q. Il. Tower, U. S. N, who was before
the naval retiring board at the Washing
ton navy yard this week, has been re-
commended for retirement. NJ. To wer's
last duty was as chief engineer OF the
battleship Indiana but he rema ned
there only short line. as he and one OF
MS assistants broke down during the
manoeuvros of the North Atlantic
sluadron last August, and he has been
under treatment in one OF the naval hos
pitals ever Since. The assistant was re-
Tired some mon. his ago. but II was
thought that Mr.. Tower would ultimate
iy recover, and lie was kept in the hosp
tai HIS recovery has been so slow, how
ever. that the hospital author. ties came
10 the conclusion tha, i; would be better
for him to be ordered before a retiring
board.
Mr.. Tower IS an officer of long SER
vice, having served during the entire
period OF the civil war. and has always
nau important duty on shore ami atloat.
The navy register, just issued shows
tnat as many as twelve engineer officers
were retired during The pas. year, and
only four of them retired on account of
age. That the conditions cxising in the
navy are such that n greater strain is
thrown OH the engineer than on any
her officer is shown by the fact that of
all officers retired for causes other than
age. the eng neer corps had Az per cent.
OF Its members retired, the medical corps
2t2 per cent. the line ~: per cent. and the
pay corps | per cent So that /: NAV
be broadly ated that the per centage of
engineer officers retired for causes other
than age Is twice as great IS the average
N three other sea-going corps of the
navy for the same causes.
NAVAL. NOTES.
The flagship Olympia, of the Asiat:c
station. left Nagusal1i to-day for Hong
Kong. and the Yorktown left The same
port for Shanghai.
The Marion has arrived at Acapulco
Mex: the Maine At Fort Monroe, and
the Mona dnock at San Pedro, Cal.
Lieutenant {. L.. Colahan Will be de-
tached from The Detroit when that vessel
reaches he Mediterranean on her way
nome from China. and be transferred 10
the Cincinnati. Al the same time Lieu
tenant Thomas IL. Stevens. of the Gin
cnnati and Assistant Surgeon c. L.
R!gss, OF the san Francisco, will JOIN
the Detroit and come home.
WILL FACE THE PLAGUE.
The Navy Department, finally admit
ted today that he cruiser Detroit now
on The China station. would leave for
home about February 9th. proceeding To
New York Va the Suez canal. 1t had
been known for some line that .hc shin
was coming home. and II had been rn-
ders TODD that she would cross the Pac IL
direct To San Francisco, the nearest
nome port. as usual with vessels from
the Asatic squadron. Dut that her Off
GERS and men We're q he exposed to the
ravages of the BubonIc plague by the
4
infected East Indian ports, including
those on the Red Sea. where healthy
conditions never exist created aStOnish-
ment IN of!ic al circles. The orders to
the De rot were issued before the en-
tent OF the plague was realized. having
gone forward by mail. and in eyplana-
ton of the fact that the ship is ordered
over $4,000 niles instead OF 4. 500 miles 10
san Francisco, L IS sad that the De-
troll is needed for the Nor Atlantic
fleet. and that the SueZ canal route is
shorter to New York.
TO BLUFF THE SIAaIEsl2.
The Gunboat Machias has arrived at
Hangkok under orders to protect Amer
ic2n interests. having been hurried there
tlom Hong Kong, 2.0G0 miles away. on
receipt of official news a. the State De-
par'ment last week Of an attack by S.
aMese soldiers on United States Deputy
Consul General Kcllctt. Commlndcr
Mckenzie VIII confer With Minister Bar
relt, and If the circums. .anccs warrant,
a sd!u.e TO the American flag will be de-
manded. The announcement OF the Ma
chlaS being ordered To BANGKOK has al
ready had the effect of materially alter
ing the attitude Of the s ameSe govern
nent 10 the United States She is the
irs. American war vessel TO visit Bang
koE Tor seven years. and the effect of her
mission as soon as It's character became
known Is reported to have been exactly
as Secretary Oiney desired This infor-
nation is corroboratcd by the m!nc-
diate effort of Siam to secure n reference
TO arbitration Of the Cheek claim, which
thl. government has hitherto resisted
all efforts to collect. An American
named Cheek entered into partnership
with the S!amese government 10 get out
teak wood. the government advancing
money. on the pretense tha. he Il
not meet MS obligation they seized the
woci as 1t came down the rivers and
sold It.
Subsequently, on Cheeks death they
prevented his executors from selling
some OF the numerous elephants he had
used in the forcs, s, and when the State
Department took the matter up in 1899
Siam resisted the claim of 100000 which
was presented. The recent trouble of
lett was the climax. grew out of ;hc
claim which Secretary Oney has now
determined to press settlement
Isaac Townsend Smith. the s.amcse
Consul General In this country. is nov
in Washington. asking for arbitration
HE DODGED HIS VISITOR.