The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-01
INDEPENDENT MIR. BowLEs.
Polictical Pulls Don't Count When
Hichborn's Successor Selects Help

philadelphia Saturday Evening Post)
Naval Constructor Francis t. Bowles
of the New York navy yard has been
chosen by President Mckinley to be
chief of the bureau of construction and
repair of the navy department to sue
coed Rear Admiral Hichborn, who is to
retire on March 4
By virtue of the position Mr.. BoWles
will become a rear admiral, and he Will
be the youngest officer TO hold the RANK RANK
of rear admiral in the United States
Mr.. Bowles was born in Massachu-
sets in 1858, and is of an old New Eng
land family. He entered the naval
academy at Annapolis in 1875 and paid
especial attention TO the work OF naVdl
construction. In the last year of his
course he applied for permission to at
tend the school of naval architecture at
the. Royal Naval college at Greenwich,
England, and the secretary OF the navy
secured permission from the EnglSh
government for Mr.. BoWleS and a class
mate to take the three years course
there.
Returning to the United States in 1882
Mr.. Bowles was appointed secretary OF
the naval advisory board. For four
years he held the position and was an
ardent advocate of the new ideas in
naval construction that have made the
strength of what is termed our new
navy. In 1886 he was made naval con-
s3trIctor at the Norfolk navy yard and
in 1895 was detailed as chief naval con-
structor at the New York navy yard
or the Brooklyn navy yard, as 1t was
then termed. During his career he mas
not only Superintended the construction
of battleships. but an interesting fact is
that during the Spanish war he person
ally superintendent the fitting out of
nearly fifty auxiliary cruisers. He also
had complete charge of fitting out the
hospital ship Relief, and those who, like
the writer of this, were on board Of
some of the other hospital ships that
brought sick and wounded back to this
country, will consider the fitting out OF
the Relief as Mr.. Bowles' most praise
worthy achievement.
Mr. Bowles was the PRINCIPAL mover
in the organization of the society OF
Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
and he has always been one of its most
active members.
He is a Iow-vofced, mild hammered
man, but is a strict disciplinarian. Both
at Norfolk and New York he has shown
a determination to have only capable
men under his charge. He has made 1t
a point of honor to relieve the service of
men who depended on political pulls
instead of on capability, and has thus
made enemies.
Charges of offensive craftsmanship
were made against Mr.. Bowles a few
years ago, and an investigation was
held
He conducted his own defense at the
inquiry, and cross examining a leading
political light of Brooklyn, one Of whose
1 incapable satellites he had dismissed,
/ he said:
Now as far as you know, wasn't
every act of mine for the good of the
/ United States?"
Yes" bIurted out the politician, who
/ had been fiustered by Mr.. BOwles
quietly polite manner; Eyes, but you
didn't do a single thing asked you
After the investigation Mr. Bowles
stood higher than ever in the estima-
ton of his superiors.
While at Norfolk charges of often
sive partisanship" were made against
him for discharging a number of mer
/ whom he deemed inefficient, and sew
era1 leading Republicans went to Wash
ington and demanded his removal or
the ground that he had shown undue
favoritism to Democrats.
One day, one of the most prominent
! Democratic leaders of the district me
Mr. Bowles and said with smile:
by the way. Mr.. Bowles. 1 see thai
the Republicans have been trying Il
have you discharged for favoring US
Democrats" CThe smile grew broader.
Now I don't mind telling you. under
such circumstances, that I've beer
three times to Secretary Whitney A.y.
self to request your dismissal for show
ing undue favoritism to Republicans.