The Washington bee., 1907-04-27
HOODOO IN THE NAVY
BAD LUCK OF MEN ASSIGNED TO
SHORE DUTY.
As Soon 3 Trey Return to Ships Some
Accident OslsIIy Happens-Eng-
lad and France Never Give
ES.zndSd Land Leave.


New YCrk.-A nemesis, or what
may be mcre vuIgarly termed a hoo
dCO,' seems TO pursue captains Of the
United States navy who are detailed
to the command of battleships after
they have served a certain length of
time on shore duty.
Officials Of the navy yard are now
wondering whether Capt Hugo Os-
terhaus, who has been nominated TO
succeed Capt. William Swift as COM
mander of the battleship Connecticut,
will be the next victim of the relent-
less pursuer.
The "hoodoo" should stand Repre-
sentative Foss in good stead when he
renews his campaign to put the ad-
ministration of the navy and navy
yards strictly in civilian hands and to
allow the admirals, captains and other
officers Of the line more time to de-
velOp their seafaring ability.
1t may simply be coincidence, but it
is a striking and persistent one, that
catastrophes of late years have be-
fallen every battleship that has been
put in command of officers who have
assumed charge after extended shore
duty.
The last mishap to battleships oc-
CURED to the brand new Connecticut
when she touched bottom off Culebra.
Capt. Swift was put in command of
her after he had served some years
Pn shore as head of the ordnance de-
partment of the Brooklyn navy yard
and as a member of the general board
at Washington. Capt. Osterhaus, who
succeeds Capt. Swift. has been a mem
Der for some time of the board of in
spection and survey.
When the Rhode Island went ashore
in the Potomac as she was leaving the
Washington navy yard not very long
ago she was in command of Capt.
Perry Garst, who. up to the time of
his assuming command of the ship,
had served as a member of the light
house board.
And the Kentucky was in command
of Capt. E. B. Barry two years ago,
when she was inadvertently beached
on the west bank of the NarrOws.
Capt. Barry was transferred to the
Kentucky after he had served three
years as aid to COmmandant Rogers
of the Brooklyn yard and like term
as a member of the local labor board.
The old KeaTsarge met her fate
eight years ago on ROncador reef, off
the coast of Honduras, when she was
in command of Capt Oscar J. Huyer-
man, who, for six years, had served
as head of the board of inspection at
the Brooklyn navy yard.
There are those who declare that
extended shore duty is a detriment to
seamanship. They declare that those
who are educated at Annapolis to run
ships should be kept at sea, on the
principle that practice makes perfect.
IN the navies of England and France
no officer is given extended shore
duty. At the various naval stations
there is never but one captain who is
detailed to shore duty, and his duty
terminates after a period of three
years. He is designated as captain of
the port, and it is his business to look
after sailors on shore and the care of
ships while in port. Admirals are
never delegated as commandants Of
naval stations or navy yards until they
have completed the term of sea serv-
ice.
In the American navy, however, a
different system obtains. The various
departments in every navy yard are
headed by captains, with the possible
exception of the department of con-
struction and repair. At present there
are three captains, six commanders,
seven lieutenant commanders and five
lieutenants stationed at the Brooklyn
navy yard who some day will be desig-
mated for sea duty. 'Will the Nemesis
also pursue these?" is the question
they are asking.