Evening star., 1936-08-31
KANE COMMANDER
FORMERLY IN D. c.
Lieut.. Comdr. John D. Avis
Was on Duty in Bureau
of AeronauticS.

The commander Of the u. s. s.
Kane, the American destroyer at
tackled yesterday by Spanish air
plane, Lieut.. Comdr. John D. Alvis,
served here just prior to going to sea
and has aboard several other officers
known in Washington.
Although the Kane was sent from
New York August II to aid in evacu-
ating American citizens and ostensibly
to relieve the battleship Oklahoma,
it was revealed at the Navy Depart
ment today that no orders have yet
been published calling the Oklahoma
back to the United States. The Kane
reached Gibraltar last Friday.
Comdr. Alvis made his home here
at BIT Seventeenth street, near the
Army and Navy Club. He was on
duty in the Bureau Of Aeronautics, in
charge Of the maintenance division,
from June, 1888, to June, 1885. Comdr.
Alvis is a qualified aviator, although
he was relieved from duty involving
flying in July, 1888, at his own request.
Graduate Of Annapolis in 1917.
Alvis Is described by fellow officers
here as a methidocal, calm, resolute
man of retiring disposition. He is
known Familiarity as Tex" q nick
name he has carried since Annapolis
days. He was born December 9. 1894.
at Winnsboro. Tex, and graduated
from the Naval Academy in June, 1917.
Following the World War, he went to
the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla,
for aviation training and qualified as
pilot in June, 1922. He served with
the aircraft squadrons Of the battle
force on the Pacific and then went
back to Pensacola as flying instructor
He then served with an observation
squadron on the battleship Arizona,
became staff officer to the commander
Of the aircraft squadrons of the battle
force. and had experience in the
patrol planes at the fleet air base,
Coco Solo. Calan Zone. He then served
again with the battle force in OBJ
servation Squadrons and 4. From
that assignment he came to Wash
ington.
Ensign Emory D. Stanley, jr, son
OF Capt. Emory D. Stanley, feet sup
ply officer on the staff of the COM
mander in chief of the Asiatic Fleet,
Is serving aboard the Kane. The
Stanleys are known here, Capt. STAN
ley having served here as general in
spector, Supply Corps, with headquar-
tiers in the Bureau Of Supplies and
Accounts, Navy Department.
Lieut.. q. g. Milton D. Fairchild,
gunnery officer on the Kane, who was
in charge Of the return fire against
the Spaniard. is a native of Month
cello, KY. Other officers of the Kane
are Lieut.. q. g. Spencer A. Carlson
of Petaluma. Calf; Lieut.. q. g.
Calvin B. White of the Supply Corps,
the disbursing officer, Of Wills Point,
Tex, and Lieut.. J. G. Warren E.
Klein, Medical Corps, of Memphis,
Tenn.
Came to East Coast in May.
The Kane participated in feet bat
tie exercises last Spring and came TO
the East Coast late in May for visits
to Atlantic ports. For four years
previously the ship had been based
with other destroyers of the Scouting
Force at San Diego, Calf.
OF 1,1sO tons displacement. the
Kane was built at Camden, N. j., and
was assigned in 1920 to Division 27,
Destroyer Squadron 3. Atlantic Fleet.
and during the following year was
employed in European waters. She
remained in the Atlantic until late
in 1880. when she was placed out Of
commission at the Philadelphia Navy
Yard She was recommissioned in
April, 1882, and assigned to the
Rotating Reserve Squadron Of the
Scouting Force.
The Kane is 3l4 feet, inches in
length overall, with a beam Of 80
feet inches and a draft of feet 8
inches. She carried four 4-inch So
caliber guns and one 3-inch 23-
caliber anti-aircraft gun. She also
has triple torpedo tubes.
The Kane was named for DR.. Elisha
Kent Kane, who died in Havana.
Cuba, February 16, 1857, following a
distinguished career as a naval medi-
cal officer He participated in the
Arctic expedition in search of Sir
John Franklin and his companions in
1850 and three years later sailed on
the second Grinnell expedition to the
Arctic. He was wounded in the Mexi-
can war while serving with the
Marine Corps.