The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-03
SUICIDE OF
REAR ADMIRAL
CARPENTER
Retired Naval Officer Shoots
Himself in the Head at
a Sanitarium.
HAD LONG SUFFERED
Was a Victim of Nervous Disorders
That Caused Him to Go Under
Medical Treatment.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

BOSTON, April Rear Admiral c.
G. Carpenter (retired) committed sui
eide yesterday in a sanitarium in this
city. Admiral Carpenter was called
from the retired list to active duty in
charge of the navy yard at Ports
mouth, n. H, during the war, while
Commodore Remey was on duty at
Key West.
Admiral Carpenter for the last six
weeks was an inmate of the Adams
Asylum, in the Jamaica Plain district
and at the earnest request of his
family details have been withheld
from the public. He shot himself in
the head
For a number of years previous to
his retirement Admiral Carpenter suf-
fered severely from nervous disor-
ders, and soon after being released
from service went under medical
treatment. He had apparently recov-
cred, but six weeks ago there came a
relapse, and he was again placed in
the asylum. Again he seemed to i'm
prove, and the family had hope that
he would be himself again.
Charles c. Carpenter was born in
Greenfield, Mass, in 1884. He was ap-
pointed midshipman from this State in
1850 and was attached to the sloop
Portsmouth of the Pacific squadron
from 1851 to 1855. He was in the Naval
Academy from 1855 to 1856 and was
promoted to passed midshipman in the
latter year. Later he served on the
steam frigates Merrimac, Roanoke.
Colorado and Dolphin. He was made
a lieutenant in 1858 and attached TO
the steamship Mohawk, which captured
the SLAYER Wildfre on the coast of
Cuba, with 500 slaves on board. Car
penter was transferred in 1862 to the
steamship Flag of the South Atlantic
squadron and was soon promoted to
lieutenant commander. He next saw
service on the monitor Catskil of the
South Atlantic blockading fleet, and
was on board during the operations and
attacks upon the defenses of Charles
ton in 1868. After the close of the war
he went to the Asiatic station with the
sloop Hartford.
His first command was the steamship
Wyoming, on the same squadron, serv-
ing on her for one year and then re-
turning to this country. For two years
he was stationed at the Portsmouth
navy yard, during which time he was
commander. Sea duty alternated with
duty at Portsmouth for the ten years
following. In 1888 he was commander
of the Hartford, which carried the
English and American eclipse eXpedi-
ton in 1888 to the Caroline atol.
From 1883 to 1880 he commanded the
ship Wabash at the Charleston navy
yard finally being transferred to Ports
mouth as captain of the yard and later
as commandant. He received his COM
mission as commodore in 1888 and as
rear admiral a year later. AS COM
mander of the Asiatic squadron in 1894
he saw many of the naval movements
of the Chino-Japanese war,
Under his orders was fired the first
and only shot by an American man-of-
war at a Chinese ship, thereby en-
forcing the demands of this Govern
ment and averting the impending
breach of relations between the United
States and China. His action was COM
mended by our Government.
Admiral Carpenter was retired in
1896, but during the Spanish war was
recalled to act as commandant of the
Portsmouth Navy Yard in place of
Commodore Remey.
Admiral Carpent-r leaves q widow
and family, one son being assistant
surgeon in the navy, D. M. Carpenter,
who was on the Raleigh during the OPP
erations against Manila and who has
been transferred to the Olympia. An
other son is with the Cramps Ship
building Company and a third lives
with Mrs. Carpenter and her two
daughters at Portsmouth.