Rear Admiral John K. Barton.

Rear Admiral John K. Barton.

John Kennedy Barton--born in Philadelphia, Pa., on 7 April 1853--was appointed a cadet engineer on 1 October 1871. He alternated tours of duty afloat and ashore through the 1880's, serving in such ships as Benicia, Saranac, Marion, and Shenandoah, before teaching steam engineering at the Naval Academy from 1882 to 1886. He then served three years on the Asiatic Station, on board Essex and Palos, before returning to the Naval Academy for another tour of duty as an instructor from 1889 to 1893.

After supervising the fitting out of the gunboat Castine and cruiser Columbia, Barton became a chief engineer on 15 January 1895. He served in the Pacific Fleet on board Mohican and Bennington until detached to shore duty in 1897. Barton returned to the Asiatic Station in 1900 and served in the cruiser Newark and the battleship Kentucky before becoming fleet engineer in 1903. Relieved shortly afterward, he again taught at the Naval Academy until l905 and then did graduate work in engineering.

In 1907 Barton became head of the department of steam engineering at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. He assumed the title of Engineer-in-Chief as Chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering on 21 December 1908. Only two days later, Barton was detached to return home due to illness and was simultaneously transferred to the Navy's retired list. He subsequently held a post on a Naval Examining Board in January 1909 and also served in the Civil Service Commission. He died at the Naval Hospital at League Island (Philadelphia), on 23 December 1921.