Evening star., 1919-12-30

Ru41ShCRY, u. 9. n, RETIRED.
Rear Admiral John Elliott Pills.
kurys U, N, retired. president OF
the National Geographic Society and
renowned both as gallant sailor and
an,eminent scientist, died at his resi-
dence, lisa @ street northwest, about
So'clock this morning.
The retired oficer had suffered from
an<illness of. several months stand
ing. Lately he had Improved. how
ever. and his sudden end came as a
great rock. He was found in the
bathroom of his residence by men,
bers- Of his household. and evidently
had been dressing for the day when
were summoned gave as their opinion
that the Immediate cause of his de-
mfse was heart complication.
Admiral Pillsbury is survived by his
wife, who was Miss Florence Green
wood Aitcheson of Portland, Me-; by
q married daughter. Mrs. Edward B.
hardsOp of Boston, Mass. and by
four fgrandchfldren. No arrange
ments for the funeral have been made
as yet. but the ceremonies, in accord
apce with his expressed wishes, will
b< most simple in character.
Was Born In 1S46-
Born at Lowell, Mass, December Is,
1876. the distinzHdshed onicer grad,
Academy in 1867. BY 1898 he had Risen
to the grade of ieutenant commander.
by 1909 to captain ard by 1905 TO rear
admiral During the Spanish-Ameri-
can war he commanded the famous
dynamite ship yesuvius.- and naval
officers who served with him in the
operations around Cuba still talk en-
Enthusiastically of his seamanship, gum
merry and bravery in the naval in
-vestiture of Santiago On numerous
nights he would work his vessel in
toward the harbor mouth, maneuver
it SO that il pointed in the right di-
rection and let fly the charges from
The three fixed dynamite tubes with
astoundingly damaging results to the
fortifieations of MORO Castle.
Later he was in charge of the
equipment department of the Boston
navysyard, and in 1912 commanded
the O. 8. s. Prairie. Following this
he, was on duty in, Washington as
a<member Of the general board and
OF navigation In 1905 he served as
chief Of STAFF of the north Atlantic
feet under Rear Admiral Robley D.
Evans. and in 1908 became chief of
retired toward the end of that year
and relieved from active duty in July,
1909. y
Was Noted GeOsrapher.
Although Admiral Pillsbury's attain
ments as a sailor and fighting man
were noteworthy. he is best known as
being one of the foremost seograph-
ers of the world. He was actively
Identified with the Na,ional Geo
graphic Society for many years; held
a long tenure of Office as one of its
vice presidents. and about year age
was honored with the presidency oi
the organization. His best known
in -ifh
vestigation of the gulf stream and
his writings on that subject are ac-
ce2ted as the most authoritative in
the world He served one year in the
photographic office and for ten years
in the coast survey service.
He commanded the coast survey
steamer Blake from 1884 until 1891 !:
anchored his vessel for many months
at a depth Of two miles, and under
took the most careful and thorough
the water of this great ocean cur
rent all the way from the bottom to
the surface. In these researches he
used scientific instruments of his own
invention. He established the posi-
tion of the axis of the stream in the
teras and determined many of the
laws by which it's flow is governed
He was a fellow of the American AS
sociation for the Advancement OF
sciences ana neHDer oi the Amerl-
can Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Aided DIR. Cook investigation.
Admiral Pillsbury in 1909 was ap-
pointed a member of the special COM
mittee by the National Geogra phio
Society to pass on the question as to
whether the north pole was discov-
cred before 1909. as claimed by DR.
Cook The other members of the
committee were Prof. ]. Howard Gore
formerly professor of mathematics OF
Georxo Washington University, and
Dr.~C, willard Hayes. chief geologist
of tho United States geological sur.
vey.