The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-29
Army and
Navy News

The Washington Star of March II, re
ferring to the death of Captain Dixon,
U. s. n, who married Miss Stella
Smith, sister of Mrs Pierre Jones, in
1874, says of his career;
1.-THE Navy Department is informed
that Captain Albert F. Dixon, Z. S. N,
died at the Hotel Bayard, in New York
city, yesterday. !
Captain Dixon was born December
%, 1S49, in Kittery, Maine, and en-
tered the naval service as second as
sistant engineer, October 20, 1870,
which title was changed to assistant
engineer, February "a, 1874. He was
promoted to passed assistant engineer,
November T. 1877; to chief engineer,
July Is, 1894, and during the Spanish
American war served at the navy yard,
New York, from June 2, 1898, to June
81, 1898, when detached and assigned
to duty on the Z. S. S. Chicago, then
fitting out at the navy yard, New
York, and which vessel was not placed
in commission until December l, 1898.
On March 3, 1899, his title was changed
by act of Congress to Lieutenant com
mander. He was promoted to COM
mander March 8, 1901, subsequently
serving on the Z. S. S Oregon, March
80, 1901, to June "a, 1901; at navy
yard, Mare Island, Cal, August 10,
1901, to August II, 1904; in the bureau
of steam engineering, Navy Depart
ment, Washington, D. c., from August
10, 1904, to July %, 1908, having been
assistant to bureau of steam engineer
ing from March II, 1905, to July %,
1908. August 3, 1908, he reported for
duty as general inspector of machin- /
cry for the navy and senior member of
all boards on changes in machinery on
the Atlantic coast, and was engaged
upon that duty at the time of his
DEATH
Distribution of Marines.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE
restoration of marines aboard ships of
war was again the subject of discus
sion at the Navy Department today.
Secretary Meyer declared that he had
no other intention than to obey both
the letter and the spirit of the law
under which the appropriations for the
Navy are to be withheld unless the
marines are given sea duty. That law
does not become operative until July
l next, and the Secretary explained
that his only desire in referring the
question to the Attorney General to
determine its constitutionality was in
order that there might be no difficulty
with the controller s office. Already,
the Secretary said, steps had been
taken looking to the distribution of the
marines among the various ships, but
the department wanted to know first
of all if there was any obstacle, and
for that reason the opinion of the At
torney-General had been requested.
Damage to Farragut.
MARE ISLAND, March 16.-The
torpedo destroyer Farragut, in COM
mand of Lieutenant Martin K. Met
calf. Z. S. n. arrived here this morn
ing from San Diego and was placed
in the drydock Monday afternoon. 1t
appears that the Farragut was run
into by the torpedo boat Davis. which
is commanded by Lieutenant L. L.
Swanson, while the Farragut was moor .
ed alongside wharf at San Diego. At
the time of the accident the Davis was
preparing to run alongside the wharf,
and it is said that she backed directly
into the prov of the Farragut and =,
stove in several plates below the WA
ter line. The hole in the PROV was
patched up and the Farragut was or
dered to the yard to have the damage
repaired. 1t is said that the damage
done was not serious, but that an IN
vestigation will be made and that Lieu |
tenant Swanson will probably be court |
martialed. The Farragut made an av-
erage of IS knots while coming up the |
coast. The work on the destroyer will |
be rushed to completion SO that she |
car leave this week to rejoin the rest !
OF the fleet at Magdalena Bay.
Two Floating Docks.
WASHINGTON, March 17.-Repre-
sentative Mudd of Maryland has in
trcduced bill for the construction of |
two floating steel drydocks of sutfi- |
cient size to dock vessels of at least |
10000 tons displacement, one to be |
the Atlantic Coast, the cost not to ex- |
coed $1,750,000 each, and making $780, |
900 Immediately available for this pur |
pose.
3000- Mile Wireless.
WASHINGTON, March 15.-By an