The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-05-26
OUR new YORK LETTER
REAR ADMIRAL eR6EN, WHO WILL
COMMAND THE MOSQUITO FLEET.
He Served With Credit In the Civil War
and Entered the Navy When the An.
napolis Academy Was In lite Infancy
smokeless Powder-Tammany.

NEW YORK, May 90 - Special LESS
is known by the public Of today about
hear Admiral Henry Erben commander
OF the coast patrol, or mosquito feet,
probably than almost any other officer In
the United States navy who has been so
long 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 Erbcn Is now some years past
the retiring age and had there been no
war with spain would have seen no more
active service. He Is New Yorker by
birth and entered the navy as a midship.
man In 1913, only three years after the
founding of the Annapolis academy when
1t was hardly more than started in fact
In 1900 he was made passed misship.
man, received the title of master the same
year and a twclycmonth later was ad
vanced TO the rank of lieutenant When
the civil war had been raging about q
year, in 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
commentator, but he did not get his cap
made commodore in 1892 and rear admiral
not long before he formally retired He
was commandment of the Brooklyn navy
yard for several years.
Admiral Erben has witnessed the entire
change OF the navy from sail to steam
power In 1859, two years before the
breaking out of the civil war, he was u
member of the United States expedition
to China, and his experiences include be-
ing afloat in a 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 in European waters and
received special honors in London.
Personally Admiral Erben Is truly
typical sea dog. His bluff and hearty
features are adorned with bristling mus
tache and flowing burnsdes bleached 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 he 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
understandable in his efforts to secure the
proper appropriation from congress, being
persistent in 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
mandcrs would learn that Uncle Sam
meant Just what he said when he warned
them off
In private life Erben is one of the most
charming of men, and he numbers many
devoted friends both here and I'm Washing
ton. AS commander of the mosquito fleet
he makes his headquarters Mt the Army
and Navy building in this town.
smokeIess Powder.
The somewhat tardy action of the gov
crnment in preparing to make its own
.-no!.- 'ss powder is hailed by some New
lu.l.Crs - one of the surest signs that
ratho. 90; practical ideas are to rule in
the futl. with regard to our artillery
than in the past. Those who are in the
know will not speak with any deilniteness
of the causes which have kept this coun
try behind every other civilized nation
with regard to this matter, but it is well
understood here that the reasons have been
discreditable to some one.
It is fact that Americans have for
wears been able TO manufacture rs good
an article of smokeless powder as any one
in the world and tnat all sorts of Efforts
were made as long ago as 1894 to in;
troduce the American product. 1t was as
long ago as 1895, If ! 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 degree OF
smokelessness. For some reason, however,
the plan to introduce it never got beyond
the testing stage, although the hackers of
the process had well organized plant
which could have been expanded without
limit virtually in a very few months.
1t was in 1885, too, that considerable
consignment of American smokcless pow
der was sent to Paris on the special order
of the French government. afterward be-
ing tested most satisfactorily in the French
guns.
It was one of the hearsays of that year
that i'm some particulars our product was
superior to the best French smokeless
powder and that arrangements were made
with the Yankee inventor whereby certain
of his methods of manufacture were ac-
ouired by the French Concerning this
speak only from rumor, however, since
when I 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, and I'm spite oil
the absorbing interest in the Spanish wal
the papers are daily publishing a good
deal about it. Undoubtedly the officials OF
the Society For the Prevention of Crime
known better as the Parkhurst society
are watching the moves OF Tammany ~
closely as they would I'm time of peace
As to the freedom from gambling houses
which is said now to be n feature OF New
York, l am informed by a man who II
getting ready to help start an antigam
bling crusade by and by that the revers'
Is true.
1.-The gamblers are not running wide
omen. TO be sure 4" said this man, but
| they are doing business, and they are no.
making great efforts to conceal the fact'
either Only yesterday friend OF mine
assured me that from an upper rear win
| dow of his house he could look down upon
| n faro game i'm the back part OF hous'
fronting on the next street every night
Il. inv nlf