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Immediately after graduating, in August, 1864, he entered the United States Navy,
as Acting Assistant Paymaster. He was attached to the U. S. steamer Unadilla, and
participated in both engagements at Fort Fisher, and later in the James River, at the fall
of Richmond, Virginia. He was commissioned Assistant Paymaster in the Regular Service
in February, 1867, and promoted to Passed Assistant Paymaster in September, 1868. For
over three years he served in the home squadron on board the steamers Ascutney and
Tallapoosa. During the years 1871-2, he was on duty in the Navy Department at
Washington, D. C. In June, 1872, he sailed from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on the U.
S. steamer Tuscarora, for the Pacific Ocean, and returned home on the completion of
the cruise, in September, 1875. Some very important work was done during that time.
Two lines of deep-sea soundings were completed across the Pacific; one from San Diego,
California, to Yokohama, Japan, touching at Honolulu and the Bonin Islands, and on the
return from Japan by the northern route, touching at the islands of Tanaga and
Ounalaska, in the Aleutian group, and thence to Cape Flattery. Soundings were also
made off and on the coast from Cape Flattery to San Diego, California, to determine the
true continental outline, and also an additional line from San Francisco, California, to
Honolulu. Nineteen thousand miles of deep-sea soundings were completed, and the
deepest water ever recorded was accurately sounded, namely, five and one-quarter
statute miles.
On returning from this cruise, he was attached to the U.S. steamer Despatch and
cruised in the Mediterranean Sea, and was afterward stationed at Constantinople, near
the close of the Turko-Russian war. Here he had the pleasure of lunching with the
gallant General Skobeleff. While stationed here, he embraced the opportunity for a trip
to the Holy Land. After an absence of over three years, he was detached from the
Despatch and came home, visiting Paris during the Exposition, and also London, on the
way. After "waiting orders'' for a short time, he was ordered to the Torpedo Station at
Newport, Rhode Island, where he remained until September, 1882. In 1879 he was
promoted to full Paymaster, which position he holds at present.
He was next ordered to the U. S. Steamer Juniata, and sailed from New York
City November 28, 1882. I have received from him two long letters, giving very full and
interesting accounts of his present cruise. Space will only allow of a brief abstract. He
stopped first at Fayal for several weeks, thence to Gibraltar, Malta, Alexandria and
Cairo, in Egypt; through the Suez Canal, calling at Muscat, thence up the Persian Gulf,
and to Bussorah, a place eighty miles up the Euphrates River. From there be went to
Bombay, Colombo, Madras, Calcutta, Rangoon and Singapore, arriving there just
after the disastrous earthquake in the Strait of Sunda. There they received orders from our
Government by cable to proceed to the Strait, and ascertain the dangers to navigation,
and warn vessels. They surveyed the situation and found scenes of desolation and
destruction. Aujer Point, a week before, had been a town of twelve thousand inhabitants,
but now not a soul was left to tell the tale. It was an important place of call for all
deep-water ships from Europe or America to China, for fresh water and provisions. It
contained many large buildings, a telegraph station for cables, and an important
lighthouse. After the eruption of Krakatoa, there came a tidal wave, forty feet high,
which swept over the point, carrying everything down, not a tree or building being left
standing. They anchored for two nights immediately under the island of Krakatoa, the
cause of all this disaster. This island was 2,600 feet high, and it was split in two
perpendicularly from the crater by the earthquake, one half disappearing in the sea,
leaving a perpendicular wall 2,600 feet high on one side. It was still smoking when he
was there, and he said it made him feel as though his little boy wanted to see him!
From there he went to Batavia, where they received orders to go to Hong Kong,
China. On the voyage, they experienced a severe typhoon, which blew one of the ship's
boats from the davits; but they weathered it safely, and arrived at Hong Kong October 2,
1883. Here they received orders to proceed immediately to Canton, China, to look after
American interests. He writes me from Canton, under date of December 9,
1883, giving
a full description of the place, and the warlike preparations being made by the Chinese.
His future course will be to Nagasaki, Shanghai, Korea and Yokohama; thence to
Australia, the islands of the Pacific, San Francisco and home, expecting to arrive in the
Fall of 1885. He writes that they have everywhere been the recipients of the most
bountiful hospitality.
In his religious views, he is an Episcopalian. In politics, he is a Republican.
He was married June 28, 1882, to Miss Maud Hazard, of Newport, Rhode Island.
They have one child, Goodwin, born June 1, 1883.
Source: "Memorialia
of the Class of '64 in Dartmouth College" complied by
John C. Webster, Shepard & Johnston, Printers, 1884,
Chicago
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