The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-29
COL. QUINN is IN
NEW L. s. ENGINEER ASSUMES
CHARGE OF SAVANNAH DISTRICT.
CAPTAIN GILLETTE LEAVES
ENTERTAINED AT FORT SCREVEN
BEFORE DEPARTING FOR
NEWPORT.

Savannah District Was Turned Over
to the New Engineer Yesterday
MOrning-Capt. Gillette Leaves
To-day at Noon for Newport to
Relieve Mai. GOethals-COI. Quinn
Was Much Pleased With the Com
ditiOn in Which He Found the
Work Here-SOmething of Capt
GiIIette's Successor.
Lieut.. Col. James R. Quinn assumed
his duties as engineer of the Savannah
District of river and harbor improve
ment yesterday, the work of the office
being turned over to him by Capt. Cas-
sius e. Gillette, the retiring engineer in
charge, who leaves to-day to accept his
charge at Newport, r. |,
Both the retiring and the incoming
engineers undertake a wider work in
accepting their new posts, the Savan-
nah District covering larger and
more important territory than the
Norfolk District and the Newport de-
parment involving the exercise of
more general knowledge of engineer
ing work than does the Savannah Dis
trict, since there is a great deal more
work in connection with the coast de-
Tense.
Capt. and Mrs. Gillette were enter
tanned last evening at Fort Screven by
Col. and Mrs. Taylor, the entertain
ment being given by the commandant
of the fort as a parting assurance of
the high esteem in which his services
are held by the officers at the fort. The
expressions of regret at his leaves
taking and congra tulations upon his
appointment to the new post were
general.
Returned to Norfolk.
Col Quinn, after assuming charge of
the Office and giving some directions
left early in the afternoon for Norfolk,
where he goes to turn over his depart
ment to Maj. Winslow, who has been
assigned to that post. He will return
on Monday. He was much pleased
with the condition in which he found
the work of the office, and compliment
ed Capt. Gillette on the excellent con-
ditiOn in which he left his depart
ment.
The new engineer is a man 60 years
old. He is of medium hight, rather
stockily built, and wears a short iron
grey beard. He wears glasses, and has
a keen grey eye. He is a stranger
to all of the attaches of the office, ex-
cept Chief Clerk ]. w. o. Sterly, with
whom ne was acquainted some fifteen
years ago. He is of pleasant address,
affable in his manner and of a retlr-
ing nature.
Col. Quinn is married. When he re-
turns to Savannah he win bring Mrs.
Quinn with him. He has several chill
dren, but they are all married, and
none of them will come with him. He
expressed himself as much pleased
with his prospective home, remarking
particularly upon the beauty of the
city. He said that he had never seen
one more beautiful.
Col. Quinn's Record.
The new engineer is a native of Ohio,
and a graduate of West Point, from
which institution he was graduated in
1866 Several years after his gradu-
alton he attained the rank of captain,
and in 1888 was made a major In 1898
he attained the rank of lieutenant
colonel, which rank he now holds. His
period for retirement is 1907. His first
work was at Willett's Point, N. Y.
where he was stationed until 1881. For
twelve years he was at the head of the
department of the Gulf States with
headquarters at New Orleans, super
vising a great deal of important work
on the Lower Mississippi. In 1899 he
was assigned to Norfolk, where he has
served for four years.
Several months ago Col. Quinn was
made division engineer, the work de-
volving upon the chief of engineers,
Gen. Gillespie, being so great as to re-
quire division. Accordingly an engineer
was appointed in each of the divisions
whose duty it is to supervise the work
of the entire division The transfer
of this work to Savannah means the
changing of the division headquarters
to this place.
The location of the department head
quarters at Savannah is more conVen-
lent to Col. Quinn, since the position
is more central both geographically
and as relates to the amount of work
done. 1t is not yet known whether it
will necessitate the enhancement of
the office force, but it is not thought
that it will