The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-26

WASHINGTON. March S-wAsr "a
val o-rce- has spent ferry years o. nss AZ
tive life ye2rntnx and signing for tss no
meat that = 20 make him a rear admiral
ae ge's 10 feel quite chipPs- as the time
Tor promotion comes around Numbers
and rank arr so arranged in the navy tia,
frequently the uniacky Officer Is retired be-
cause OF age before ne reaches the desired
goal To be retired as a rear admiral
means moro IL the matter OF pension. not
70 speak Of tire honor. than il does 10 be
dropped from the active list as a commo-
ooTe or sven IS a captain.
That = the reason why naval men ALI
over ne United States are now counting
the hours and minutes between row and
April 5 Rear Admiral John @. Walker.
on March - reached the age limit sixty
TWO years. On April Rear Admiral Fran
els Munroe Ramsay viii likewise bs
placed on the retired list.
Their going cut % service will leave two
exceptionally fine nsiiets 20 be filed, ana
there + much speculation IN ire ward
rooms Of the various ships as 20 who will
get the assignments. Rear Admiral Walk
er has been the president Of the lighthouse
board, and also chairman Of the commit
ties appointed some time ago 20 invests-
gate and report upon the respective merits
Ct the harbors OF Santa Monica and San
Pedro. California. Rear Admiral Ramsay
Is the chief OF the bureau OF navigation.
which Is about the same as being the ad-
jutant general OF the service. To be at
the head Of the bureau OF navigation
means more in the matter OF guiding the
hand OF the secretary Of the navy than the
average layman can imagine.
Up 70 the present time there are half
dozen wcil-knogn officers spoken OF as
being anxious TO succeed Rear Admiral
Ramsay One only can secure the prize.
and there Is in consequence any amount Of
guessing going on among the various Of
ncsrs as 10 the disposition Of the plum
Chief among the aspirants for the place
are: Capt Robley D Evans. Fighting
Bob" his two seniors in rank. Capt Hem
~ Lycurgus Howison and Capt. Albert
kautz: Capt Henry Clay Taylor and
Commodore Joseph y. NJ DER.
OF these IL would seem that the last
named has the best chance OF getting the
Place. In the first place. the retirement
of Rear Admiral Walker has promoted
Commodore Miller, but in addition 10 this
he Is said 10 be a personal friend OF the
new secretary of the navy. and besides 10
an Ohio man. Although Commodore NIL
Ter Is said not 10 have expressed himself
one way or another in the matter, several
OF his more intimate friends in the service
state rather positively that he does not
want the billet Of chief OF the nav
igation at all; that his sole desire is 10
Of the North Atlantic squadron, when
Rear Admiral Bunce'S tour OF sea duty
expires IN June. Should this be 50. the
chances OF Fighting Bob" getting the
place are unusually good.
So far as rank Is con cernei In the selec-
ton. Rear Admiral George Brown is enu-
tied TO the place. but Il is known that he
is perfectly satisfied with his command OF
the Norfolk. Va. navy yard. Then again,
his appoint ent Is improbable because OF
the short period that he has 10 serve, his
retirement being fixed for July.
With Commodore Miller out OF the Ques-
ton and Capt Evans not selected IL IS
thought that Capt. Howison viii De cho-
sen. The retirement Of rear Admiral
Walker puts Capt. Howison in the grade
OF commodore, and this rank is more de-
sirabie for the berth than that OF captain.
Rear Admiral Lester A. Beardslee. OF
the Pacific station. viii in all probability
succeed Rear Admiral Walker at the
head OF the lighthouse board
Commodores Robert l. Phythian and
Rush r. Wallace are 10 retire on July Il
and November !, respectively. They must
go out OF service as commodores only.
In past years officers have been made
rear admirals through the kindness and
unselhshness OF brother officers Of that
rank dropping out before their time. Ad-
rnlral Erben left the service before his
time expired 10 make Commodore Fyffe
rear admiral. and Rear Admiral Andrew
Z. " Benham did the same thing In be-
half OF Commodore Ramsay. The retire
rnent of the latter and Rear Admirals
Walker and Brown will advance Commo-
dores Joseph y. Miller. Montgomery s.
card and Edmund o. Matthews grade,
leaving Commodore Charles :. Norton the
senior OF his grade The triple retirement
will also make AdmiraIs William A Kirk
land Lester A Beardslee and Thomas q.
Se1ridge the senior officers. all OF whom
are juniors 70 Phythian and Wallace in
age IL is not likely that any two OF these
rear adnirais will voluntarily retire 10
promote Phythian and Wallace
4. :. Army Changes.
WASHINGTON. March 25.-Cspt. James
~. Allison. commissary OF subsistence. now
stationed al New Orleans, has been order
ed 10 Vancouver barracks. Wash. 10 re-
ueve Lieut.. Col William II. Mash, assist
ant conn1issary general Of subsistence, and
also purchasing commiSsary al that post.
Lieut.. Col Nash viii be hereafter station
ed at ST. Louis
Corpora Patrick Derwin. Company G.
Fourth infantry. and Private Jacob Kost.
Company A. sixteenth infantry, at Boise
barracks. Idaho. have been ordered placed
rnor, the retired list. Artificer Hokon Han
sau. Company =. Sixteenth infantry. Fort
spokane having served the term OF his
enlistment, win be discharged.