Evening star., 1934-01-16
REAR ADMIR-. RAbY
DIES IN CAR CRASH
Officer Was Research Expert
and Aviator-FuneraI
Plans Wait. &

Sudden death claimed one Of the
Nays most experienced research ex-
perts and aviators yesterday afternoon,
when Rear Admiral James j. Raby, So,
commandant of the Charleston Navy
Yard and the sixth, seventh and eighth
naval districts. was killed in an auto
mobile crash near Savannah. Ga.
Admiral Raby was particularly WELL
known in Washington, where he was
stationed at the Washington Navy Yard
from April. 1919, to February, 1922. as
captain of the yard and assistant super
intendent Of the naval gun factory. His
duties required him frequently to come
to the Capital in recent years.
According to Associated Press reports,
the naval officer was almost instantly
killed when his automobile overturned
| while passing another machine on the
Coastal Highway. Mrs. E. P. Aber-
nethy, wife of Lieut.. E. P. Abernethy,
Admiral Raby's aid, was seriously in
jured and taken to Savannah hospital.
Lieut.. Abernethy was driving the car.
Ordered to California.
Admiral Rabys party was en- route
to Charleston from a visit in Florida.
He had been appointed to the COM
mand at Charleston in 1880, and on
July /. last, his duties had combined all
the naval activities in the South. At
| the time of his death he was under
recent orders to take command of the
twelfth naval district at Mare Island,
Calf
No information had been received at
the Navy Department early today re-
| garding plans for the funeral. The ad-
miralS home address was San Fran
| cisco, where he married Miss Jane CAL
III. Il
daughters survive him.
Admiral Raby was born in Bay City,
Mich, September IT, 1874, and was
, graduated from the Naval Academy in
1891. During the Spanish American
War he served on the U. S. S. Marietta
| in the Cuban blockade.
His long service in the Navy was dis
| tinguished by splendid record in peace
| as well as in war. For his services in
| Navy Cross as commander of the u S.
S. Albany. used In conveying troops.
Later he was in command of the battle
ship Missouri with the Atlantic Fleet.
He was awarded a special commenda-
| ton from the War Department.
Immediately after the war he was
| given the appointment at the Wash
| ington Navy Yard being second in
| command at the station. After that
| tour ended he commanded Destroyer
| Squadron 9 Of the Scouting Fleet and
later took command of the cruiser
Rochester.
Headed Air Squadron.
From June. 1923. to April. 1926. he
served as commandant of the Naval
Station at Pensacola. Fla, with rank
of captain. During the latter year he
/ enrolled as naval aviator and the
following year was promoted to rear
| admiral.
He was the second officer of the
Navy with the rank of captain to
| qualify as naval aviator Since then
he made a distinguished record in
aviation circles After a tour as COM
mander Of the Air Squadron of the
Scouting Fleet. Admiral Raby returned
to Pensacola to command the Air Sta
tion and also the Eighth Naval Dis
| trict.
During 1929 and 1880 he attended the
Naval War College at Newport. r. l..
and then was given command of Train
| Squadron ! Of the Fleet Base Force.
: He served in that capacity until ap-
pointed to command the Sixth Naval
District at Charleston, which also took
IN the navy yard. Recently his duties
were extended to the whole Southern
| area