New-York tribune., 1917-07-25
Admiral Capps
Won Fame With
Warship Design

Rear Admiral Washington Lee Capps
new general manager Of the Emer'
rency Fleet Corporation, has been iden'
titled with the navy for many years
More than any other man, Admiral
Camps is responsible for the modern
battleship Of the dreadrought type, and
officials of the Navy Department yes
terday expressed the belief that the
selection Of Rear Admiral Capps sound
ed the death knell of the wooden shlT
as the general type of construction.
General Goethals's successor is fifty
three years old, having been born al
Portsmouth, Va, on January 81, 1864
He was graduated from the United
States Naval Academy in 1884 and re-
ceived the degree of Bachelor of Sci
ence from the University of Glasgow
IN 1889. The honorary degree OF Doc
tor of Science was conferredson Rear
Admiral Capps by the same institution
IN 1912. Since June, 1886. when he was
appointed assistanu naval constructor
Rear Admiral Capps's labors have been
concentrated on naval constructive
work. He served under Admiral
Dewey as commander in chief OF the
As;atic station in 169S-'99; was head
of the construction department OF the
navy ward at New York from 1901 to
1903, and was chief naval constructor
with the rank of rear admiral, from
1903 to 1910. He resigned as chief Of
the bureau in the latter year and was
given permanent command as CHIEF
constructor. maintaining the rank OF
rear admiral. At the outbreak Of the
war. in 1914. Rear Admiral Capps was
IN London, attending a safety OF the
sea conference.
Capps Built Big Ships
While chief constructor in the Roose-
welt Administration, Capps evolved the
ll-big-gun ship and secured its adop-
ton over the protests OF many line
officers like Admiral Sims. He is also
responsible for the skeleton mast, one
of the distinctive features Of American
bsttleships. As chief constructor,
Rear Admiral Capps also made a spe-
cial study Of the protection of ships
from naval attacks.
In 1908 the rear admiral became in
volved in controversy with Henry
Reuterdahl, the naval writer and art
ist. who declared that the warships
constructed under the supervision OF
Rear Admiral Capps were faulty. A
similar controversy took place some
what later, when Commander Albert
L. Key, ex-aid to President Roosevelt,
made the same charges. In both in
stances Admiral Capps was sustained
Rear Admiral Cepps was married on
December 2S, 1911, at Roslyn, Long
Island, 20 Edna Ward, daughter Of
Rear Admiral Ward. He is member
of many scientific societies and clubs.
Hurley a Self-Made Man
Edward Nash Hurley, successor 70
William Denman as chairman of the
Shipping Board, rose from the job of
engineer on the Burlington Railroad
TO the presidency of one of the great
est manufacturing concerns in the
country. Mr.. Hurley was not widely
known before he was appointed a mem
Der of the Federal Trade Commission
in 1913, but since that time his name
has become familiar as that of an
earnest government worker. Recently
his name was mentioned in connection
with an appointment TO Cabinet
position, it being rumored that he
would succeed William c. Redfe'd
Secretary of Commerce, who. it is un-
derstood, will become associated with
some large business firm.
Mr.. Hurley was born in 1854 and re.
ceived a public school education. After
serving in the capacities of railroad d
engineer and travelling salesman he be-
came manager of the United States
Metallic Packing Company. He origi-
mated and developed the pneumatic
tool industry in the United States ard
Europe and was organizer, president
and treasurer of the Standard Pneu-
matte Tool Company. In 1913 he was
appointed by the Secretary of Con-
merce as United States Trade Con-
missioners to Latin-American republics
On his return TO this country Mr.. Hur-
ley wrote a report on the possibilities
of the United States securing a large
proportion OF the trade OF Central and
South American countries that has
been incorporated in hundreds of trade
reports since.
When Joseph +. Davies, chairman of
the Trade Commission, resigned, Mr.
Hurley was selected to I'LL the vacancy.
Early this year he resigned to look
after his diversified business Interests
Colby Supported Wilson
Bainbridge Colby, selected to fill the
place vacated by Captain j. B. White
on the shipping Board, was born in 81.
Louis, but most Of his life has been
spent in New York. He is forty-eight
years old and one of the best known
lawyers In the country.