The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-05-14
Pond for a Big Cruiser.

The following refers to the Captain
Pond who was formerly in command
of the Honolulu Naval Station and
whose son got an appointment from
here to Annapolis:
PORTLAND, Ore, April 21-Captain
Charles f. Pond, lighthouse inspector
of this district, will have cllamand of
an armored cruiser in the Pacific squad
ron within the next sixty days. She
viii be of the type of the Washington
or Tennessee, larger than many OF the
battleships, and he will have under him
from thirty to forty officers. It is an
important promotion which has fallen
to the lot of but few of tn, lighthouse
inspectors in recent years.
In this district Captain Pond will be
succeeded by Commander J. ". Eli
colt, who is in charge of the supply
ship Solace, which is now at Charles
pitaI ship. Commander Ellieott is ex
peeted to arrive in Portland from Char
lesion in about week. For couple
of months nc will act in the capacity
of assistant to Captain Pond until he
becomes thoroughly familiar with the
district. Then he will assume full
charge, and Captain Pond will take the
new position awaiting him on one of
the armored cruisers, the name of which
has not yet been made known.
Commander Ellieott is forty years
of age, and entered the service in 1879,
after having graduated at the naval
academy at Annapolis. He has been
awarded a number of medals for brav-
cry displayed in the face of great dan
ger during the Spanish American war.
His predecessor gives him high rec
ommendation and says he IS deserved
ly popular. Baltimore is his native city.
On the arrival of Captaia Pond at
Portland July /, 1908, to assume charge
of the lighthouse district embracing
the coasts of Oregon, Washington and
Alaska, he ranked as commander. In
| less than three months later the title
of captain was conferred upon him by
the department. Since then 1t has only
been regarded as a matter of time until
he would be ordered to report for sea
| duty, and consequently the news did
not come as surprise. But 1t Is not
often that promotion to the command
! of one of the best ships in the Lazy
comes so quickly.
| During his nine months residence in
| Portland, Captain Pond has made a
! large number of friends, who will con
/ graduate him on his good fortune, al
! though they regret to see him leave
! With him in command of suc' ship
as the Washington and wholly familiar
with the channel leading into the Co
] iumbia River, it is believed that much
of the prejudice existing among Nava
officers against the river will be re
moved. Consequently the conclusion i
reached that the visit of warships te
Portland win be more frequent in the
next few years.
| In his brief administration CAPTAIN
Pond has made many important recon-
mendations looking to the improvement
of the district in the way of additiona
aids to navigation. Some of the most
important of them have been acted up
on favorably. In parts of the district
the out-of-d date aids are to be suppiant
| ed with modern ones, and because OF
the stand he has taken on this matter
many other changes calculated to re
/ snlt advantageously to the marine IN
! terests will be brought about.