New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-06
ADMIRAL STEWART RETIRES
.crrR-GENERAL OF THE NAVY
LEAVES ACTIVE SERVICE.
,oSc AND HONORABLE CAREER COVERING
TWO WARS CLOSED.

inv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
rrash,neton May 5.-Rear-Admral Edwin Stew
chief Of the Bureau Of Supplies and Accounts
sf" Navy Department. the Paymaster-General
o. - NAVY closed his active career in that service
OF t az having reached the retiring age Of sixty
'o'" Us In his retirement the Government
" one OF its most valuable officers. His
",oes IN the recent war with Spain were con-
,,ously meritorious. and called forth the per-
~ ,ra,se OF the President and the Secretary OF
xovv To him more than TO any other one
", probably is due the complete state Of readl-
" =, the Navy in the matter OF food. clothing
"a o,b4r supplies at all times before and during
- D,ogress Of hostilites He has brought the
sb ~ the service over which he has presided
~ ,ho last nine years a state perfection
q. g possible get IT, and it's affairs are in such
- mining order that his successor will find his
and responsibilities much lighter than they
lid otherwise have been
ADMIRAL STEWARDS CAREER.
NV, IN New-York City. in 1897. and educated at
pbjI,ps Academy. Andover. Mass. and Williams
49, Admiral Stewart was appointed an as
tan, naymaster in the Navy on September 9. 1861
"a ,or his Arst service with the gunboat Pembina
g me expedition which resulted in the capture OF
D.. Roval Afterward he was attached TO the
,t,oDd and took part in Farraguts celebrated
.~,,o,ts al Port Hudson and in Mobile Bay.
r.. che civil War he served for three years on
-. ,,,.b,ean on the lakes at the time when that
rpn
- ,he Niagara River After a short service as
80 officer in this city no made cruise in
~ hartford Of the Asiatic squadron, as fleet pay
.s,er covering a period Of three years lie
,osched the grade Of pay inspector In 1872. and Tor
- ,ea-s was inspector of provisions and cloth
~ ~ew-York He was then attached TO the
,-,orean station as fleet paymaster on the flag
- lancaster for two years He next filled the
,,,ortant post Of Navy pay officer at New-norK'
and instituted many important reforms in the pur-
sose Of food and clothing for the Navy AS re-
~, ~ his experience in that office Secretary
Irn,tnev then at the head Of the Navy Depart
Nv, orea-ized the system Of purchases for the
-. 1-nder the new system the entire business
- purchasing and distributing materials was
,aced under the control of the Bureau OF supplies
and Accounts ,, ,.,
7, Nav 1890 Mr. Stewart was appointed by fresi-
dent Harrison chief OF the Bureau OF Supphes ana
Accounts. with the rank OF paymaster- general OF
the Navy He has held that office ever since ana
his administration has been model one one OF
.ho reforms instituted by him was the adoption OF
a card index account with all the ships bureaus
and storehouses. by which at moment ho'ce ne
co,,ld tell the Secretary OF the Navy OF any one
else entitled 10 the information just what snip
had cost originally and how much had oeeh eA-
,ondas on her for main enance repairs, coal cloth
d. I'D are Secretary Herbert appreciated the
services Of Paymaster- General Stewart as highly
&C Secretary Tracy had done. and on his personal
recommendation President Cleveland reappolh'ed
him FOR a second term. -Four years later the same
experience was repeated In the administration Vi
Secretary Long. when Paymaster-GeneraI stewart
was in May, 1895. reappointed for a thlrd term.
His record in this respect has been without parae
IN the annals OF the Navy
Stewards reappontment by President cleveland
was not only unexpected, but was done IN grace
ful way. According TO the story. secretary her-
bert met the Paymaster- General on the street one
dav and in the course Of a conversation asked MN
vSTen his term expired. The Paymaster General
told him. and the Secretary brought the mater ,uP
Nav TO attend The President said IT this man
IS all that you represent MN 10 De sena ms d he
President sent the nomination at once to the sen
ate. with the result that II was confirmed SIX
weeks before Paymaster-General stewart ; HIst
term expired.
VALUABLE SERVICE IN THE WAR
No bureau OF the Army or Navy better pre-
pared FOR ne Spanish war than the one over which
Admiral Stewart presided. The functions OF that
bureau are similar to those performed by three
departments of the Army. namely. the Pay Depart
meni. the Quartermaster.s Department and the
sight OF Admiral Stewart there was never time
either before during the war when the ships
or stations Of the Navy lacked a full supply OF
provisions and all the stores essential TO their
maintenance and efficiency. Especially was this
Admiral Deweys feet IN Chinese waters Through
out the entire war. thanks TO the vigilance OF the
officers Of the Pay Department the nghting men
Of the Navy were promptly supplied with 1000 ana
clothing to say nothing of their pay. The Bureau
Of Supplies and Accounts also assisted IN supplying
the Army in the Philippines with frozen beef from
Australia obtained for the especial benefit Of Ad
miral Dewey's feet.
The North Atlantic fleet in the West Indies
also similarly well supplied. The Spanish prisoners
captured in the tight off Santiago were fed and
clothed. and. Admiral Stewart put in It in his
last annual report Notwithstanding the expedition
necessarily employed in the procurement Of sup
plies and In the manufacture Of clothing. the usual
standards were adhered TO and careful inspections
made Contractors held TO rigid specifications.
with the result that the supplies delivered were the
best Of their kind compa rison OF prices paid
during the with those paid previous TO il for
articles procured under contract after public ad
wrtisement well those purchased In the open
market, shows that they IN most
higher and in many cases lower, than before the
commencement OF hostilities. The amount paid
during the fiscal year for supplies purchased was
81 422 $40"
Admiral Stewards retirement WAS made the Occa-
sion to-day for the presentation 10 him OF beau
tiful silver "a nkard inscribed on side Rear
Admiral Edwin Stewart. Paymaster General, 7. s.
y. lS9O-1Se9" and the reverse side. From en-
ployes Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, May B.