The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-10
NEW NAVAL DIVISION
TORPEDO SECTION PLANNED TO
BE UNDER ONE COMMAND.
Commander Charles c. Marsh Has
Been Designated as Chief and
Gets Quarters In the Bureau
of Navigation.

Washington.-As a recognized ne.
cessity, resulting from the rapid
growth of the American navy which
Is taking rank as second in tonnage
among the navies of the world, Secre.
tary Metcalf and Rear-AdmIral Brown.
son, chief OF the bureau Of navigation.
have decided upon the organization Of
a special submarine and torpedo divi.
sion of the navy, to be under the di.
rect supervision of one head.
For this duty Commander Charles
c. Marsh has been designated. and he
is being provided with quarters in
the bureau of navigation to take up
the work.
In establishing the submarine divi.
sion the United States navy is follow.
ing in the steps of the British navy,
which some time ago placed all its
submarines and torpedo boats under
distinct head, separate from the re.
mainder of the vessels.
In his new duty Commander Marsh
will work Immediately under the di-
rection OF the, bureau of navigation,
except when the vessels of his divi.
sion are assigned to the Atlantic fleet.
when they would come under the
direct command of Rear-Admiral
Evans.
AS Admiral Evans will leave for
the Pacific shortly the torpedo divi-
sion will be entirely independent OF
any other floating command. Con-.
mander Marsh's duties will be mostly
on shore, both at the navy depart
ment and at the sea headquarters
of the different fotillas at Newport,
r. /.
The desired operations Of the new
divisions will not be in complete work
ing order for some time, however, ow-
Ing to the shortage of officers for COM
mand of the vessels. BY next Febru-
airy, however, when the present senior
class of the naval academy will be
graduated, the department will De able
to have full quota of ensigns and
junior lieutenants for hc c.illa com.
mands.
The first submarine flotilla, com.
posed of the Porpoise, Shark and
Plunger, with the Nina as tender.
has just been placed in commission al
Newport, with Lieut.. Charles p Mel
son in command, tthe vessels having
all been overhauled and repaired.
The second fiotilla also has been
placed in commission at Newport, un-
der command of Lieut. Charles Il.
Courlncr. This fotilla Is composed
of the Viper and Cuttlefsh, with the
Hist as tender These two submarines
have been completed but short time,
and with the next few weeks they will
be 1olned by the Octopus and Taran-
tula, which are being completed at
the yards OF the Fore River Shipbuild.
ing company at Quincy, Mass.
Under this division will be placed
the reserve torpedo boat flotilla at
Norfolk, in command of Lieut.. G. Rich.
ardson. The second and third tor
pedo notllas are in the Atlantic feet
at present, but on the departure of the
battleships and the second hotilla for
the Pacific coast the third fotilla will
Se detached. to remain at Annapolis.
under the command of Lieut.. w. G.
Mitchell, and under the special tor
pedo division.
For some time yet, however, the
duties OF Commander Marsh will per-
tain principally to working out tor
pado and submarine problems, rather
than the floating organization Of tho
different hotillas.