Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-08-04
OF RENEY AND KENPFF'
Good Stories About These Naval
officers Hard to Obtain.
CAN'T BE FOUND In WASHINGTON.
Both Are Popular There, but Have
Never Exploited Themselves-Both
Are From the West and Both Are
Men of Exceptional Ability.

Are From the Nest ana botn are
! Men of Exceptional Ability.
WASHINGTON, July 27.-[speciaLl J.
Rear Admiral George G. Remey, who
is very prominent in whatever the
| United States is doing in the far east
is personally popular in Washington.
He is also well liked by every naval
man who has ever served with him or
under him They say he is a man of
unusual force of character, of excep-
tional judgment and extremely unlikely
10 make mistakes. Some of those with
whom the writer has talked were at
first very loath to consider the stories
of Chinese cruelty sent from Picking
/ authentic because Remey had not in
dorsed them.
Veteran of Two Wars.
| George c. Bemey was born In Iowa.
He was sent to the Naval academy in
| 1865 and was graduated therefrom in
1869. He had accordingly seen two
years of actual service when the civil
war broke out. These two years had
| been spent ON the steam sloop Hart
| ford. which was attached to the East
India squadron. From the beginning
of the civil war until late in 1868 he
was constantly active in naval opera
tons. On Sept. s of that year, when
engaged in the bombardment of Fort
! Sumter, he was taken prisoner by the
! Confederates. He was soon ex-
changed, however. and on June 20,
1868, he had reached the grade of
lieutenant commander.
Between the close of the civil war
and the beginning of the war with
Spain Remey's services were much like
those of other naval officers. being di-
vided between navy yards, retiring
boards, the management of squadrons
of evolution and the like. For some rea-
son he saw less sea duty than almost
any other officer. When the Spanish
war began, he was exceedingly anX-
fous to take an active part In the fight
ing; but, owing to his exceptional abil-
ity as an executive officer in charge of
navy yards and stations. he was re-
quested to assume command of the ma
val station at Key West. This was
one of the duties which no naval Off
Ger desired to undertake, for the Sim
pie reason that. while it would UNI
doubtedly require unusual ability of the
sort Remey had developed, it could not
by any possibility lead to the acquisi-
ton of naval glory. Yet when he was
requested to take the place. he accepted
1t without a word of demur and there
by won laurels OF no inconsiderable
sort as a man who was ready to slbor-
dinate his own desires to the good of
the service.
Throughout the operations in the
West Indies he attended strictly to the
work at Key West and undoubtedly
contributed much more markedly than
ia generally supposed to the success OF.
the operations.
An Able Seaman.
Admiral Remey was ordered to the
Asiatic station in March, relieving Adj
miral Watson.
one of the reasons which prompted
his selection was the fine reputation
which he had won as an able com
mandcr in heavy weather. His exploit
in 1877 in taking the new Enterprise
out of New York and navigating her
safely down the Atlantic coast in the
November gale during which the HUI
ron was lost. has long been considered
one Of the finest achievements of sea-
mauship in the annals of the American
navy. Besides being good sailor, Ad-
mirai Remey is described by his asso-
ciates as polite. but firm; generous,
hospitable and diplomatic in the best
sense. These qualities were all count
ed upon as likely to tit him most admi-
rabCy- for service. on the Asiatic squad
ron when 1T meant only wise dealing
with the naval end Of the Philippine
situation. No better choice could well
have been made even had 1t been then
understood rhat he would have to deal
with a far more complicated situation
in Chinese waters than anything which
has existed at the Philippines.
Admiral Remey Is 80 years old. He
wears a ruustache and closely clipped
MiltcktIG.
as robust physically as the average
man in the forties.
Admiral Kempff.
Like many other naval officers, Ad-
miral Rcmey Is not very well known TO
the newspaper men, and it is not easy
to hunt up good stories about him.
| But Remey is better known than Ad-
miral Kempff, who is also now in
oriental waters. / have personal
knowledge that at least half dozen
periodical editors have been securing
the capital to get material for a good
story about Kempff against the time
when he shall do something to make
him famous: but, so far as | have been
nble to learn, no one has yet succeeded
! In procuring a story
Louis Kempff was born in Illinois.
He was sent to Annapolis in 1857 He
served through the civil war and won
| his commission by landing q howitZer