USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > Newton war memorial > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20
While the people of Massachusetts were celebrat- ing the 142nd anniversary of the first shot fired in the American Revolution, two Massachusetts men, Capt. Emery Rice of Allston, in command of the Mongolia, and Lieut. Bruce R. Ware, Jr., U. S. N., of Newton, in command of the gun crew, were striking the first American blow against the armed forces of Germany in the present war.
The gun from which the present shot was fired had been named by its crew for America's militant ex- president. Theodore Roosevelt.
Capt. Rice, who has arrived at a British port, told the story. There was no doubt, he said, that the submarine was hit, and every reason to believe it was sunk.
The shell, fired at a range of 1000 yards, was seen to shatter the periscope.
Instead of ricochetting, it disappeared, indicating that it had found a mark.
Oil immediately appeared on the surface, another indication that the U-boat was mortally wounded.
The Mongolia was going at full speed and was a long distance away when the spray and foam subsided, but from the bridge the officers observed the spot through their glasses and they are confident the sub- marine was sunk.
Capt. Rice outlined the incident with modesty, but he could not quite conceal the pride he felt in the achievement of his ship.
He paid a high tribute to the gunners and especially to the manner in which they were handled by the officer who directed the firing of the telling shot.
"For five days and nights," said Capt. Rice, "I hadn't had my clothes off, and we kept a big force of look- outs on duty all the time.
"It was 5:20 o'clock in the afternoon of the 19th that we sighted the submarine. The officer command- ing the gunners was with me on the bridge, where, in fact. we had been the most of the time throughout the voyage.
"There was a haze over the sea at the time. We had just taken a sounding, for we were getting near shal- low water, and we were looking at the lead when the first mate cried: 'There's a submarine off the port bow.'
"The submarine was close to us-too close in fact for her purposes, and she was submerging again in order to maneuver in a better position for torpedoing us when we sighted her.
We saw the periscope go down and the swirl of the water. I quickly ordered a man at the wheel to put it to starboard, and we swung the nose of the ship toward the spot where the submarine had been seen.
"We were going full speed ahead, and two minutes after we first sighted the U-boat, it emerged again
about 1000 yards off. Its intention probably had been to catch us broadside on, but when it appeared we had the stern gun trained full on it.
"The lieutenant gave the command and the big gun boomed. We saw the periscope shattered and the shell and the submarine disappeared.
"I can't speak too highly of the cool manner in which the lieutenant handled his crew of gunners. It was a fine exhibition of the efficiency of American Naval men. The lieutenant knew before the shell struck the sub- marine that its aim was accurate.
"There is no guess work about it, but a case of pure mathematics. Taking the speed at which the Mongolia was traveling at the time and the speed which the sub- marine undoubtedly would make, and computing these figures with the distance we were from the submarine when it was first sighted and when it appeared the second time, it can be shown that the lieutenant had his gun sighted to the inch. And it must be remembered that the whole affair took only two minutes.
"I assure you we didn't stop to reconnoitre after the accident, but steamed away at full speed, for it was not improbable that there was another submarine about.
"The submarine undoubtedly had been lying on the bottom at this spot, waiting for the ship, and came up when it heard our propellers.
"I immediately sent a wireless message stating that a submarine had been seen.
"That's about all the story, excepting this: The gunners had named the guns on board the Mongolia and the one which got the submarine was called Theo- dore Roosevelt; so Teddy fired the first gun of the war, after all."
The commander. Bruce R. Ware, Jr., was born in Newton, Massachusetts, February 27, 1887, attended the Newton schools. When in the sophomore year of the High School, in 1903. was appointed to the U. S. Naval Academy, and graduated in 1907.
Record to June 1, 1920, as follows :
Turret officer on U. S. S. Washington.
Turret officer on U. S. S. West Virginia.
Chief Engineer officer on U. S. S. Arethusa.
Chief Engineer officer on U. S. S. Buffalo. Chief Engineer officer on U. S. S. Helena.
Was on the Helena at Hankow, China, during the Chinese Revolution. Took one year post graduate course at U. S. Naval Academy, then one year at Co- lumbia University, receiving degree of Master of Arts. Chief Engineer Officer, U. S. S. Maine.
Engineer Officer, U. S. S. Texas.
Commander gun crew, S. S. Mongolia.
Navigating and gunnery officer, U. S. S. Agamem- non.
Received medal from American Defense Society for firing the first shot in the war, and sinking a sub- marine.
Advanced in rank to Lieut. Commander and then to Commander Instructor at U. S. Naval Academy.
Was married to Nannie D. Norris of Baltimore, in 1908.
101
A STORY OF WAR BY A FIGHTER
The following story of four years' experience in the British Army was written by Corporal William Hague. a night worker at the Saxony Worsted Mills at Newton. Hague and his brother John left the Saxony Mills in 1915 to fight against the Hun. John was killed in action on September 10. 1916.
Perhaps there is no man who has returned from the conflict in Europe who saw more hard fighting than William Hague.
"My brother and I left the Saxony Worsted Mills on the tenth of February, 1915, to join the British forces in England. We enlisted the tenth of March and were sent to a training camp at Caterham. We were in training there until June and then left for new Quarters at Chelsea Barracks in London, where we had another six months' final training before going to France. We left England for France the twenty- sixth of December, 1915, and arrived at Havre on the twenty-seventh. Then we marched from the docks up to Harfleur to a large camping ground to await orders to move up to the firing line.
"AAfter receiving orders we marched to a place called Popperinge, about 10 miles from Ypres. We got into the firing line the second day of the new year. 1916, where we worked in and out of the line until July. The great battle of the Somme was starting. and our regiment, the First Battalion Grenadier Guards, was ordered down there. Then came a march which lasted two weeks. Marching all night and resting days we arrived at a place called Carnay in the sand hills, where we rested for four days before going into the firing line again.
"The ninth of September saw us once again into the fray and on Sunday the tenth, we were shelled all day long without a stop. In the middle of the day the Germans had got our range fairly well and amused themselves dropping big shells in our trenches. We were sitting down to have our dinner of hard tack
and bully beef when they landed one where my brother and I were located with about 12 others of our com- pany and this was where I had the ill-luck or fate to see my own brother killed along with 10 of the others. I escaped without injury. We buried them that day and the next day we marched to Thrones Wood, which we took on the morning of the twelfth.
"Then we pushed on through the wood and had an- other battle to capture a village called Ginchy. also a railway depot, a place called Gillemont, which looked more like a dump than a railway station. We captured both places and then came another battle to take a sugar factory at Le Tranlay, which lasted five days. It was here I got my first wound, a slight one in the knee, which put me out of action until the eleventh of November. On the twelfth of November. I got my second wound in the foot. also trench feet. which put me out of action until September 10. 1917.
"By the fifteenth of September came the third battle of Ypres, in which I took part. Then we held the line until October the nineteenth, when we had another battle for a village called Langemark, which we took after a fierce fight and great loss of lives. Our regi- ment was then sent to a rest camp, where we were supposed to rest up, but we did more work here than on the firing line. Such was our rest camp at Calais.
"On the ninth of November we went up the line again and on the eleventh we had a battle for a wood called Bourton Wood. These woods were held by the Germans for more than a year and it was some fight to rout them out. We did it in four days' hard fight- ing. with very little to eat and drink. Then came the battle of Cambrai, where we lost more than half our regiment. It was here I got my worst wound. 1 sniper got me as I was taking a message to another company. Arriving in England I was sent to a hospital in Sheffield. where I stayed until July, 1918. I was then sent to an army school where I passed out as an instructor with a first-class certificate, a position held until discharged and sent back to the dear old U. S. A."
102
END OF PART I
103
REPRESENTATIVE MEN
OF
NEWTON
MASSACHUSETTS
All portraits, unless otherwise indicated, are by BACHRACH
JOHN WINGATE WEEKS. One of the outstanding men of the generation just closed was John Wingate Weeks, whose political career embraced service as Secretary of War under the administrations of Presi- dents Harding and Coolidge. as a United States Senator for six years, as a Congressman for ten years. Mayor of Newton for two years and as an alderman of the City for three years.
He was born in Lancaster, New Hampshire, on April 11, 1860, and was educated in the public schools of his native state and at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., graduating in 1881. He was assigned to the U. S. S. Richmond, serving on the Asiatic Station until 1883 when he was given his honor- able discharge from the Navy due to an Act of Con- gress legislating surplus officers out of the service. All but ten of his class were thus affected. On his separa- tion from the service he went to Florida where he be- came land surveyor for Orange County and later in 1886 was offered and accepted the position of Land Commissioner in the Florida Southern Railway. In 1888, with Mr. Henry Hornblower, he founded the firm of Hornblower & Weeks, bankers and brokers, of Boston. During his active career in business, Senator Weeks was president of the Massachusetts National Bank of Boston, president of the Newtonville Trust Co., vice-president of the First National Bank of
Boston, and a director in numerous other enterprises, from all of which he retired on his election as United States Senator in 1913. Soon after coming to Boston he became an officer in the Massachusetts Naval Bri- gade, serving with the Brigade for ten years, the last six of which he was in command. During the Spanish War he commanded the second district auxiliary naval forces, and also served as a member of the military advisory board appointed by Governor Wolcott.
Mr. Weeks was elected a member of the Newton Board of Aldermen for 1899, 1900 and 1901 and served as the fourteenth mayor of the City in 1902- 1903. In the fall of 1904 he was elected a member of the National House of Representatives, where he served until his election as Senator.
In 1916 he was a prominent candidate for the Re- publican nomination for president, running second to Hon. Charles E. Hughes, the nominee of the con- vention.
As Secretary of War, Mr. Weeks made an enviable record in the reorganization following the World War. He retired from office October 13, 1925 on account of failing health and died at his summer home in Lan- caster, N. H., on July 12, 1926.
His family consisted of his wife, a son, Col. Sinclair Weeks of West Newton, and a daughter, Katharine, the wife of John W. Davidge of Washington, D. C.
3a
Photo by Hastings.
SAMUEL LELAND POWERS was born in Cornish, New Hampshire. October 26, 1848.
He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1874, and was president of his class from graduation until his death on November 30, 1929. He was a trustee of the college from 1905 to 1915.
He studied law in New York City and at Worcester, Mass., and was admitted to practice in Massachusetts in November, 1875, and in 1902 he was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and all Federal Courts. He was senior member of the law firm of Powers & Hall.
He took up his residence in Newton in March, 1882. He was a member of the City Council of Newton from 1883 to 1887, being president in 1885 and 1886.
He was elected a member of Congress from Massachusetts in 1900, and re-elected in 1902, de- clining nomination in 1904. While in Congress he was a member of the Committees on Judiciary, District of Columbia and Elections. He was selected as one of the managers on the part of the House to prosecute the Swayne impeachment trial before the United States Senate. During his residence in Washington he was president of the well known Tantalus Club of that city, from its organization in 1901 to 1905. Upon re- tirement from Congress in 1905 President Roosevelt tendered him appointment as United States District Attorney for Massachusetts, which he felt obliged to decline. At the request of Mr. Taft he became the manager of his campaign in Massachusetts in 1908. In 1909 President Taft tendered him appointment as a member of the United States Customs Court, which had been created by the preceding Congress, which appointment he declined. The same year President Taft tendered him appointment as a member of the Canadian Water Commission, which he felt obliged to
decline in order to devote his attention to his pro- fession.
He was a member of the Massachusetts Constitu- tional Convention during the years 1917, 1918 and 1919, serving upon the Committee on Rules. He was a member of the Massachusetts Board of Education during the years 1918 and 1919, and was a mem- ber of the Board of Trustees of the New England Conservatory of Music from 1917 through 1929.
Upon his completion of fifty years at the Bar. in November, 1925, the Massachusetts judges and mem- bers of the bar gave him a notable banquet at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, some six hundred or more judges and lawyers being present.
He was president of the Boston Art Club for five years; for four years president of the Newton Club; for three years president of the Middlesex Bar Asso- ciation, and for fourteen years president of the Mid- dlesex Republican Club. During the last thirty years he presided at a large number of banquets, and in- troduced more than 2,000 speakers during that period.
He continued his interest in literary work after graduation from college, his last publication being Portraits of a Half Century, published by Little, Brown & Co., which appeared in 1925.
In 1918 he was appointed one of the Public Trustees for the operation of the Boston Elevated Railway, and served on that Board for ten years, being chairman of the Board during the last four years.
He was married to Eva Crowell of Dennis, Mass., on June 21, 1878, and he and Mrs. Powers celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in June, 1928. Mr. and Mrs. Powers have resided for nearly forty-seven years at 96 Arlington Street, Newton. They had one son, Leland Powers, who is a member of the firm of Powers & Hall.
4a
LEVERETT SALTONSTALL, Speaker of the Massachu- setts House of Representatives and senior representa- tive to the General Court from Newton, was born at Chestnut Hill, September 1, 1892, and is the son of the late Richard M. Saltonstall and Eleanor Saltonstall. He was educated at Noble and Greenough School, Harvard University and Harvard Law School, and is a member of the well known legal firm of Gaston, Snow, Saltonstall and Hunt of Boston.
Mr. Saltonstall has served as an alderman-at-large in the city of Newton, as assistant district attorney of Middlesex county, and as Representative in the General Court since 1921.
He is a director of the National Shawmut Bank, the Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Co., Central Safety Deposit Co., A. A. Hews Co., Boston Pottery Co., Houghton & Dutton Building Trust, Massachusetts Gas Companies, and Joint Stock Securities Co .; is a manager of the Farm & Trades School, and a trustee of the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, and of the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind.
Mr. Saltonstall is a member of the Somerset, Ex- change, Country, Norfolk Hunt, and Harvard Clubs, Fraternity Lodge of Masons, Newton Lodge of Elks, Cruising Club of America, Longwood Cricket Club, Military Order of the World War, the Ancient & Honorable Artillery Co., Boston Bar Association, and Newton Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Saltonstall served in the World War as 1st Lieutenant, 301st Field Artillery, and was in France for six months.
He married Miss Alice Wesselhoeft and with his family of three children, Leverett, Jr., Peter Brooks, and Emily B., resides at Chestnut Hill.
EDWIN OTIS CHILDS, Mayor of Newton from 1914 to 1930, was born in this city August 10, 1876, the son of Edwin O. and Caroline A. (Chaffin) Childs.
He was educated in the Newton Schools, at Harvard University, class of 1899 and of the Boston University Law School, class of 1901.
Mr. Childs has served as a member of the Newton Board of Health, as President of the Nonantum Co- operative Bank, as a director of the Newton Y. M. C. A. and is a member of the Newton Rotary Club, a past exalted ruler of the Newton Lodge of Elks, Newton Lodge of Odd Fellows, Garden City Encampment, the Grange, A. O. U. W. and the Royal Arcanum. He is a past master of Fraternity Lodge of Masons, past master of Cryptic Council and is a member of the Scottish Rite bodies.
He married Miss Mildred E. Roy and with two children, Edwin O. Jr., and Kathleen Childs resides on California street, Nonantum.
5a
(Photo by Boris)
LIENRY I. HARRIMAN was born at Brooklyn, New York, December 26, 1872, and is the son of Daniel Gould and Sally Ingraham llarriman. He was edu- cated at the Adelphi Academy, Wesleyan University. and the New York Law School.
Mr. Harriman's primary business activities have been connected with the development of hydro-electric and other public utilities in New England. He is now president of the New England Power Company ; Vice- Chairman of the Board of Directors of the New Eng- land Power Association ; President and Director of the Bellows Falls Canal Company ; Director of the Central Massachusetts Electric Company; Director of the Gardner Electric Company; Vice-President and Di- rector of the Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington Rail- road; Director of the Lawrence Gas and Electric Com- pany ; Director of the Lowell Electric Light Corpora- tion; Director of the Worcester Suburban Electric Company ; Director of the Rhode Island Power Trans- mission Company ; Director of the Atlantic National Bank; Director of the New England Trust Company ; President of the Arthur T. McIntosh Land Associa- tion of Chicago.
Mr. Harriman is also President of the Boston Cham- ber of Commerce; Director of the Associated Indus- tries ; and Trustee of the Newton Theological Institu- tion. He is a member of the Algonquin Club; the Twentieth Century Club; the University Club; the Hunnewell Club ; the Exchange Club; the Boston City Club; Brae Burn Country Club; and the Masonic Or- der. He was married in 1898 to Miss Edith Graves and has had three children, Eunice Alberta ; Barbara, and Gordon Douglas. The family live at 825 Centre Street, Newton.
SINCLAIR WEEKS, elected Mayor of Newton for 1930-31, was born in West Newton, June 15, 1893, and is the son of the late John W. Weeks and Martha Sinclair Weeks. He was educated in the New- ton Schools and at Harvard University, class of 1914.
Mr. Weeks is president of Reed & Barton, manu- facturers of sterling and plated silver ware, treasurer of the United States Fastener Company, manufacturers of snap fasteners, and a Director of the First National Bank of Boston and the Home Market Club.
He is a member of the Brae Burn, Somerset, Union. Harvard. University, and "Brookline Country" Clubs, is an Elk and a Mason.
During the World War Mr. Weeks, as First Lieu- tenant, assisted in recruiting Battery B. 101st F. A .. 26th Division, and during his service in France was promoted to the rank of Captain.
Hle was a member of the Newton Board of Alder- men from 1923 to 1930, being president the last three years.
He married Miss Beatrice Dowse in 1915, and they have five children, Frances Lee, John W. 2nd, Mar- tha S., Sinclair, Jr., and William D. Weeks. He re- sides at 97 Valemine Street, West Newton.
6a
JOSEPH BOARDMAN JAMIESON was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, July 9, 1853, and was the son of Thomas S. and Julia Boardman Jamieson. He was educated in the public schools of Exeter and at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., where he graduated in 1871.
Mr. Jamieson began his business career in 1871, in the firm of Gardner, Brewer & Co., of Boston, and later was in business in New York for twenty years, returning to Boston in 1900 as sales manager of the New England Cotton Yarn Co. In 1905 Mr. Jamieson began business for himself and is the president and treasurer of J. B. Jamieson, Inc., commission and brokerage in cotton and rayon yarns.
Mr. Jamieson is a member of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Newton Chamber of Commerce, the Twentieth Century Club, the Boston Rotary Club and Newton Monday Evening Club and during the war was a member of the Newton Committee on Public Safety. He is also a trustee and director of Lasell Seminary, Auburndale, Mass. Mr. Jamieson has de- voted many years to public affairs, serving as school trustee for three years in Edgewater, New Jersey, and was an Alderman of Newton for four years. He is deeply interested in Red Cross work and for 12 years was chairman of the Home Service section of the Newton Chapter.
He married Miss Ida E. Derby of Springfield. Mass., and they have had five children, of whom three survive, Philip S. Jamieson, one of the Aldermen of Newton, Joseph B. Jamieson, Jr., and Miss Edith Jamieson.
The family home is at 34 Eldredge Street. Newton.
DOUGLAS SLOANE, a resident of Newton for fifteen years, was born in Port Chester, New York, June 3, 1890.
He was educated at the Cathedral School of Saint Paul, Garden City, Long Island, entering business in New York with W. & J. Sloane, the firm which his great-grandfather founded. In 1914 he came to Bos- ton to represent this house in New England, resigning in the fall of 1917 to enter the U. S. Naval Air Service. Completing the course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he was ordered to the Naval Air Station at Miami, Florida, where he served as Engineering officer and officer in charge of Construction and Repair with flight orders. He was commissioned Lieutenant (J. G.). Mr. Sloane was also one of the first men- bers of Company A, Newton Constabulary.
Mr. Sloane is now a partner in the firm of Phillips & Zoller, Investment Counsel and Management of New York and Boston. He is also a director in the Newton National Bank and the Community Trading Corpora- tion of New Jersey.
Mr. Sloane has always taken an active interest in the younger boy program and for several years has been Scoutmaster of the Veteran Troop 1, Boy Scouts of America, of Newtonville.
He is a member of the St. Andrews Society of New York, the Boston Rotary Club, Boston Chamber of Commerce, Dalhousie Lodge of Masons and the Lambda Phi Fraternity.
Mr. Sloane married Miss Sibyl Sanderson, daughter of Edwin N. and Sarah Rogers Sanderson of New York. They have four children, Douglas IV, Sander- son, Margaret and John IV.
The family home is at 51 Prospect Avenue, Newton- ville, and their summer home at Lake George, N. Y.
7a
LOWELL DEXTER MACNUTT, the vice-president, clerk and a director in the well known insurance firm of John Paulding Meade Company of Boston, was born in Boston, August 15, 1886, and is the son of William S. and Minnie E. Lane MacNutt.
He was educated in the public schools of Brookline and then entered the insurance business.
Mr. MacNutt is treasurer of Cryptic Council, R. & S. Masters, a director in the Newton Masonic Asso- ciates and is a member of the Boston Chamber of Com- merce, the Newton Chamber of Commerce, the Boston Masonic Club, and the Auburndale Club.
He was active in public affairs during the War and served as captain in Company F of the Newton Con- stabulary.
He married Miss Mabel Stearns and they have one son, Stearns MacNutt.
The family resides on Vista Avenue, Auburndale.
4
ALBERT P. EVERTS, a partner in the well known banking house of Paine, Webber & Co. of Boston, was born in Philadelphia, in 1887. He was educated in the Roxbury Latin School and in the Harvard Class of 1910.
Besides his interest in Paine, Webber Co., Mr. Everts is a director in the Newton National Bank, the Warren Bros. Co., the Portland Gas Co., and in other Maine gas companies.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.