Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-02-24
REAR ADMIRAL H|CHBORN
SURRENDERS HIS OFFICE.
BY OPERATION OF LAW HE woULr
BE RETIRED on THE FOURTH
OF MARCH.
THE DUTIES OF THE OLD MEN
THE REMARKABLE CAREER OF
THE REAR ADMIRAL, A SELF
MADE MAN.

Special to the Register.
WASHINGTON, ID. C. February 2S.--
Rear Admiral Hichborn, chief con-
structor of the navy, surrendered ais
Office to-day after over forty years of
active service
He does not retire by operation OF
law until noon March 4. but has de-
cided to spend the last few days of his
career in active service away from
the department, and leaves Sunday for
Florida, where he will remain during
the balance of the winter
Rear Admiral tlichborn win prob
ably make his home here. which has
become the Mecca of retired army ana
navy officers, There is something in
the life that appeals TO the old war
riors when they relinquish active ser
vice for the repose of the retired life.
An exception to the case, however. is
that of Rear Admiral George Brown.
retired, who makes his home in In
dianapolis. whence he was appointed
TO .ne navy His reasons We're that
as he was the only rear ADMIRAL there
he would Zoe regarded as a man of
some consequence. whereas in Wash
ington there are so many retired adj
mirals that he would be lost sight OF
soon. The old men here. he said at
the time of his retirement. had nothing
to occupy their attention but serving
as pall-hearers for brother officers.
From Apprentice 10 Chief.
Rear Admiral Philip Hichborn is a
truly "self-made" man, having risen
from the position of apprentice boy.
He was born in Charlestown. Mass,
March 4, 1889. After graduating from
the Boston high school in 1855. ne was
placed under the care of the late Mel
vim Simmons, then master shipwright
at the Boston navy yard In 1860 he
shipped on the clipper ship Dashing
Wave from Boston for San Francisco.
At the latter place MIR. Hichborn was
employed for a few months. after
which he secured work as shipwright
and craftsman at the Mare Island yard
Two years later he was made master
mechanic being then only % years OF
age. In 1864. he declined the offer OF
a position as assistant naval IN
structor OF the navy Su'hsequer III,
however he took the examination or
the position and was appointed April
~. 1870, being ordered to the Ports
mouth. A. H.. yard. where he remained
for five years
Mr. Hichborn became a naval con-
structor in April 1873. when he was
ordered to the Philadelphia navy yard.
where during his term there he fitted
out the old frigate Constitution 20
carry goods to the Paris Exposition.
In 1880 he was made a member of the
first naval advisory board and was
member of the board Of inspection and
survey from 1888 to 1889 In 1884 SEN
ator Chandler, then Secretary OF the
Navy, sent Mr.. Hichborn ABROAD on
tour OF inspection among navy yards.
Completing this duty, he was assigned
as naval constructor at the Washing
ton navy yard. and also to duty at the
Navy Department as assistant chief OF
tne Bureau OF Construction and RE-
pair. and was appointed 90 his present
position July u. 1893, with the relative
rank of commodore, which under the
personnel bill was raised to that OF
rear admiral.