Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

north Atlantic station. in 1875 and
1877. In 1878 he visited the Paris ex-
position an ensign in the compile
ment of the Constellation. From 1880
to 1883 he was on survey duty as an
officer of a coast and geodetic survey
ship, and then, in 1883. he went out
to China for four years in those waters,
going out as a junior lieutenant aboard
the Ossipee by way of the Mediter-
ranean and the Suez canal.
In 1887 he came home to help build
up the new navy, just then beginning
to be built. Somehow he had acquired
a sound technical knowledge of steel.
and so he was established at Pitts
burgh as inspector of steel being man.
ufactured for the new ships. After
two years of that he became a mem
Der of the famous steel board, headed
by the late Admiral Bob" Evans,
where he also served two years. finding
time during that period to act as Sec
rotary of the Bunce board engaged in
reorganizing the navy yards.
Three years of sea duty followed,
aboard the monitor Miantonomah. the
dynamite cruiser Vesuvius and the
training ship Essex, ard then period
telligence at Washington In 1897 he
attended the queens jubilee in Eng
land as a lieutenant of the Brooklyn.
In August of that year he was sent out
to the Pacific coast as an officer of the
little gunboat Marietta-the same Ma
rietta, by the way, that now forms part
of his squadron in Haiti.
The opening of the SpanIsh-American
war found the Marietta cruising off the
west coast of Central America She
was dispatched at once for the Atlantic,
via the Straits of Magellan, as advance
agent for the Oregon. her duty being
to provide for a coal supply for the big
fighter at the various ports.
X X
June the Marietta reached Key
West, after three months of continuous
steaming and after travelling 1900
miles. Her performances were really
quite as remarkable as those of the
Oregon. but were lost sight of at the
moment. Too small to be an effective
craft for the battle line. the Marietta
did not take part in the battle of San
tiago, being at Key West as a dispatch
boat at the time.
In 1899, following the war, Admiral
Caperton, then a lieutenant commander,
was put on duty at the navy gun fac
tory in Washington as inspector of
ordnance. From 1901 to 1904 he was on
the Prairie, cruising in West Indian
waters and getting acquainted with the
very sort of a situation he is now ham
ding. year at the Naval War COL
lege at Newport. three years as in
spector of lighthouses. and then long
cruise to China. via Suez. followed He
took the Denver out to the orient, and
then brought back the Maine from Ma.
Mia. also by way of Suez. following
this by taking the Maine on cruise to
the Caribbean.
In 1909 and 1910 he was ashore again,
being naval secretary and executive OF
the lighthouse board. and then came a
period as commandant OF the Newport
station, following which. in November,
1913, he having become q rear admiral
in the meantime. he was assigned to
command the Atlantic reserve fleet
A great variety of service. all this,
but not so bristling with possibilities
As the task upon which he il now en-
gagged. But, in 1t all. he proved his
ability to handle men, and that 10 the
chief requirement in the Haitian prob
en-. for the Haitians Will take some
handling. ASHMUN BROWN.