The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-02-28
THE SELFRIDGE FAMILY RECORD
UNPARALLELED IN NAVAL ANNALS. $

HE recent appointment by Presi-
dent Mckinley OF a grandson OF
our Oldest yetired rear admiral to
q cadetship at the Naval Academy has
called attention TO the fact that there
VII soon be four members OF the Sell
fridge family represented In the navy
-TStending their record back nearly 100
ears. There has been a great deal
s,id OF late about the so called Vic
l0iian era," which has been made 70
comprehend almost everything notable
in The century past. but IL is far excel
led by the Selfridgian era. which began
he year before Victoria was born.
when Midshipman Thomas Oliver Sell
fridge entered our navy at the age OF
~. Born I'm 1904, during Jefferson's
first administration, he carries as Dack
almost to the beginning OF our presi-
Dental era and. had he been so Favored,
might have seen all our presidents but
one, Washington having died five years
before his birth. but John Adams sur
Nlving it more than 20 years.
He lived during the times OF Decatur.
Perry Bainbridge, Preble. Napoleon.
Nelson, Lord Pitt and host of others
whose names have been but a memory
the past half century and more. lie
was in service while Napoleon was a
prisoner ~ ST. Helena, having entered
i3 years after the battle OF Trafalgar,
and so ON. having lived through all the
greatest events OF the nineteenth CEN
tury. IL happened that during all the
long period OF the first Selfridge's serv-
ice there We're no great naval battles,
and his only participation in active OPP
erations was or the ,vest coast OF Mex
leo. where he received u wound thai
incapacitated him from sea duty in the
year ls4S
Soon after the outbreak Of our civil
war he was assigned to the Charles
town aud Mare Island navy yards. was
promoted To a captaincy IA 1855, 20
commodore i'm 1862 and retired in April,
1866, being promoted 10 rear admiral in
July OF that year. He is now the SEN
Tor rear admiral on the retired list and.
like all his brother heroes ION the
shelf" draws an annual salary of 81, 600
and emoluments, as he has been doing
for the past IS years.
II would seem. I'm fact, that IL one de-
sires 10 live a life OF comparative ease,
see something OF the world in his early
manhood and attain 10 a green old age.
perhaps within hail OF the century
mark. he has only 30 secure a position
in our army or navy in line for promo
tion. behave decently and trust 20
Providence--and time.
Presidential favor may count for
something I'm the original appointment:
but. barring accidents, ihe "age limit"
at g. does the rest, for on the retired
lists of our army and navy registers
may be found vast excess OF officers
over the number actually in active
service. At the beginning OF this cen
tury there were, for example. 43 rear
admirals retired and only Is In active
service. while eight commodores were
enjoying the immunities of this verita-
ble sailors snug harbor' long after
their grade had been abolished.
Rear Admiral T.. .. Selfridge Sr., Is
now 81 years old, for he and tho centu-
ry were in their teens together But 90
numbers below him i'm the list OF retired
rear admirals is his son, Thomas O.
Selfridge, Jr.. who was born in 1897 and
retired "for age" three years ago. I'm
like his father, T. o. Selfridga. Jr.. had