The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-13
CONSTRUCTION At
FORT De RUSSY
WORK BEGUN ON THE FOURTEEN
INCH 8ATTERlEs-MoUNTED
GUNS UNTEsTED-NEW
PARAPETS COMING.

are waiting, only waiting--to be com
pleted. Two 6-inch guns have been
mounted and are considered ready for
use, but have not yet been tested.
The construction work for two Ia
inch batteries has been commenced.
The concrete foundations are practic;
ally completed, but for lack of addi-
tional appropriations the work at this
part of Fort de Russy has been
stopped The gun carriages and guns
have not yet arrived.
When work on the fort is renewed
a parapet, or parapets of earth are
to be built, one for each piece of ar
| tillery.
Naval Mortality.
Alarm might well be felt by the
senior officers of the U. S. Navy at
! the many and sudden summonses
that rear admirals of their corps have
recently answered to appear before
! the great Commander of all. Within
the past few weeks, and going back
only few years, death has removed
many illustrious and apparently able
bodied naval officers. For instance,
Admiral Sperry, Admiral Phelps, Ad-
miral Schley, Admiral Watson, Ad-
miral Nazro and more recently
Admiral Evans and Admiral Vain
wright have Joined the increasing
number in the Great Beyond, to say
nothing of the officers of junior rank,
This news of one comrade after
another leaving their honored place
here is balanced in measure by the
happy reports that are received Of
the health and duties of Admiral
George Dewey, U. s. Navy.
On December &c Admiral Dewey
was seventy-four years old. He is
twelve years past the usual age for
the retirement of naval officers from
active duties, still this old sea officer
refuses to assume any of the invalid
privileges due his age and rank. He
keeps sensibly on with his duties at
the navy department and can be
found busily engaged at his office
desk every morning at nine o'clock.
Even on his birthday he made no ex-
ception, but was on duty as usual and
issued the necessary orders for all
naval officers to meet at their depart
ment on New Years morning and
, across the street to the White House,
! where the army and navy marine Off
GERS in Washington, d. c., assemble
at eleven o'clock to await their time
to pay their yearly compliments to
the President of the United States.
The army line comes first. This
was led by Major General Leonard
Wood; then the navy, with Admiral
George Dewey, and the marines, by
Major General Biddle, U. S. M. G.
BY a happy coincidence, the three
chiefs of these different branches of
the service are all represented by
officers who have won additional hon
ors in the Philippine Islands, in car
rying and upholding Old Glory. Adj
miral Dewey opened the way on May
General Wood has done probably
more than any other one army officer
to sustain and establish the American
flag and all the generous humanity it
stands for. He did not spare his own
life, comfort or time when there was
good to be accomplished for the serv-
ice he so ably represented.
General Biddle has seen service in
looking after the destinies of his
corps of marines at Cavite, Olongapo
and at Manila, where he was the COM
handing officer of all the marines in
the Philippine Islands.
To complete this Philippine Island
picture as was illustrated at the New
Years reception on January / at the
White House in Washington, D. c.,
the chiefs of the branches of the serv-
ice were greeted by the President of
the United States, who has been gov
ernor--the first civil governor under
American rule at Manila-for the
Philippine Islands.
Service Notes.
Captain Varien d. Dixon, Fifth
Cavalry, who is expected on the in
coming transport Sheridan from the
coast, comes to join his regiment at
Scholeld Barracks.
Captain Dixon has been on de-
tached duty with station at Fort
Michael, Alaska, since the arrival of
the Fifth Horse in this department,
and he knows something about the
chilly atmosphere of Uncle Sans
most northern military post.