Commander John F. Luby, U.S. Navy (1859-1911)

Catholic Officers in the Army and Navy.
Senior Lieutenant John F. Luby, U.S.N.

Lieutenant John F. Luby comes of a family of fighters. He is the second son of Thomas Clarke Luby, of Jersey City, N.J., one of the Fenian exiles and a writer of note on Irish history. Mr. Luby was born in Ireland on July 23, 1859, and came to this country with his parents in 1871. The family resided in New York City for a number of years, and the sons, James and John, entered the College of the City of New York.

In 1875 Abram S. Hewitt, then congressman from the Tenth New York District, was given the privilege of filling a vacancy at the Annapolis Naval Academy, and he concluded to have a public competition for the place. The examination was conducted by General Alexander S. Webb, President of the New York College, and Professor Fitzgerald Tisdall. John F. Luby entered into the competition and carried off the prize with high honors.

He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1880, and during the following two years he made a cruise with the Asiatic Squadron on board the Alert. He was on that vessel when, while off Kobe, she was run into by the Japanese emperor’s yacht. Mr. Luby was in his bunk at the time of the collision, and with the rest of the crew instantly ran to his station, not knowing what was the trouble. He found his men already casting loose the guns and shifting them to the sound side of the ship, to “list” her so as to raise the injured side above the water-line. The lieutenant afterwards spoke in the highest terms of commendation of the bravery and promptness with which the American sailors covered their respective posts during the exciting incident, even before their officers could issue the necessary orders.

At the end of the Asiatic cruise Mr. Luby was commissioned as ensign and assigned at different times to the European and training squadrons. He was later detailed to hydrographic work and the Coast Survey, and worked for several seasons on the survey of the Gulf coast near New Orleans and in the neighborhood of Newport. He became senior lieutenant in 1896. One of his recent assignments to duty was on the battle-ship Iowa, then commanded by Captain, now Admiral Sampson. Mr. Luby was one of the original corps of officers of the great ship, assisted in her trial trips, the drilling of her crew, and was in charge of the after turret. He was officer of the deck on the night when her electric steering gear broke down, as told in the newspapers at the time, and it was largely due to his presence of mind that a collision with one of the other ships of the squadron was averted.

After he had been some months on the Iowa, Lieutenant Luby was selected to accompany the Nicaragua Canal Commission on its recent visit of exploration. He was chosen for this important duty on account of his hydrographic training and experience in this line of work. The hydrographic party had completed about two-thirds of its work and had nearly completed the delineation of Nicaragua Lake when news was received of the war with Spain. The officers and men of the party at once cabled their request to be recalled for active service. In accord with their request they were ordered home.

Upon his arrival, Lieutenant Luby was sent to Norfolk to assist in fitting out the Yankton, a steam yacht which is classed as a torpedo-boat destroyer. He was shortly appointed executive officer. The Yankton was utilized in maintaining the blockade on the Cuban coast. He has performed the maximum sea duty for a man of his grade, about thirteen years. At the close of the war Mr. Luby was detached from the Yankton and ordered to shore duty in connection with the Training Station at Newport, where he is at present located.

The Catholic World, Vol. LVIII (January 1899): 572-574.

NOTE
John Luby reached the rank of Commander in the United States Army, and died of illness off the coast of Africa in 1911. His wife was the daughter of a general in the Mexican Army, and his own son Thomas followed him into the Navy.