The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-06-04
Destroyer Division Arrives
This Morning; Vessels VIII
Remain Here Until Monday
Four Ships Comprising Flo
tilla Take Berths AT
Piers Fronting Naval
Station

Destroyer Division Eight,
United States Navy, arrived in
port this morning and the four
vessels of the division are berth
ed at the naval station. They will
remain in port until Monday when
they are scheduled to sail at an
early hour for Charleston, S. C.
1t is possible, it was said by
Commander A. S. Merrill. com.
manding officer of the division,
that the Barry, which is the flag
ship of the division, may sail at
midnight Saturday in order to ef-
feet certain transfers of officer
personnel in Charleston on June
8, in compliance with Navy De-
partment orders.
Each ship is manned by ap-
proximately six officers and 100
men. However, says the COM
handing officer, the vessels are
over completed in officer person
mel as there are numerous officer
passengers en- route from sea
duty with the fleet to shore duty
in the east.
Roster Of the officers show: U.
S. S: Barry, division flagship,
Commander A. S. Merrill, division
commander. Lieutenant Com
mander c. Allen, Lieutenant Gg)
C. E. Austin, executive officer.
Lieutenant (ig) J. NJ. O'Toole,
Ensigns S. H. Pattie, n. H. Meyer
and N. E. Kingsley. Officer pas
sengers are: Lieutenant (jg) A.
j. Miller, Ensign Lefelar, Jr.
u. S. S. Williamson: Lieutenant
Commander Nj. K. Aiken, COM
manding; Lieutenant D. Grover,
executive officer; Lieutenant
Gg) F. T. Sloat, Lieutenant
(jg) P. T. Smith, Ensigns J. w.
Kearns, w. A. Hunt, Jr., E. D.
Robertson. Officer passengers,
Lieutenant Gg) j. S. Dorsey, En-
sign Gerlach.
U. S. S. Gilmer: Commander G.
L. Schetky, commanding; Lieu
tenant (jg) C. I. Corbin, ex-
ecutive; Lieutenant Gg) E. j.
Dunn, Lieutenant (jg) C. E.
Mott, Ensigns F. McMaster, L. H.
Birthisel and ]. NJ. Ennis. Of
ficer passengers, Lieutenants Gg)
III. N. Larsen, C. L. Engleman.
u. S. S. Childs: Lieutenant
Commander H. J. Walker, COM
manding; Lieutenant II. B. South
worth, executive; Lieutenant Gg)
j. E. Fradd, Lieutenant (jg) C.
r. Herms, Ensigns r. L. Abraham
son, H. F. Carroll, and c. d.
Rhymes. Officer passengers.
Lieutenant w. A. Bowers, Ensign
r. NJ. Noxon.
To Grant Liberty
In the letter to the mayor Com
mander advised that liberty will
be granted to the enlisted men in
two watches, that is about half of
each crew will be allowed ashore
at one time. 1t is the intention of
Commander Merrill, he said, to es-
tablish a small patrol whose only
duties. "I trust" will be to CO.
operate with the police in direct
ing the sailors toward the many
points of interest in the city.
The four ships will be open to
visitors daily from l to 5 in the
afternoon and it will be consider
ed a pleasure on the part of the
officers of the vessel. it is said,
to receive as many visitors as the
city can afford.
In his letter the Division Com
mander Merrill concludes az am
personally anticipating with the
greatest pleasure this return visit
to Key West. / was first here in
the Destroyer Roe % years ago.
Then in the u. s. S. Conyngham
two years later later. Ny last
visit was with this same Eighth
Division. when I commanded the
U. S. Williamson. This was in
1881. 1t would be difficult for
me to forget the delightful hos
pitality so generously bestowed on
each occasion"