The times., 1899-10-16
Rear ADMIRAL FARQUHAR
The North Atlantic Squadron S New
Commander Talks.
his Wife md Daughter to Reside
Here and His Younger Son 10 Prac-
tfce Hcdfcfne-ERrIy Seafaring ES-
perfeaceS-0n the Trenton I'm the
Hurricane i'm Apia Bay.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct l5.-The friends
of Rear Admiral Norman Won Heldreich
Farquhar in his native city of Pottsville
have been anxious in some way to show
their admiration for his career. The ad-.
miral has always maintained his relations
with the community in which he was born.
in 1870, and from which. as bright, manly
boy OF fourteen, he went TO the Naval Ac-
ademy in Annapolis.
The assignment of Rear Admiral Far
quhar TO the command OF the North At
Iantic squadron has a far deeper signif-
csnce than the simple choice Of a successor
to the retiring commander The squad
ron viii be the most powerful in the class
Of ships ever assembled in one command
under an officer OF the United States Navy
1t viii not only have the New York, the
Indiana, the Massachusetts,. and the Texas
Of the Spanish war, but also the three new
battleships, the Kentucky, the Kearsarge,
and the Alabama. which viii take their
maiden cruises under his command Many
Of the unarmored vessels having been de-
tached for service in the Philippines, u
viii be essentially feet of battleships,
Navy has ever had.
Admiral Dewey's flagship, the Olympia,
after undergoing necessary repairs at Bos-
ton, viii also join the feet it is said, in
its winter maneuyres to the southwark
House i'm Washington.
The new commander, who raised his
flag on the New York Friday, in con-
versation with correspondent, said. 81
a
with my friends and family in Pottsyille
before going 10 sea, but found it imprac-
ticabie. / have taken house in Washing
ton, where Mrs. Farquhar and my daughter
viii live My younger son, Raymond, has
graduated in medicine and viii practice in
Washington.
1T viii probably be several weeks be-
fore the feet viii be ready to sail from
Hampton Roads There win be about
half dozen battleships and naturally
large proportion OF new men. The officers
as a rule are veterans OF the war, but
number Of junior officers have had little or
no experience in the mechanism OF modern
battleships Besides. the Kentucky. the
Kearsarge, and the Alabama are of the
latest types, with many improvements.
Tactical knowledge familiarity with
every part of these complicated machines
OF war. combining steam and electricity
for power and new mechanical appliances
for the handling OF guns. is a matter of
constant and patient practice. Another
element in fact the most important one in
the late war. was the splendid gunnery.
The praise of the men behind the guns
who did the real work al Manila and San
tiago has gone the rounds of the maritime
nations. OF course. handling the feet as
a whole and the ships units TO adyan-
tage in a sea fight is the first requisite,
but unless the men behind the guns make
their shots count, good seamanship is of
little value.
we are told by the Spanish officers at
Manila and Santiago in their official re-
ports that the American fire was delivered
with such terrific accuracy that il was i'm
possible TO live under it Both officers and
men became panic stricken. many of them
jumping overheard and making for the
shore. That has always been the strong
Doint with our Navy, and has given US the
advantage over even the superiority of
ships and metal OF our adversary in sea
engagements in former days
Value of Modern Warships.
The actual test Of the value of the mod
ern types OF ships Of war in action was
made in our war with Spain. The battle
of the Yalu was hardly satisfactory, as the
opposing officers and seamen had not had
hong training in the Western methods Of
sea fighting. The Spanish for several Gen.
turies had been noted fighters on the water,
and we Americans had our experience, too,
with England in 1872.
We revolutieniZed naval architecture,
materials, and methods In 1861. in the en-
gagement Of the Monitor and the Merrimac,
and gave some object lessons to the world
in lighting the great floating machines in
1855. The American Navy has always held
a foremost place among the maritime ma
tions We added TO our prestige in the late
war. IL is now our duty 10 even increase,
IL possible, the efficiency OF our Navy. The
winter practice viii therefore have that
end in view. The rendezvous of the feet
VIII be al Key West and the maneuyring
will be In the waters near by"
In referring TO some Of his earlier sea-
faring experiences, Admiral Farquhar men
toned the cruising days of the African
coast looking for the slave ships. In 1860,
as ensign. with ten seamen, he brought a
captured shaver from the African coast 10
the United States for condemnation. In
the Civil War, as lieutenant, he command
ed the steam gunboat Mahaska- OF the
North Atlantic blockading squadron, CO.
operating with General McClellan's army.
In ISe3-64 he cruised in the West Indies
in search OF the Confederate cruiser Ala
bama. While in command of the Santiago
de Cuba he took part in the attack on Fort
Fisher. he assisted in landing the infan-
try, and took part in both attacks on Fort
Fisher. In the attack OF January Is, 1865,
he led the seamen of his vessel in the as
saut After a term Of service at the
Naval Academy, he was assigned to the
command OF the steamer Kansas, engaged
in the Tehuantepec survey.
The Samoan Hurricane.
His most famous exploit was the hand
ling of his flagship. the Trenton, in the
hurricane which swept over the harbor OF
Apia, Samoa, Oh March Is and 16. 1889
The big ship with $50 men, he handled q
whole day without steam or rucder, saw
ing not only ali OF his own crew, but $50
men from the tops and rigging OF the Van
dalia which was wrecked on the reefs, as
was the Trenton later. OF the GermaE
war vessels in the harbor, the Eber sank
out OF sight, the Adler lay on a reef, and
the Olga was driven on the beach.
AS the British ship Calliope, which had
steam up. passed out TO sea, the Trenton's
band was ordered on deck and played the
American and British national airs. In the
storm Captain Farquhar ordered his crew
into the rnizzen rigging, where the united
bodies acted as sail, and swung the ship
head 10 the wind,
AS an all around seaman as well as a
commander. Rear Admiral Farquhar has
no superior IN the Navy. II was this fact
which had great weight IN his selection TO
command the squadron of battleships and
drill the officers and men TO handle them
efficiently
There 10 an intensely interesting romance
connected with the career of the maternal