Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1914 — ADMIRAL FLETCHER THE SCIENTIFIC SAILOR OF UNCLE SAM’S BIG HAW Noted Naval Officer Has Invented Some of the Most Valuable Mechanical Contrivances in Use in the Service—He Is Also Exceedingly Well Read in International Law— Was Born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, in 1855. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ADMIRAL FLETCHER THE SCIENTIFIC SAILOR OF UNCLE SAM’S BIG HAW

Noted Naval Officer Has Invented Some of the Most Valuable Mechanical Contrivances in Use in the Service—He Is Also Exceedingly Well Read in International Law— Was Born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, in 1855.

♦ '' Washington.—Friday Fletcher evIha n.iry willa him He got his nickname in a rather odd way. It so chanced that the officer who .now commands the American naval forces in Mexican waters was born on the sixth day of the week in the

town of Oskalooßa, la. The exact date was November 23, 1855. His father on this account ÜBed to call him “my little man Friday.” When he was a little chap of seven his father died. At fourteen he was appointed to Annapolis, and in due course was escorted thither by an older brother, who when called upon to put the youngster's name down on The roster of boys entering the Naval academy, wrote “Frank Friday Fletcher.” \ -This did not particularly please the family, because Friday was not really a part of his name. But naturally under the circumstances it stuck. He was called Friday all through the five years he spent at The academy—he dropped back one class, being rather young to keep up—and ever since that time his fellow officers in the service have known him as Friday Fletcher and nothing else. Young Fletcher was graduated from Annapolis on June 21, 1875, and soon afterward was assigned to duty on board the United States steamer Tuscarora. which was engaged in surveying a submarine route for a projected cable to connect California with Japan. This, by the way, was a very interesting job. ' R involved an exploration of the oc&an depths, almost the first ever made, and specimens of the materials composing the sea floor were brought up from the bottom all the way across the Pacific. Just east of Japan the Tuscarora discovered the deepest hole that exists anywhere in the world, a marine- abyss, known to this day as the Tuscarora Deep, the soundings failing to touch bottom at five and a quarter miles below the waves. Although accident first directed young Fletcher’s attention to scientific matters, incidentally to his professional duties, he soon showed a special aptitude for such pursuits. He has an investigative turn of mind, and if he had not happened to. become a naval officer it is altogether likely that he would have been an inventor. Indeed, some of the most valuable mechanical contrivances used in the navy, especially *n connection with guns, were originated by him. Among these are improvements in telescopic sights; -he well-known Fletcher breech closing mechanism, and a frictionless gun mount for quick fire rifles. Another very remarkable cruise, in 1879-1881, took the young officer to Korea, on the steam sloop Ticonderoga. then a formidable warship. Commanded by Commodore R. W. Shufeldt, she was sent around the world in obedience to a special order of congress. and in behalf of the department of state, to make what was called a commercial and diplomatic cruise. The most important object of the expedition was to open negotiations with the government of Korea for a treaty which would insure the protection of the lives and property of Americans It v/as also desired to open Korea to American commerce, and Japan, being at that time on very cordial terms with the United States, had signified her willingness to lend assistance toward this end. But when the Tlcorideroga entered the harbor of Fusan, fused tc accept the letter hand'd to them b; Commodore Slrufeldt, on the ground that it was addressed »-> the king of Korea, whereas their monarch was properly designated as the king of Chro-Sen —which, being translated, means “Land of the Morning Calm." Accordingly, the American vessel was Obliged to withdraw with nothing acoompllshed, her departure being sig-

nalized by a derisive salute from a Korean fort _ Korea, although nominally an independent monarchy, was in reality under the suzerainty of China. Accordingly, the expedition proceeded to Chi-’ nese waters and, after spending a year there all difficulties were surmounted, and the Ticonderoga returned t 8 Korea, thereupon negotiating a treaty which was signed b;~ thebigh contractittg parties in a temporary pavilion erected on an point of land opposite the ship. The next noteworthy duty to which Fletcher was assigned was an expedition of a purely scientific character, the object in view being to determine with accuracy the longitude of a series of points in South and Central America. This .work was accomplished by observation of the stars, supplemented by the use of telegraph, the task being part of a network of longitude determinations made by various civilized nations and encircling the entire earth. ~ On the way back from the Peruvian Andes, where the last longtitude observations had been made, Fletcher reached the city of Panama just in time to find that town suffering from a more than ordinarily severe epidemic of yellow fever. People were dying of the disease like flies, and during a fortnight which he spent in the harbor much against his will landing parties were going ashore from the vessels every day to bury victims. That was in 1884. Since then professional dutieo have been of a much varied character. At different times* he has commanded the torpedo boat Cushing, the gunboats Kanawha and Eagle, the cruiser Raleigh and the battleship Vermont. Three years ago, although only a captain at the time, he was made aid for material to the secretary of the navy, a place ordinarily not assigned to an officer under the grade of rear admiral. For some time he was in command of the torpedo station at Newport, and in regard to torpedo boats and subma-

Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher.