Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-03
SUICIDE OF REAR ADMIRAL
Retired Naval Omccr with brilliant
Record Kills Himself In Hos
ton SHnitarium.
ROSTON Anrn 2.-Rear AdmIral chnrln

BOSTON April Rear Admiral Charles
c. Carpenter. United States navy retired
committed suicide at sanitarium in one
OF the suburban districts OF this city yes
,erday. The admiral had been in i'll health
for some time.
Admiral Carpenter for the last six weeks
was an inmate Of the Adams Nervine asylum
IN the Jamaica Plains district and at the
earnest request OF his family details have
been withheld from the public. He ehot
himself in the head.
For a number Of years previous to his
retirement Admiral Carpenter suffered Sc
verely from nervous disorders and soon
after being released from service went under
medical treatment.
He had apparently recovered, but six
weeks ago there came a relapse and he was
placed in the asylum. lie seemed to i'm
prove and his family had hope that he
would be himself again.
Charles c. Carpenter was born in Green
field, Mass, February q, 1894. HIS was ap-
pointed a midshipman from this state Oc-
tOber /, 1850, and was attached to the sloop
Portsmouth of the Pacific squadron from
SOL to 1850. He was in the naval academy
from 1855 to 1885, was promoted to passed
midshipman June 20 of the latter year On
leaving the naval academy he served on
the Roanoke, Merrimac Colorado and Dol
phin of the squadron for two years and
while on the Dolphin assisted in the cap
ture Of the slave brig Echo, with 300 slaves
aboard, After being made a lieutenant he
was attached to the steamer Mohawk, which
captured the SLAYER Wildhre off the coast
of Cuba, with 500 slaves on board. After
the breaking out of the war the Mohawk
was placed in the Texas and east Gulf
blockade, but Carpenter was transferred in
1862 to the steamer Flag OF the South At
lantic squadron, and on July 16 of that year
was promoted to lieutenant commander
He next saw service on the Monitor Cat
skill of the South Atlantic blockading fleet
and was on beard during the operations
and attacks upon the defenses of Charles
ton on April Z, July 10 and August II,
1863.
During the latter part Of the war he was
at the naval academy and after the close
went to the Asiatc station with the soop
Hartford, the flagship.
His first command was the steamer Wyo-
ming of the same squadron and after being
on it year he came back to this coun-
try and for two years stationed at the
Portsmouth navy yard, during which time
he was commissioned commander. Sea
duty alternated with duty at Portsmouth
for ten years following. In 1888 he was
commander of the Hartford, which carried
the English and American Eclipse eXpe-
diton of 1883 to the Caroline atoll.
For three years-1SSS TO 1S90-he COM
manded the receiving ship Wabash at the
Charlestown navy yard and In June of the
latter year was transferred to Portsmouth
as captain of the yard and later as COM
mandant He received his commission as
commodore in 1898 and rear admiral a
year later. AS commander of the Asiatic
squadron in 1894 he saw many of the naval
movements, of the Chino. Japanese war.
Under his orders was = $50 The first aa6
only shot by an American man -of-war at
a Chinese ship thereby enforcing demands
of this government and averting the i'm
pending breach of relations between the
United States and China. His action was
commended by our government
Admiral Carpenter retired in 1885,
after forty-six years OF continuous and
honorable service, but during the Spanish
war was recalled from retirement to act
as commandant OF the Portsmouth navy
yard in place of Commodore Remey, who
had hoisted his flag on the receiving ship
Lancaster at Key West.
Admiral Carpenter leaves a widow and
family one son being assistant surgeon.
d. NJ. Carpenter, who was on the Raleigh
during the operations against Manila and
who has been transferred to the Olympia.
Another son is with the Cramp Shipbuild-
ing company and third son lives with
Mrs. Carpenter and her two daughters at
Portsmouth