The Topeka state journal., 1922-10-02
NAVAL HERO DEAD
End Comes to Rear Admiral
Charles e. Clarke.
Made Record Voyage During
Spanish-American War.

| Long Beach, Cal, Oct. 2.-Simple
funeral services will be held here to-
| morrow afternoon for Rear Admiral
| Charles Z. Clarke, commander of the
| battleship oregon during the Spanish
American war, who died yesterday at
the residence of his daughter. Mrs.
| Charles F. Hughes. wife of Rear Ad
miral Hughes, commander of the
| Seventh battle division of the Pacific
fleet.
Admiral Clarke was 10 years old
and had been in excellent health until
about ten days ago when an attack
| of heart trouble sent him 20 his bed.
| His daughter and son-in-law were
| with him when death came. The fu-
| nera! will be held at the Hughes resi-
dence and will be attended only by
close friends, who include many of
the highest officers in the Pacific
| fleet.
Rear Admiral Clarke is survived by
a widow and two daughters.
| 1t was Rear Admiral Charles E.
Clarke, who guided the battleship
| Oregon in its race against time on Il
voyage equal to half way around the
world without a single serious mishap
! to men or machinery.
! This remarkable race occurred dur
ing the opening days of the Spanish
/ American war in 1898. Clarke, then
| captain, was % years OlO- lie Sa1leu
| from San Francisco on March 19. Be-
! tween him and his destination was
| the continent of South America, the
gales and turbulent waters of the
| Straits of Magellan, where a Spanish
| torpedo boat lurked also, and a fleet
| of formidable Spanish warships cruis-
ing in the Caribbean sea. On the aft
| ernoon of the siXty-seventh day of
| sailing, the Oregon steamed into Jupi-
| ter Inlet on the coast of Florida, un-
harmed and ready for battle.
Is Worlds Record.
It is the worlds record, which prob
ably will never be equalled-7it prob
| ably will never again be attempted.
The Panama canal removes the neces-
sity. A modern battleship could be
transferred from San Francisco to the
Florida coast in time of war thru the
canal in less than twenty days.
Rear Admiral Clark was born in
Vermont in 1S43. At the age of 20
| he had been ordered to the West Gulf
Blockading Squadron in the Civil War
before he had finished his second year
at Annapolis. A year later he was
beds and past the forts in the battle
of Mobile Bay
Shipwrecked in 1868.
Clarke's naval career was varied. He
was shipwrecked off the coast OF
British Columbia in 1868 when the
SuWanee fOundered, ana tnru the loss
of his superior Officers became COM
mander of the 33 survivors. He or
ganized them into a defensive party to
hofd off 400 hostile Indians until res
cue arrived. He watched the Span
| iards, whom he was later TO engage in
battle, lombard Valparaiso and Cal
lao; he served on the Pacific, West
Indies and Asiatic stations; was at
tached to the Brooklyn. Mare Island
and Portsmouth navy yards, and in
structed a class at Annapolis. He
spent three years in surveying the
North Pacific coast, and four years ir
inspecting lighthouses.
He, on board the Oregon, helped tC
destroy the Spanish fleet at Santiago
and was advanced six numbers ir
rank for his distinguished services. Al
the age of So he again was advanced
in rank, seven numbers, and promoted
to rear admiral.
Admiral Clarke rounded out his ca
reer as commander of the League
Island navy yard; as governor fol
three years of the Naval Home al
Philadelphia; and as president of the
naval examining and retiring board
He wa retired from the active service
in 1905, on his 62nd birthday.