New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-03
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
CHANGES IN CONSTRUCTION BUREAU.
Admiral Capps Assumes His New Duties
Many designations

Washington Nov Rear Admiral Washington
L. Caps the newly appointed chief constructor
Of the navy. who succeeds Rear Admiral Francis
T. BOwles. assumed the duties OF his ONCE Mt the
Navy Department to-day.
When the resignation of Admiral Bowles was
announced on October IS it created great surprise
In naval circles. for it was known that he had
received and declined numerous offers from pri-
vate corporations the last few years. Of which
that OF president Of the York ShIpbuilding
Company, at Camden. He felt that he would not
be justified in resigning and until the ofer came
TO him from the Fore River Shipbuilding Company
II become its president, at salary. it is reported
of $4,000 year. he refused seriously to consider
any Of them. His salary In the navy as chief
constructor was only $500 a year. Naval Con-
structor Henry C. Smith, who was Admiral
Bowles's first assistant in the bureau. has also
resigned. to become assistant to his former chief
IN the Fore River company.
These two designations make four vacancies in
the construction corps to be filed by selection
from Naval Academy graduates, Who must, how
ever, after graduation. take a special course OF
study in construction There are now ten students
taking such course OF study, with a view to
becoming active naval constructors, but they will
not be available for regular service for several
months yet. The law OF the previous Congress
provided that the construction corps should be
increased 20 seventy-fve. the number in July last
being forty-six and that the additional officers
should be secured by appointing FIVE TO the corps
in each year. but the chief constructor was unable
70 assignments TO the corps THIS year
One OF the last official acts Of Admiral Bowles
TO send a petition 70 the President urging the
necessity Of making assignments 70 the corps, ana
giving to those assigned opportunity TO perfect
themselves in the duties be required Of them.
Within two years there have been three other
designations from the construction corps 70 &C
cept offers Of places with much higher salaries than
the navy pays. with private firms These officers
Frank ". Hibbs. Lawrence Spear and Daniel
H. Cox. BY securing the services OF officers Of the
cor
sure OF men Of extra ordinary professional ablli-
ties. for. aside from the Naval Academy course.
they have taken postgraduate courses OF study
at institutions such as the French Ecole Teen
niGue the Glasgow University and others Of high
grade
Chief Constructor Caps is an officer Of recog-
nzed ability. having been the experimenting con-
structor at the head OF numerous and responsible
projects Of naval construction especially at the
New-York Navy Yard. where he was on duty Tor
several years Il will be recalled by many who
followed the events OF the Spanish war that ne
commended himself 10 the Navy Department and
the President by the manner in which he dis
station, especially in raising the Spanish varshlps.
was he who received the credit for that work
in Washington official circles, and not Naval Con
sJructor HobsOn. He was on duty at the bureau
in Washington for long time under Chief Con-
structCr Hichborn. and his selection for chief OF
the bureau strongly recommended by admiral
BOIles and the head Of one Of the other bureaus
He is thus promoted over four constructors, with
the rank Of captain and TWO Of the rank Of com
mander. He will lot be forty years old for three
months vet. hence he Is the youngest officer who
ever held the Office Of chief Of bureau.