The sun., 1910-05-02
DEArH OF ADMIRAL HIcHBORN
lle Vas ChleS Naval CoRstruetor IN.
Nented q Furret and a Buoy.


WAsHINOTON. May Rear Admiral
Philip HichboFn. u = ~. retired. for
merly chief of the bureau of construction
and the inventor of the Hichbon balanced
turret and the Franklin life buoy. died at
his home here tonight He was in his
seventy second year He had been IN
Tor two months with arterial sclerosis.
last week he had a cerebral hemorrhaEe
and to-day had another attack from which
he DID not rally.
Az the Admirals bedside when the end
came were his wife son and his son-in-
law. His daughter. Mrs. p. s. Pearsall.
whose first husband was James @. Blaine.
Jr.. and who was known at the time of
her first marriage a. the aprcttiest girl
in Washington. was not there.
lnterment will be in Mount Auburn
Cemetery. Boston. near the Admirals old
home In Charlestown.
Rear Admiral Hichborn was for eight
years Chief Constructor Of the United
States Navy He was born in Charles
town on March 4. 1889. His early educa-
tion he recrived At the Boston High School.
He was indentured 90 the Government
under the tuition Of Melvin simmons.
u. ). ". then master shipwright OF the
Boston Navy Yard. Secretary TOucey Of
| the Navy Department recognized unusual
merit IN the boy and ordered that he have
a course Of theoretical training.
little before the outbreak Of the war
Melvin Simmons was ordered TO the Mars
Island Navy Yard At San Francisco. and
| young hichbOm left Boston in a clipper
ship bound for California. He EOt q posi-
ton under bis old chief in the Mare Island
yard. Two years later he was made
master shipwFight Of the station He was
then "a years old.
In 1894 he declined an offer 90 BE- Assist
ant Naval Constructor, on thu ground
that the poNitiOn did not offer a. great
reward - the position he then held a.
shipwright Five years later. however.
he made application for an appointment
| Tie passed. a competitive examination in
such a fashion that he got the place of
Assistant Naval Constructor. with the
relative rank Of Lieutenant.
From California he was ordered 20 the
Portsmouth navy yard. Five years later.
IN 1878. he was made Naval Constructor.
and marked No. /. soon thsraafter be
was ordered 20 lseaRis Island navy yard
AZ Philadelphia, where he had 20 do with
the nayy's showing at the Centennial
Exposition TIE was a member of the
first Naval Advisory Board in 1881 Three
years later he was OrdeFed 20 the Navy
Department a. Assistant Chief of Bureau
Ia June. is5t. the Secretary Of the Navy
ordsred him 60 Europe. The report
which he made - his findings there was
u-ed a. a text book among naval men.
In lsa3 be was made Chief Constructor.
succeeding T ID Wilson. and served
through tho period Of naval EXPANSION
10 1901 Under his supeTv lsioH the old
ships Of war Hartford and Constitution
were rehabiitat a, the construction of
submarine torpedo boats was encouraged
the amount Of wood In warships was
materially reduced. increases Wers made
IN Conyenlsnoss ABOARD shin for the
comfort Of officers and men and the plan
Of the inclined tuTret. sometimes Callq1i
the Hichb0ru turret. was adopted
In the middle ~ his term he got into
a controversy with Admiral Buncs con
oerning suggestions which the latter had
10 offer with respect 10 the superstructure
Of monitors and ths bow construction
of ships 0f the Marblehead type. The
bureau regrets said the constructor.
that distinguished officers should make
unnecessary suggestions for changes
la ships which are thoroughly satisfao-
tory and in dong % have brought un-
warranted discredit upon the whole
American navy
He was the author Of hooks on naval
subjects He was an honorary member
Of the English Institution Of Naval Archi-
lects and Of many patriotic and chari-
table societies in the United States.