BENJAMIN G. BARTHALOW, CDR, USN
Benjamin Barthalow '00
Lucky Bag
From the 1900 Lucky Bag:
Barthalow, Benjamin Grady
Kimbolton, Ohio
"Mouthy"
Man with the india-rubber voice; Class wit; favorite studies: Nav and Steam; Captain Base-ball Team and member Night Study Party; the man that made Milwaukee beer famous.
Buzzard.
Barthalow, Benjamin Grady
Kimbolton, Ohio
"Mouthy"
Man with the india-rubber voice; Class wit; favorite studies: Nav and Steam; Captain Base-ball Team and member Night Study Party; the man that made Milwaukee beer famous.
Buzzard.
Loss
Benjamin died on August 18, 1920 of either the flu or cancer, or perhaps "acute indigestion." He was commanding officer of the Mare Island, California station ship at the time.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
In January 1920 Benjamin was living in an apartment at 321 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, 31 miles away from Mare Island. Later he moved to an apartment at 599 O'Farrell Street. On the day he died, he reported indigestion to Mrs. Dunphy in apartment #4. She gave him some bicarbonate at 4:30 p.m., and Dr. Wallace H. Barnes was summoned. He arrived at 5:15 p.m. and declared Benjamin dead of an unknown cause. The funeral home was Halsted & Company, and its records show that Benjamin's stomach was sent to a chemist. No report was found.
He "died in the hospital at Mare Island naval station, California."
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Benjamin was captain, catcher, and short stop for the 1899 and 1900 Naval Academy baseball teams. For the Naval field day on May 26, 1900, Benjamin was in the first class relay with classmates George Landenberger, Frank Berrien, Charles Huff, Loveman Noa, and Charles Wade.
In 1905, Benjamin served on the Dolphin.
Between 1911 and May 1913, Benjamin had charge of the U. S. branch hydrographic office in San Francisco. The office was free to use, and it held complete sets of charts and sailing directions of the world. It also had the latest information regarding lights and dangers to navigation. Part of his duties was to report to the newspaper that the time ball on the roof of the Fairmont hotel was dropped exactly at noon, Pacific standard time.
On August 26, 1913, off Vera Cruz, the battleship Louisiana was grounded but did not sustain any damage. Benjamin, Captain Harry Field, and Ensign Robert Awtrey faced court martial charges for the incident. The Louisiana was the flagship of Rear Admiral Frank F. Fletcher.
In June 1915, he was at Mare Island when a Navy fireman from his hometown mistakenly sent a telegram to Benjamin's brother that Benjamin had died of yellow fever in Asiatic waters and was buried at sea.
In May 1916, he was detached from the San Diego and sent to the Oregon. In April 1917, the Navy needed 30,000 enlistees for the war. Benjamin was recruiting officer for the navy in the Western Division. During the war, Benjamin commanded a convoy of troop ships in the Atlantic.
In 1920, Benjamin was stationed at Mare Island and was in command of the receiving ship Intrepid. He organized a prize-winning naval band and instituted boxing matches and baseball games for the Mare Island team. He signed “Duffy” Lewis, New York Yankees' outfielder, to coach the baseball team in February. In late March 1920, Benjamin led the Navy band in a Navy Day parade in San Francisco.
He was survived by his mother. Benjamin is buried in Ohio.
Career
From the Military Museum (formerly accessible via http://www.militarymuseum.org/CNM%20Hist.pdf):
Early in 1912, Lieutenant Benjamin G. Barthalow of the Regular Navy, was detailed as instructor for the Naval Militia of California and under his guidance regular gun crews were organized and trained. On July 6, 1912, these gun crews with as many officers and men of the Naval Militia as could be accommodated on board the "Marblehead," steamed for Bremerton and Port Angeles for target practice for the first time with large caliber guns. The target practice was done under the official inspection of Lieutenant Barthalow, United States Navy, and was officially reported by him to the Navy Department. The record established by the Naval Militia of California at this shoot was its crowning achievement, and was in fact marvelous for new men. The shooting was claimed by Adjutant General Edwin A. Forbes, to be the best ever done in the world by any gun crews of any navy at any time or place.
He was the commissioning commanding officer of USS Santa Teresa (ID 3804) in November 1918. Earlier in the year he was commanding officer of USS Lenape (ID 2700).
Benjamin was then the commissioning commanding officer of USS Smith Thompson (DD 212) from December 1919 to January 1920.
He was promoted to Commander on July 1, 1919.
A full chronology of his career was printed after his death.
From Hall of Valor:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Commander Benjamin Grady Barthalow, United States Navy, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. LENAPE, engaged in the important, exacting, and hazardous duty of transporting and escorting troops and supplies through waters infested with enemy submarines and mines during World War I.
Service: Navy
Division: U.S.S. Lenape
Memorial Hall Error
Illness is not a criteria for inclusion in Memorial Hall.
Benjamin is one of 6 members of the Class of 1900 on Virtual Memorial Hall.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
