The San Francisco call., 1904-08-08

striking Illustration. He was a candi-
d9te for the position Of Engineer in
Chief Melville, but failing in getting it,
was content to accept that Of chief Of
the Bureau Of Equipment in October
last, and held il until March. when he
was shifted into the Bureau Of Ord
nance vacated by Charles O'Neil. And
now he has landed in the Bureau Of
Navigation, having been successfully
chief Of three bureaus in less than ten
months, though each one of the offices
named requires special technical
knowledge. Captain Converse Will prob
ably make a better desk admiral than
he did as seagoing officer, for
he has had less sea duty in his forty
two years and eight months of service
than so captains, 120 commanders and
16S lieutenant commanders. He has had
only thirteen years and nine months
at sea. Of which five years and three
months during the last tWenty-six
years. his last cruise being as captain
of the battIeship Illinois. which ran
aground and was damaged in the
harbOr OF Christiania, Norway, in July
1902. 1t is said that he has good ex
ecutive ability
The selection of Commander Newton
Fliphalet Mason as chief Of the Bureau
of Ordnance brings to, the fore an Of
4ALEA ~ kADs JQQEAA45 LUlll Ills SCI NlCE
record, is we'll qualified for the position
He entered the navy July "A. 1865, and
UP TO the present time has had eighteen
years and six months sea service,
eighteen years shore duty, and was un-
employed only two years and six
months, making total of thirty nine
years in the service. At present he is
in command Of the cruiser Cincinnati
and on his eighth cruise Exclusive of
four years at the naval academy,
counted as shore duty. he has been
fourteen years on shore service, eleven
years Of which he spent at the tor
pedo station gun foundry bureau and
proving grounds, gaining an experience
in the theory and practice Of ordnance
details, without which no one is com
petent to discharge the important
duties Of chief Of the Bureau of Ord
nance.
UNLUCkY LIEUTENANTS.
Commander Newton is among the
number remaining of the classes who
entered the Academy in 1S64-65-66, con-
stituting the so-c2lled hump" Officers
of prior years gained their promotion
to higher grades rapidly, but those in
the hump" remained stationary as
lieutenants for more than twenty years
getting gray in the service without the
recOmpense Of rank and salary. 1t took
Lieutenant Mason twenty-five years to
Z become a lieutenant commander, which
rank he held three years, and then
through the opera ton Of the personnel
law of 1889, he was promoted in Novem-
Der. 1893, to be commander. Command
er Mason is "a years of age and will not
go on the retired list until October IA
1912. he mas therefore eight years be-
fore him of active service. for which
duty he is qualified by years Of labor
and experience. and he is likely tc
prove a thoroughly competent chief OF
bureau of ordnance
The British battleship Common
wealth. of 1850 tons normal displace-
ment, $1,000 horsepower and calcu-
lated speed of 1S.5 knots, had her eight
! hour full speed trial July Z, resulting in
an average horsepower of 1858 and a
speed, as taken by six runs over q
measured mile course. of 19.1 knots
The thirty hours trial, under 20 pei
cent power. developed Il, 769 horsepow-
er, 17-9 knots speed and a coal con-
sumption of 1.6S pounds per unit OF
horsepower. Another continuous run
thirty hours with one-fifth power gave
3644 horsepower. II knots speed and
consuming LA pounds of coal per unit
of horsepower. The ship and engines
were built at the Fairfield yard. GIas-
gow the keel being laid June IL 1902
The Commonwealth will be ready for
sea during the winter or early next
year Eight ships of this type are un-
der construction, the average cost OF
each. including armament. being esti-
mated at $1,000. 900. The ship Just tried
cox water-tube boilers.