Rear Admiral Chailes Dwight Sigsbee 

 U.S. Navy (1845 - 1923) 



A veteran of two wars, the Civil War and the Spanish-American 

 War, he achieved greater distinction for his services as an 

 inventor and scientist than as a warrior. From 1875 - 1878, he 

 was in command of the Coast Survey Steamer Blake where he 

 was associated with Alexander Agassiz in deep-sea surveys and 

 explorations, principally in the Gulf of Mexico. In recognition of 

 this work, the Gulfs deepest area was named Sigsbee Deep. 

 Many oceanographic devices were invented or perfected by 

 Sigsbee particularly in the field of deep-sea sounding and 

 dredging. For his contributions to the advance of scientific 



exploration Emperor William I of Germany bestowed upon him 

 the decoration of the Red Eagle of Prussia and at the 

 International Fisheries Exhibition of London he was awarded a 

 gold medal. He spent a total of ten years in the Navy's 

 Hydrographic Office and from 1893 to 1897 was the Hydro- 

 grapher of the Navy, in 1897 he was advanced to the rank ot 

 Captain and was in command of the battleship Maine when, the 

 following year, she was blown up and destroyed in Havana 

 Harbor. He was commissioned Rear Admiral in 1903 and retired 

 in 1907. 



78 



