The Washington herald., 1908-08-19

in the War with Spain.
By the retirement Of Rear admiral
Robley D Evans yesterday. Caspar Fred
erick Goodrich, commandant Of the
Brooklyn Navy Yard. becomes the senior
rear admiral Of the United States navy.
He IS one Of the last Of the distinguished
naval officers still in service who took
part in the civil war
As 1t is. Admiral Goodrich's civil war
record, though an active one. is not as
long as those OF his predecessors
In the Civil War.
He was but fourteen years Old when
the war broke out, and but seventeen
when he was detailed to duty aboard the
/ Macedonian. bound out in 1854 on the
mission Of running down the Confederate
commerce destroyers Florida and Taua-
/ hassee. It is more on his Spanish war
record than on that OF the earlier day
/ that his reputation as a commander IS
founded
Admiral Goodrich. possibly the last OF
the line OF the senior rear aduiraIs 10
1 bear civil war record. is a mark Of
I transition from the old order 70 the new
I His career. well filed during his forty
four years Of naval activity, is marked
with naval progressiveness- He is. above
all. a naval commander Of the present
( generation. keeping step with the mo-
I mentaTlly increasing problems OF naval
I affairs His most effective work has been
[ done within the past ten years Of his
/ service
! Caspar Frederick Goodrich was born in
I lSf7 in Philadelphia His youth was in
a day when the naval calling took boys
l from their homes early The seniors OF
I his day had begun in their tine al even
/ te1derer years, as did Fsrragut. who
I sailed aboard the Essex as midshipman
/ when be was scarcely twelve years old
[ In ISL, at the outbreak Of the Civil War.
/ young Goodrich, a boy Of fourteen en-
Z tered the Naval Academy from the state
I OF Connecticut He was graduated in
I 1854 and saw his first active service that
I autumn aboard the Macedonian
I In the years that followed Goodrich
I worked his way up through the slow
/ succession OF grades on many ships In
all parts OF the world As ensign lieu
I tenant. and lieutenant commander. he
[ served aboard the Colorado. the Frolic.
the old Portsmouth. sJiu familiar in New
/ York harbor. and the lancaster He
{ l'.-7-A- e--- &C Nf-a1 AA-r -d~A GA --l- A--
I decade OF service, as an officer of the
I Naval Academy. At their close. in ls74
I he married Miss Eleanor Minor. daUgh-
ter OF q weII-known New Yorker
Term of Active Duty.
Then followed term Of active duty
aboard the Tennessee and the Kesrsarge.
In 1Ssf Goodrich brought back the relief
ship sent after the GreeIy Polar expedi-
ton safely TO New York after difficult
voyage. and wes IN the same year pro
NOTED 10 commander
/ Goodrich was singled out 70 serve for
nearly two years. from 1884 20 1ss5. on the
! torpedo board From 1855 20 1856 he was
detailed as special inspector OF ordnance.
/ and from 1855 % ISSs. returning 20 his
I specially Of tCrpedoes. he vas placed in
/ charge OF the torpedo station
After several years ensuing. spent in the
/ command Of various ships. Commando
/ Goodrich was made fuu captain and re-
called 70 shore duty for term as presi-
dent Of the Naval War College. from 1897
TO lS9S and was in that position when
the war with Spain broke out
In ISIS came the FIRST OF Goodrich s
notable war service He was then an
officer Of thirty-four years service. but
one Of the most progressive and modern
officers. by reputation in the navy He
was placed IN command OF tne =. Louis
and the Newark and sent upon the young
Z mans work OF scouting and cable cut
ting along the Cuban coast Before his
departure in April, 1SsS. ne organized the
/ coast signal service over the Gulf and
Atlantic States. a system Of his concep-
tion Of telegraphic communication and
were 20 give warning Of coast invasion
by the SpanIards-
At daylight On May Is. 1SsS. Capt Good
rich performed his memorable feat oi
cutting the cable from Santiago de Cubs
10 Jamaica and Haiti he ran within
2.511 yards Of the land batteries. endUT-
ing their shot. and actually silencias
I with his own small guns the FIRE OF two
Of the most dangerous batteries After
la first unsuccessful attempt he next ds-
strCyed The French cable from GUalta-
namo on Nay %
Following the cutting Of the Cuban
cables. Goodrich in the St Louis Joined
the scouting squadron that was 70 fol-
low the movements Of Admiral Cervera
At the end Of June. when the task Of
landing an army Of 15.oc0 troops fell q
the navy. in the absence OF lighters. the
enormous task fell 70 Capt Goodrich
in I'VE days In August he took part in
the bonbardment Of AIanzanill0, just pre-
vious 10 the signing Of the peace prOtO-
col on July 81 he had effected a land
ling Of troops al La Playa, Porto Rico
After the Spanish war Goodrich re-
turned for a brief time 10 the Naval War
College. soon to leave II and become CON-
imandant Of the League Island Navy Yard,
and after a short interval Of the Ports
mouth Navy Yard. IN 1903 he was placed
as rear admiral in command Of the Pacific
squadron. While cruising in April. 1905
at sea far outside Of san Francisco har-
Dor, he received by wireless the news CT
the San Francisco earthquake
Visited Stricken City.
Within forty-eight hours after the dis
aster he had reached the stricken city,
bringing with him the first necessary
supplies He organized the policing OF
the city. coIIaborated with the authorities
and rendered san Francisco invaluable
services On June l. 1907. he was appoint
ed coramandant Of the Brooklyn Navy
Yard to succeed Rear Admiral Coughian
retiring
In December, 1907, Admiral Goodrich 5
sturdy admission that the ReuterdahI ar
Taignment OF the navy was nearly al
true came near bringing him into trou-
bic with the navy heads. He was too
popular and respected an officer. however
to be easily made to feel the displeasure
that his remarks occasioned- Rear Ad-
rniral Goodrich had the misfortune 70
/