The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-24
Copyrighted. ,sA
"\REPARE FOR ACTION:"
81 "Al ready. ssr.''
"sLON DOWN."
Aye, aye. SIR
1MakF II HARD ApORTt"

sHsrf apart Il ls. sir"

.NAkE II HARD ApORT."
Hard apart IL is. sir"
These sharp orders anG ready resp3ns 5
~ia ring out sn each OF Commodore Wat
sas's big fighting ships ~sen the eastern
sagsaron has crossed 1hs Atlantic. and
BarcelSnz. Cadlz. Cariagena, Ferroi. Va
encsa. Cegta or some Spanish seaport IN
Ire Canar.es seems 10 fairy cover before
e.. big guns Of the feet.
Commodore Joaa Crittandsn Watson. No
on tins list Of his rauk. was born IN
yrAakfort. ~. In isiz. and Will De IS
years old on August a. he vas appointed
mldsh.p mau from his native state In is5g.
ard eatered the naval academy az Annap-
oils Md. Oh September ., graduating n
June is.9. lie became master. d grads
now abolished. on Angus, q, Ih1l. u leu
tenant OF July 10. lss-, when he was Jg-
6efed to the Hartford az navigator. 4 .eil-
tenant commander OF July -, 1ssj. com
Gasacer on January g. 1874. a captain On
March g. 1857. ard a commodore on the TN
Of last November. He VIII become rear
sdmirai III tAe natural course OF events on
December ~. 1891
He Is an officer OF long and varied ex-
peFlsnce. ard h4s record marks him as one
OF the a5less men In tine navy. As FarFa-
CUTS Esg lieutenant ne VAS Of great as
sxtaacs 10 the admiral IN the battle OF
Noble bay. Angus; z. 1854 and was twice
wounded. oace by a shell from tae Coated
crate stea ner Warrington. To him and
Richard knowlss. seaman also fell me
honor OF flashing Farragut 70 The m!g2en
rigging on the crosstreeE Of the Hartford.
HIS conduct 9on unqualified praise from
the old admiral.
Lieut. Watson has been brought 70 your
attention In former times" declared Far
Tasut ia his official report. He was On
the poop attending 10 the signals and per-
formed his duty. az might be expected.
thoroughly. lie IL q scion worthy OF tho
noble stock ia springs from. and / con-
mend him 10 your attention"
Commodore Watson was also in the bat
Ties 81 New Orleans Eicksbarx and Port
Hudson Since the war he has had the
ususl routine duty OF naval officer. IA,
sea and on shore. and was for a number
OF years governor OF the Naval home Ia
Phlladep hla. In 1873 he married Miss Eliz-
sbeth Thornton. daughter Of Judge James
Thornton. OF San Francisco One son. john
Edward Watson. Is an ensign on rfsc De-
troit, and Mrs, Watson and six children
reside III Philadelphia.
From lseS Ia iss7 he was attached 10 the
Hsgats Colorado the flagship OF the Euro
psan squadron He was transferred Ia the
FRANKLIN when SHE became the flagship and
later 20 The steam sleop cap2ud & lRua re-
manning IN the mediterranean TIL 1863,
when he Was returned 10 Philadelphia on
eroeia duty for year. After being at
:achsd In t..s Alaska os the Asi9tic squad
ran in ISL he commanded the sforeship
Omaha At Yokohama from 1872 H. ma.
Then he Was etAsiDned OF ardrance duty Ia
New York aad from 1874 70 1875 was az The
Mars island navy yard. He comma ndei
tho Wyoming On toe European station from
1877 10 1880 ard lighthouse inspe t0T
from iss3 20 1Ss6. After tao years on spe.
,iel duty a. san Francisco ard another
term Al the Mare Island yard FOR two years
Do assumed command OF the cruiser san
FRANCHISE In July 1889 Al the expiration
II his CRUISE IN May. 1896. lie was detailed
20 the naval home.
He Is a man " Iron gray aspect, and his
wei linesi weather beaten face is th~ face
az a nilda.s-assa man of the $es. Although
he has ken sense OF humof. be is usually
rather grave N his department, In hattie
he is cool and fearless. ana from the tiTne
the fret gun "a fred he n rs aelt-possessEsi
when delivering hard blows when re-
oeiying them. From The date of The invest
fneni cf santiago re was In command 81
the Havana biockaaiug squadron. "a post
tha; naturally gave him little opportunity
20 become prominent In the public eye.
His middle ramo would almost indicate
hts family stock Ills father vas DR. Ed.
ward Howe Watson. AMI hts mother Sarah
lee Crittcpdcn. n daughter - John Jordan
CriitC0deu a governor ~ Kentucky Wh0
later became attorney general In william
Henry HarrisoDH cabinet
Gen. Tsemas l. Crtfendeu. I = a
who az ne hattie of Buena Vista doiiv~y IA
70 Santa Anna ne memorable respons~
'Cea. Taylor never surTsnders." WAS AZ
uncle o. .he commodore.
HoV. Critts0dsns SECOND wife was 80
widow % Joan Harris Todd. ami the soH
ly her tlrst marriage. Harry !. Todd. wae
the father .: Chapman Z. To6a. Z cafY,.
% the suf sca' Wilmington. shat has ,ions
suah god serN.ce about C4eafucgcs ana ~.
southern @hora Of cuba
Wien the project az attacking Spain.
seaCo>sf c.i!a@ vas 'trst announced ~ th.
navy degsrtme nj. he warshI1s ordered &.
take paf 81 fhe demonstration wer.
named. but aiRcs ;Acn there have been 81
many rameTs ~ changes tHat fAe tNa~
taake-sr CO re feSs is q .Ani@ iolh' III.
following ships ars the our= first on isils
ana0Vnc@i Is composing 31s Hses
I. TIE Newark fsg~hin commando b>
csp' Albert Barkvf ,As@ - tgs board
80 strategy. she ia a protected cruiser 81
te&s teas displacement wtth a heavy mo
isetle1 deck ever aer m1rntaery Isl nau
sieai QhrssealcEy. tie fsssAip s. 'shrre.
suas;st schooner wig lser length Is 81
feet. beam AZ feet Shs carries tye,y.
siN-inch g&pi6 ArvTs, foar ssx-tr..a,!.,S
fsur ihr~s-i>e tss.3evs. I've nfe- p,ttea4r, ..n.
seven machine CUES flrr xf~@R q p taa.ae.
sne's an hauT she has = stea e2s1s r4at..,
a. - 30 railsa
TIE orssea IS ~ cr2-k hstfissbto .,