Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-06-06

Rear-Admiral Purnell +. Harrine
ton, commandant of the Norfolk yard,
was retired for age today. lie was
born in Dover, this State, and was
appointed a midshipman at the Naval /
Academy in September, 1861, being |
promoted TO ensign In October, 1865. !
He was ordered TO the Iiconderoga ]
soon after and was attached 20 the /
MOnongahela from 1864 until 1868. !
While on that vessel be took part in /
the battle of Mobile Bay, and in the !
blockade of Galveston and the coast of
Texas. He was made "a master In 1856,
Lieutenant in 1861, and lieutenant-com-
mander IN 1865. lie was on duty on
the Monongahela in November, 1861,
and the vessel, while anchored oil
Frederickstade, Island of St. CroiX,
Danish West Indies, was carried 10y a
tidal wave over the warehouses and
into one of the streets of the town.
She came back with the returning sea
and was left on a coral reef ON the
waters edge. Five of the crew were
lost, and no very serious injury was
sustained by the vessel. The officers
and crew remained by the ship and
she was launched on May 10th, 1865,
reaching New York on June 10Th.
Rear Admiral Harrington has also
served on the California, Pensacola,
Hartford, Dale, Juniata, Constella-
tion, Yorktown and Terror. He was
four times detailed TO duty at the
Naval Academy, the first from 1868
until 1870, as instructor in mathe-
matics, was instructor in navigation
from 1874 until 1876, was the head of
the department of navigation from 1881
until 1883, and was the head of the
| department of seamauship and COM
mandant of cadets from 1857 until 1889.
| He was in command of the Puritan
/ from March until june 1898, taking
part in the blockade of the Cuban
coast and the action at Matanzas forts.
| Rear Admiral Harrington was com
| missioned commander IN 1881, captain
in 1885, and rear-admiral in 1903 lie
was captain of the Portsmouth yard
from 1899 until 1902 was on duty in
the New York yard in 1903 and has
been in Norfolk since March, 1903
Rear Admiral Harrington will CON
tinue his present duty until July 7th,
and will then report to the Navy De-
partment for special duty in connec-
tion with the jamestown Exposition
Of 1907.
Capt. John J. Hunker and Capt.
William Il. Burwell will be made rear
| admirals 10y the retirement of Rear
Admiral Harrington. Capt. Hunkor
| will only have few days TO serve, as
he retires for age on June 18th. He
was recently detached from court-mar-
tial duty at the Naval War College,
and is now in command of the Second
Naval District at Newport. Capt.
| Burwell will have until July lst, 1908,
TO serve before being retired. He is
now commandant of the Puget Sound
yard. Commanders Greenlief A. Mer-
riam, John b. Milton, and Aaron
| Ward will also be made captains.
Two important stations will become
vacant within a few weeks, and con-
| siderable interest attaches to the as
| signments, which will be made shortly.
One is the command Of the Norfolk
| yard, now filled by Rear Admiral Har-
rington. Another is the command Of
the Mare Island yard, now held. by
| Rear Admiral Bowman II. McCalla,
who will retire for age on June 18th.
Lieut.. Commander Cleveland Davis
has been ordered to duty in the Bureau
of Equipment and will probably be
assigned TO take the place of Lieut.. q
Commander s. S. Robson in wireless
telegraph work. No one has yet been
assigned to take the place Of Lieut.. D.
Commander l.. A. Kaiser, who has
been assigned 10 the Washington.
Capt. r. +. Nicholson, now in the
Bureau Of Equipment, is scheduled TO
reassume his former duties in the
Bureau of Navigation, taking the
place Of Commander n. r. Usher, who
will command the st. Louis.