The Navy Relieves the Captain of the Baltimore
Captain William Whitehead is ousted after just two months following complaints of discourtesy and a near-miss with his ship off the Oregon coast.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Captain William Whitehead, of the U.S. cruiser Baltimore, now in the harbor, will be relieved of his command by Captain William B. Bridgeman, whose place on the board of inspection and survey is to be filled by Commander Phillip Cooper. Captain Bridgeman arrived in the city yesterday and was met and entertained by Captain Whitehead. The action of the Secretary of the Navy will be a surprise to most, though it has been known in naval circles since June 4. The removal of Captain Whitehead, after a command of only two months, is alleged to be due to numerous complaints of discourtesy towards visitors. It is also reported that the officers on the vessel joined in the complaints. It is claimed that the first thing which attracted the attention of Secretary Tracy was the narrow escape the Baltimore had from being dashed to pieces on the rocks off the Oregon coast, while on her way from San Francisco to Victoria. The escape of the ship from destruction without even a scratch is regarded as a miracle.
“The escape of the ship from destruction without even a scratch is regarded as a miracle.”
Naval command transitions remain highly sensitive, even if the 'discourtesy' complaints that plagued Whitehead in 1892 seem like a bygone era of institutional hierarchy. The incident highlights the high stakes of maritime navigation in the Pacific Northwest, where the treacherous coastal geography has defined the careers and failures of captains for generations.
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