The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-25
Admiral to Have Charge
Of Mosquito Fleet.
SERVED In THE CIVIL WAR
Entered the Navy In the Early Days
OF Annapolis Academy.
NEED OF SMOKELESS POWDER.

Is known by the public or today about
Rear Admiral Henry Erben, commander
of the coast patrol, or mosquito fleet,
probably than almost any other officer In
the United States navy who has been so
long a conspicuous member of the service.
Yet he should be well known, for his long
career has been highly creditable both to
him and his country.
Admiral Erben Is now some years past
the retiring age and had there been no
war with Spain would have seen no more
active service. Hc is New Yorker by
birth and entered the navy as midship-
man in 1S4S, only three years after the
founding of tho Annapolis academy, when
it was hardly more than started, in fact.
In 1865 he was made q passed misship-
man, received the title of master the samo
year and twelvemonth later was nd
vanced to the rank of lieutenant. When
the civil war had been raging about a
year, i'm 1862, he was promoted lieutenant
commander, and he served all through
that great contest with efficient faithful
ness. At Vicksburg his work as COM
mander of the Sumter called out special
commendation, but he did not get his cap
tain's commission until 1879. He was
made commodore in 1892 and rear admiral
not long before he formally retired. He
was commandant of the Brooklyn navy
yard for several years.
Admiral Erben has witnessed the entire
change OF the navy from sail TO steam
power In 1850, two years before the
breaking out of the civil war, he was a
member of the United States expedition
to China, and his experiences include be-
ing afloat in water logged sailing vessel
20 days, much of the time short of food
and water. He commanded the Chicago
in 1894 when the "white squadron"
nucleus of our present navy, made its
famous cruise I'm European waters and
received special honors in London.
Personally Admiral Erben is a truly
typical sea dog His bluff and hearty
features are adorned with bristling mus
tache and flowing burnsidcs, bleachcd to
the whiteness of snow, and his thought
dome Is bare, but he still stands erect and
his eyes still sparkle, especially when he
thinks no has occasion to be indignant
His patience has been sorely tried by what
he has considered undue delay In giving
him facilities to protect the mine fields In
the harbor of New York, and he has been
indefatigablc in his efforts to secure the
proper appropriation from congress, being
persistent I'm and out of season in his
attendance on that body. 1t was Erben
who made use Of the classic remark few
days ago that some of the pilotboats or
other craft which have been somewhat
needless of the mines would probably have
to be 'blown to hell before their COM
manders would learn that Uncle Sam
meant just what he said when he warned
them off.
In private life Erben is one of tho most
charming of men, and he numbers many
devoted friends both here and in Washing
ton. As commander of the mosquito fleet
he makes his headquarters at the Army
and Navy building In this town.
smokeIess Powder.
The somewhat tardy action of the gov
ernment in preparing TO make its own
smokelcss powder IL hailed by some New
Workers as ono of the surest signs that
rather moro practical ideas are to rule In
tho future with regard to our artillery
than in tho past Those who are In the
know will not speak with any deflniteness
of the causes which have kept this coun-
try behind every other civilized nation
with regard to this matter, but 1t is well
understood hero that the reasons have been
discrcditable to some one.
It Is n fact that Americans have for
years been able to manufacture as good
an article of smokeless powder as any one
In the world and that all sorts Of efforts
wero made as long ago as 1894 to in
troduce the American product. 1t was as
long ago as 1895, If 1 mistake not, that
most exhaustive tests were made with this
powder, the results being excellent as re-
CARDS initial velocity attained, action Of
the powder upon the pieces and dogree of
smokelessncss For some reason, however,
tho plan to introduce IL never got beyond
tho testing stage, although the hackers of
tho process had we'll organized plant
which could hayc been expanded without
limit virtually in very few months.
1t was in 1895, too, that a considerable
consignment of American smokcless pow
der was sent to Paris ON the special order
OF the French government, aftcrward be-
ing tested most satisfactorily in tho French
guns
1t was one OF the hearsays of that year
that In some particulars our product was
superior TO the best French smokcless
powder and that arrangements were made
with tho Yankee inventor whereby certain
OF his methods of manufacture were nc
quircd by tho French. Concerning this
speak only from rumor, however, since
when asked the holders OF the invention
about it they declined to give any informa-
ton.
Gambling In New York.
The town Is still somewhat stirred up
over the police situation, ard in spite OF
the absorbing interest in tho Spanish war
tho papers are daily publishing n good
deal about 1t. UndoSsscdly the officials of
tho Society For the Prevention OF Crime,
known better rs the Parkhurst society,