Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-06-02
RANK IN THE NAVY.

It will be OF considerable help to
remember that military and naval
rank correspond in this way:
Admiral (when The Office is createdl
to general.
Vice admiral when the office is
created) TO lieutenant general.
Rear admiral to major general.
Commodore to brigadier general
Captain to colonel.
Commander to lieutenant colonel.
Lieutenant commander TO major.
Lieutenant, junior grade. to first
lieutenant.
Considering only the two highest
grades now actually held, the number
of officers in each since 1882 has been
six rear admirals and ten commo-
dores. The present rear admirals in
order of seniority are;
William A. Kirkland, commandant
OF the Mare island navy yard. San
Francisco, retires July 8, 1898.
Joseph N. Miller, commanding Pa
ciflc station, retires Nov. %, 1898.
Montgomery Sicard, on duty in the
Office of the Secretary of the Navy,
retires Sept. 80, 1898.
Edmund O. .,4atthews. president of
the naval examining board, retires
Oct. "a, 1898.
Charles S. Norton, commanding
Washington navy yard, retires this
year
Francis NJ. Bruce, commanding
Brooklyn navy yard, retires this
year
officers of the navy may be retired
on their own application after forty
years service, and those above the
rank of lieutenant commander must
retire upon their reaching the age or
62. Those below that rank are re-
tired for physical or mental disability
The pay of retired naval officers is
three-quarters of their sea pay Of the
rank they held at the time Of their
retirement. At sea a rear admiral
receives $4,000 year; on shore duty,
$4,000, and on leave or waiting orders,
$4,000. Commodores are paid $1,000
less in all three lines of employment.
Retired officers of the navy cannot
be assigned TO active duty except In
time OF war and the purpose OF the
Administration so far has been not to
assign retired officers in the army or
navy to field or sea duty but to let
these posts OF danger be held by
those still on the active list. Of
course, such work as the command
of the mosquito fleet along the
coast is expected. This has been
given to Admiral Erben who was re-
tired four or five years ago.
/ Until the second year OF the civil
war the highest naval rank was that
of commodore was given to flag Of
I fcer who commanded a squadron. In
1862 the rank OF rear admiral was
created by congress, and to this grade
were appointed Farragut and three
other active captains, and about a
dozen retired captains. In 1864, fo1
his capture Of Mobile and subsequent
, successes. Farragut was appointed to
the newly created rank OF vice ad-
miral, and later D D. Porter anC
Stephen c. Rowan we're given the
same rank. After the war ended
cons ress went step fur her, anC
made the grade Of admiral, and tc
this grade promoted Farragut anC
Porter. There was a special provi-
sion of the laws Gre atilg admralS
and vice admirals which caused tn,
grades to die with the men holding
them. When Porter and Farragut
vacated their commissions as vice to
accept he higher Office, 1t left
Rowan the ony holder of the sec
oHd place, and upon his death in 1885,
the Office lapsed. Farragut died IL
/ 1870, leaving Porter sole possessor OF
the commission Of full admiral, and
upon his death in 1891 both grades
were vacated until congress shall re-
vive them, perhaps, for the heroes
Of this war.