Howell

opposition to Johnson's Reconstruction policy.
He was a consistent supporter of Grant.

Although Howell sought public offices from
time to time, he held but few. In the first state
election he was an unsuccessful candidate for
district judge. On several occasions his name
was before the legislature for the United States
senatorship, but he served only to fill out an unex-
pired term (January iS/o-March 1871). His
tenure was too brief to provide opportunity for
constructive service, but he was active through-
out and attracted attention by his vigorous oppo-
sition to additional railroad grants. At the end of
his term he was appointed by Grant a member of
the court of Southern claims upon which he
served to the completion of its work in 1880.
During the last twenty years of his life he la-
bored under serious physical disability as a result
of an accident which contributed ultimately to his
death. He was married, on Nov. i, 1842, to Isa-
bella Richards, of Granville, Ohio. Following
her death he married, on Oct. 23, 1850, Mary
Ann Bowen of Iowa City.

[S. M. Clark, "Senator James B. Howell," Annals
of Iowa, Apr. 1894; D- C. Mott, "Early Iowa News-
papers," Ibid., Jan. 1928; D. E. Gark, Hist, of Sena-
torial Elections in Iowa (1912); Gen. Cat. of Gratis,
and Former Students of Miami Univ. . . . iSop-ipop;
Biog. Dir. Am. Cong. (1928) ; files of the Des Moines
Valley Whig and the Gate City, especially the latter for
June 18, 19, 20, 1880.] E.D.R.

HOWELL, JOHN ADAMS (Mar. 16, 1840-
Jan. 10, 1918), naval officer, inventor, was born
at Bath, Steuben County, N, Y., the son of Wil-
liam and Frances Adelphia (Adams) Howell.
After receiving his early education in the public
schools of Bath, he was appointed at the age of
fourteen to the Naval Academy at Annapolis,
Md., his appointment coming from the 28th New
York congressional district. Four years later he
graduated as a midshipman, at the head of his
class, and was assigned to the U. S. S. Mace-
donian, then attached to the Mediterranean
Squadron. After serving three years on this and
on several other ships he was promoted, Jan. 19,
1861, to the rank of passed midshipman; ad-
vanced to master the following month; and was
commissioned a lieutenant on Apr. 18, 1861. In
this capacity he served throughout the Civil War
on the ships Supply, Montgomery, and Ossipee,
the latter a ship of the West Gulf Blockading
Squadron. On Mar. 3, 1865, he was commis-
sioned lieutenant commander, and after doing
special service on the De Soto for two years he
was detailed to the Naval Academy, Aug. 3,
1867, where for the next four years he served as
head of the department of astronomy and navi-
gation. He was then detailed to command a
hydrographic survey party in cooperation with

Howell

the^United States Coast and Geodetic Survey,
during which time he was promoted to the rank
of commander. Upon completing this work he
returned to the Naval Academy in December
1874, and for four years again headed the depart-
ment of astronomy and navigation. Subsequent-
ly, after completing two years' service in com-
mand of the Adams, he was detailed in 1881 to
the Navy Bureau of Ordnance in Washington,
serving first as an inspector of ordnance at the
Navy Yard, and later as a member of the Naval
Advisory Board. This service continued until
1888 when as captain, having been promoted to
that rank in 1884, he was assigned to the com-
mand of the Atlanta. From 1890 to 1893 he was
again on steel inspection duty, being a member
of the Steel Board, and its president from July
1891. On Feb. 1,1893, he was placed in command
of the Navy Yard at Washington and continued
in this capacity for three years, serving at the
same time as president of the Naval Examining
and Retiring Board as well as president of the
Steel Board. He was promoted to the rank of
commodore on May 21, 1895, and that year was
made commandant of the Navy Yard at League
Island, Philadelphia, remaining there until April
1898. Through the Spanish-American War he
served in various capacities at sea: first on his
flagship San Francisco as commander of the
Mediterranean Squadron; then in command of
the Northern Patrol Squadron of the North At-
lantic Fleet; and finally as commander-in-chief
of the North Atlantic Fleet during the absence
of Rear Admiral Sampson. On Aug. 10,1898, he
was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. After
the war, he was again made president of the
Naval Examining and Retiring Board at Wash-
ington and served until his retirement on Mar.
16,1902.

Howell was always interested in the develop-
ment of the submarine and torpedo, and from
the time of his connection with the Navy Yard
at Washington he conducted many experiments
in an effort to improve the torpedo. He worked
particularly on the gyroscope as a means of di-
recting the path of a torpedo, and it is said that
the Howell torpedo, which he patented about
1885, was the first to use a gyroscopic device.
He also developed and patented several forms
of torpedo-launching apparatus and of high ex-
plosive shells, the patents on these being granted
to him between the years 1885 and 1892; in-
vented a form of fly-wheel torpedo; and perfected
an amphibian type of lifeboat In addition to his
work in these fields, he took up the task of im-
proving coast-defense ordnance and patented,
Mar. 24, 1896, a disappearing gun carriage of

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