William Sheffield Cowles, Comanding the Topeka.

COWLES, William Sheffield Rear-admiral U. S. N.; b. Farmington.Conn.; s. Thomas and Elizabeth (Sheffield)Cowles; appt'd to Naval Acad., July 21, 1863: grad. 1867; promoted to ensign, 1869, and roaster, 1870; commissioned lleut., 1871; lieut.- commander, 1892; commander, June 5, 1899; capt., Nov. 2, 1902. Served on Minnesota in Mediterranean Squadron, 1867-68; Pensacola and Saginaw in N. Pacific Squadron, 1868-70; Naval Observatory, Washington, D. C, 1870; Torpedo Station, Newport, R. I., 1871; practice gunnery ship Constellation, 1872; Alaska. Mediterranean, West Indies, 1873; Alaska, coast of Africa, 1874-1905-06; Tennessee and Monocacy, China station, 1877-78-79 and 80: Navy Yard, N. Y., 1881-82; flag-lleut., N. Atlantic Squadron, 1882-1903-04; sec. Bd. Inspec- tion Merchant Ships, N. Y. City (during this detail served three weeks on Isthmus of Panama, guarding transit across the Isthmus, property of Panama R. R. Co., and property of Am. citizens on the Isthmus), 1884-86; comd'g Despatch, 1887-89 and 1890-91; naval aide to Sec. of Navy, and in charge Naval Militia, 1891-92; naval attache. U. S. Embassy. London, 1893-97; comd'g Fern. North Atlan- tic Squadron, 1897-98; comd'g Topeka, 1898-99 ass't to Bureau of Navigation, 1899-1903; comd'g battleship Missouri, 1903-04; comd'g Topeka, April. 1898, to 1899: assistant. 1899- 1903, chief of Bureau of Equipment, Washing- ton, D. C, since Jan. 23, 1906. with rank of rear-admiral. Address: Navy Dep't, Wash- ington, D. C.