The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-26


and seven days IN the week.
A visit to the navy department at mid
night is rot accomplished without some
df1cuFydihiculty, as the entrances are
baricaded and only those who are armed
with official passes from Chief Engineer
George W. Baird. superintendent OF the
building. are allowed to enter after night
falL With view to attending one OF the
night sessions of the War Board. GUY for
uified with a card of admission sue
ceeded in running the blockade OF door
keepers.
The handsomely finished interior OF the
navy department looks wferd and uncanny
at Midnight The rooms. which in day
light are occupied by we'll dressed. in
teIhgent and generally efficient employees,
are dark and deserted at midnight Only
two electric bulbs gleam through the
darkness Of the long marble tiled corrloor'
The Iootfals Of the watchmen as they
make their frequent rounds OF the build
ing, echo and re-echo in the stiffness OF
the night,
Away up on the fourth floor in the spa
cfous room of me naval library s7ts the
naval War Board The board consists OF
Rear Admiral Mont gomery Sicard. CAP
tain Alfred T. Mahan, Captain A. 5. Bar
ker and Captain A S. Crowninshield
was president of the War Board. but since
his retirement from the naval service, 10
assist IN the command Of his now Famous
regiment of rough riders. Secretary Long
frequently meets with the board.
BY a strange coincidence, three OF the
members of The board are New Yorkers
by birth Rear Admiral Sicard was porn
in New York. and entered the naE IN
1851 as midstipman appointed from rha1
state. His first conspicuous service WAS
rendered with blockading squadron IN
1854 and 1865, at the bombardment OF Fort
Fisher Fort Jackson and st, Philip, which
resulted in the capture Of New Orleans.
Rear Admiral Sfcard is an expert in
heavy ordnance, and it is largely due TO
his efforts and energy that the ordnance
depot was established at the Washington
navy yard. His last command was the
North Atlantic Squadron, previous to
which he had had a long and varied ex-
perience in all parts Of the world.
Throughout the navies Of the world Ad-
mirai STcard is recognized as one of the
ablest ordinances officers of the present
generation.
CAPTAIN Nathan IS also New Yorker by
birth. He saw distinguished service on
the old frigate Congress in 1861. In addi-
ton to cruising all over the world he has
rendered distinguished service as presi-
dent Of the war college and the torpedo
school, He is also an authority on the
subject of sea power and its influence
upon history He has written book on
the subject which has added to his fame
as an authority on naval warfare.
CAPTAIN Crownfnshield, the distin-
g,lished chief of the bureau of navigation
claims New York as his birthplace He
also rendered gallant and meritorious SER
vice with the North Atlantic blockadins
squadron at the battle Of New Orleans.
He participated in the attack on Fort
Fisher. Since the war of the rebellion he
has crufsed with the East India squadron
and the European fleet, and Is also an eX-
pert on ordinance. He commanded the
Kersage, and was also the commanding
officer of the i'll fated Maine until ne was
relieved a short time ago by Captain Slgs-
bee.
Captain Barker, the fourth member OF
the board, is, like Secretary Long a Mas
sachusetts man. He was conspicuous
participant in the bIockading, lombard
ment and capture of New Orleans. He mas
also had a. wide and varied experience
with all the squadrons of the American
navy. Everybody in the navy remembers
his remarkable achievement at the New
port torpedo station in '7S, when ne hreu
shells filled with dynamite from 4-pound
howitzers. using ordinary powder cart
ridges That was. the first time on this
continent that dynamite was successfully
fired in shells with ordinary powder cart
ridges Captain Barker is also well known
in naval history for having run line OF
deep sea soundings around the world while
in command of the Enterprise. The casts
were made at intervals Of one hundred
| miles. CAPTAIN Barker. whose last COM
marld was the battleship Oregon. is soon
to retire from the war board to take COM
mand of the Newark. which IS being lifted
out at the Norfolk navy yard
It will be seen from this brief outline
of the official record of the officers COM
posing the War Board that they are pc
cuiiarly fitted for the grave responsibility
ties resting upon them. All Of them nave
/ seen service and obtained knowledge
which only experience can give in the art
Of conducting a naval war. Their parti-
clpatson in the blockading and lombard
mert of New Orleans. way back in the
sixties, is right in line with the work they
! have in hand in blockading Havana pre-
paratory to bonbardment- 1t IS appar-
! ent that these officers were not selected
! for this important duty without due con-
/ sheraton of their naval skill and personal
experience in the line of duty
| One OF the most exciting and interest
! ing night sessions of the board occurred
a few DAYS ago, when news came that the
/ Cane Verde feet, which had mysterlously
disappeared from Cape Vincent was at
/ the French island of Martinique. The
/ War Board was unconscious OF the pres
/ ence of the Spanish squadron on this side
/ of the Atlantic until Intelligence was
/ conveyed 20 them by a press correspon-
/ dent. The board had adjourned for the
! dav. and the members were at their re-
/ spective homes dreaming OF meeting and
/ conouorlng the Spanish squadron The
news OF the arrival Of the Spanish feet
was first conveyed to the president Il
/ took but few minutes % convey the in
! formation 20 Secretary Long, and no time
was lost in assembling the var board
for q midnight session
There were plenty OF life and activity
in the navy department that night. and
bright Kghts. cleaned from me windows
Of the secre-ary's Office and the rooms
/ occupied BY the bureau OF navigation N
! I'll the sun came UP from tne east and
aoo.,e5 TIA corridors with natural light.