Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-07-07
5. Navy Veteran
Succumbs TO Disease

WAOF11ING i'm July D. VT -
| Rear Admiral Edward Walter Eb-
erie, retired, died here today.
Admiral Eberle died at the naval
hospital here where he was under
going treatemnt. He had served in
the navy since 1881 when he en-
tered Annapolis naval academy and
had had a distinguished career
which included that of directing the
direction of naval operations.
An ear infection of long stand
ing was the immediate cause OF
the admiral's death.
Admiral Eberle, who was born at
Denton, Texas, retired in August
1923, and was IS years old. At the
time of his retirement he was
ranking officer of the navy by vir-
tue of seniority and was chairman
of the executive committee of the
navy general board. His home was
Fort Smith, Ark.
When Rear Admiral Edward w
Eberle was retired for age in Aug
ust, 1923, he brought to a close
one of the most constructive and
distinguished careers among naval
officers of modern times.
He not only held the highest
naval posts, but instituted, de-
veloped and took an important part
in major changes in naval con-
struction and operation during the
last 25 years Of his service. His
counsel often had been sought by
high government officials in inter-
national matters.
Beginning in September, 1881,
when he entered the Naval Acad-
envy, until he relinquished his post
as senior naval officer and chair
{ man of the naval general board,
Admiral Eberle's Al years of SER
vice was a review of the evolution
Of the navy from the days Of sail
ing vessels to the fast aircraft car
riers of today.
AS illustriouS as was his career,
his accomplishments as an organ
izer of fleets, his knowledge of ma
val tactics and of international af-
fairs and his work as Superintend-
ent Of the naval academy during
the World War, are little better
known than the innovation he
created and developed.
Rear Admiral Eberle wrote the
navy's first work on modern gun
and torpedo drills, which formed
the basis for the present gunnery.
He was an authority on torpedoeS
and mines and their usage. Besides
assisting in the installation of the
first wireless telegraph on naval
ships, he compiled the first instruc-
tons and codes for the first naval
radio communication system, and
later developed it to include air
craft.
Organized FIotiIIa
After he had organized the At
lantic Destroyer Flotilla in 1912,
Admiral Eberle was credited with
a major portion in developing the
smoke screen. While he was COM
mander of the battle fleet first air.
planes were launched from cata-
pultS on the ~battleships. He de-
veloped the use of airplaneS for
gunnery spotting and fire control
aboard warShipS and founded the
planning division of the Washing
ton Navy Yard and Fun Factory,
which alone brought about uni
formity in naval armament con-
Struction.
He reorganized the Pacific fleet
after the war into the battle fleet
and was its commander-in-chief
with the rank of full admiral. Upon
the completion of that work he as
sumed the navy'S highest post,
chief of naval operations at Wash
1ngton, D. G.
During his service in the post,
Admiral Eberle's knowledge of in
ternational affairs proved valuable
IN the Chinese and Nicaraguan rev.
olutions and he played an import
ant part in guiding the govern
ment's policies in those crises. He
was held at that post beyond the
prescribed period Of four yea be-
cause of his skillful handling of
those problems. In the autumn of
1N ONNG4AAO O4lG111lldIl vi .JIlG
navy general board, continuing as
such until his retirement.
Admiral Eberle was born at Den
ton, Texas, August II, 1864, the son
OF Joseph and Mary Eberle. He was
appointed to the naval academy
from Fort Smith, Ark, in 1881 and
was graduated four years later. AS
a young naval officer he learned
sailing craft seamanship while
charting strange waters in the
Behring Sea and the Straight Of
Magellan, and helped to develop
the Tanner sounding device. In
1889, Admiral Eberle married Miss
Tazie Harrison, of San Francisco,
a relative of the late President
Benjamin Harrison. They had one
son, Edward r. Eberle, who, like
his father, became a naval officer.
Commanded Turret
When the ~battleship Oregon made
her historic run from the Pacific
coast around Cape Horn in 1898
to meet the Spanish fleet at San
@s2~@ Nr.I1 El-A-I1 -