Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-03-15

WASHINGTON. D. c., March 49,
The two important naval Durea,
changes were made today c~onsequen
upon the retirement for age OF Rea,
Admiral Charles O'Neil, who has TO
seven years been chief Of the nava
bureau of ordnance. Admiral O'Neil.
uccessor as chief of the bureau b
ordance is Rear Admiral George A
Converse, who in turn is succeeded al
chief of the bureau of equipment by
Captain Henry N. Nancy, until nov
on duty at the naval wal college.
Rear Admiral O'Neil retires from
active service with a notable record
as a sailor and a sea fighter. He is
practically the last of the men who
rose fro mthe lower grade in the navy
to the highest and became interna.
tional authorities by only the force 81
their practical knowledge gained by
hard knocks before the mast" He
went to sea first as a mere boy, his
father being n Of the Oldest sea
captains OF Boston. On young O'Neils
second cruise he was shipwrecked in
the East Indies and was adrift five
days in a small boat with a few com
panions.
When the civil war broke out Rear
Admiral O'Neil was one of the first
to volunteer in the navy. He was ap-
pointed a masters mate and was in
this rank on the famous Cumberland
when she was sunk by the Merrimac.
For his action in this incident and
his rescue Of Lieutenant Morris he
was promoted to be an active master
in the navy and saw active service in
many ships and fights during the
war.
His subsequent career as a junior
officer took him all over the world in
various duties, and in 1870 he was
stationed In Boston as aide to Rear
Admiral Paulding, the last port cap
tain OF that harbor. After this his
duties ashore were confined entirely
to ordnance studies and work. He was
ordnance officer at New York and
Charleston and twice superintendent
OF the naval ordnance factory in
Washington. In 1897 he vas elevated
to the rank Of captain, and q short
time after he was appointed to sue
coed Rear Admiral Sampson as chief
OF the ordnance bureau. He com
manded the American ships at Blue
fields, Nicaragua. during the troubles
there Just previous to his appoint
ment as ordnance chief. He also com
manded the cruiser Marblehead at the
exercises marking the opening Of the
Kiel canal.
Rear Admiral O'Neil, like Admiral
Melville who for years was chief Of
the bureau OF steam engineering and
acquired a worldwide reputation In
that position, never spent q day at a
technical school. He studied theory
during his spare time and with the aid
OF his practical knowledge he has pro-
duced the most powerful naval guns in
the world. Because OF his wide knowl
edge Of ordnance, the department is
loath to part with him and though he
has reached the limit for active ser.
vice, it has been decided to send him
abroad In the near future to study
foreign armor plate and the manner of
its production in order to see whether
there Is anything for the American
to learn In that line.
Rear Admiral George "A. Converse,
who succeeds Rear Admiral O'Neil as
chief of the bureau or ordnance, is
also regarded as one of the most
thorough officers In the service. He is
a native Of Vermont and graduated
from the naval academy. He com
manded the cruiser Montgomery in
the Spanish war, and was until re
in command Of the battleship
Illinois. He Is considered one Of the
best authorities on naval ~torpedoes. !