Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-08
ADMIRAL BELKNAP
DISTINGUISHED NAVAL OFFICER
DIED AT KEY WEST YESTERDAY.
His Son Has Gone to Take the Remains
to His Home in Brook
line, Mass. .s. ,.. .-..

The Navy Department is informed that
Rear Admiral George E. Belknap. retired.
died from an attack of apoplexy at Key
West. Fla. yesterday. Admiral Belknap
was seventy years old, having been born
June %. 1882. Although past the age limit
for active service, he was performing duty
In behalf Of the general board OF the navy.
and at the time of his death he was max
ing an examina ton for the board to de-
termine the ability of Key West harbor
to hold a large fleet. His residence was
at Brookline, Mass, and his body will be
taken there for burial. His son. Reginald
X. Belknap. is a lieutenant in the navy. on
duty in the bureau Of navigation. He has
gone to Key West to take charge of the
remains. ..e7 -sr -a go
A Distinguished Career.
Admiral Belknap had a distinguished
career in the naval service. He was born
at Newport, N. H., and was appointed a
midshipman at the age of fifteen. His first
service was on the brig POrpoise of the
African coast squadron. Three years later
he was transferred to the frigate Raritan
of the Pacific squadron, and In 1856 to the
East Indies squadron. He was promoted
to past midshipman in 1883. master in
1855. lieutenant the same year, lieutenant
commander in 1862 and commander in 1866.
in the capture and destruction of the bar
rier forts in the Canton river. China. At
the outbreak Of the civil war he was con-
spicuous in the reinforcement of Fort
Pickens. April. 1851, and commanded the
New Ironsides in the investment of the
confederate forts in Charleston harbor in
1S62-64. He commanded the Seneca in the
North Atlantic squadron in 1864. and the
ironclad Canonicus in the attack on How
lett House battery, Virginia. and in the
first and second attacks on Fort Fisher
RI "a CT n ha ac,Io of
Charleston in 1865. He then took the Ca
nonicus to Havana in search of the con-
federate cruiser Stonewall.
Scientific Investigations.
Commander Belknap commanded the
Hartford fagship) in the Asiatic squadron
in 1867 and 1868. and In 1873 was ordered
with the Tuscarora to make deep sea sound
ings in the North Pacific between the
United States and Japan, to determine the
feasibility of laying cable between the
two countries. The methods he employed
were original and highly successful and for
his valuable discoveries concerning the to-
biography of the ocean bed he received pub
lie recognition from eminent scientists in
all parts of the world.
At the time of the disturbance connected
with the election OF King Kalakaua in Ha-
wall in 1874, Commander Belknap was
senior naval officer on the station and land
ed forces from the Tuscarora and the
Portsmouth for the purpose Of restoring
and maintaining order. .-,.
In 1881 he went to South American waters
in the Alaska to protect the interests of the
United States in the difficulty between
Chile and Peru. At different times he was
commandant of the navy yards at Norfolk.
Pensacola and Mare Island, superintendent
of the naval observatory and president Of
the torpedo board. In 1885 he became COM
modore and four years later was made rear
admiral in command Of the Asiatfc station.
with headquarters at Yokohama Japan. In
1892 he returned to this country and was
retired January %, 1894.
Admiral Belknap did much valuable scien-
ttf1c work. and was the author OF works on
deep sea soundings and other professional
topics. Several of the scientific societies Of
Europe and the United States conferred
honors on him. Dartmouth College gave
him the degree of LII. D. Last year Ad-
miral Belknap went to Japan and attended
the dedication of the monument to Commo-
dore Perry.