WHITING, William Danforth, naval officer, born in Boston, Massachusetts, 27 May, 1823. He entered the navy as a midshipman, 1 March, 1841, and served in the sloop "Levant " in 1846-'7. at the capture of Monterey, California, when the American flag was first, hoisted on that shore, 7 July, 1846. He attended the naval academy in 1847-'8, was graduated, and became a passed midshipman, 10 August, 1847. He was promoted to master, 1 May, 1855, and to lieutenant, 14 September, 1855, and was attached to the steam frigate "Niagara" when the first Atlantic cable was laid in 1857. He was executive of the sloop " Vandalia" at the capture of Port Royal in 1861, and commanded the steamer "Wyandotte" on the South Atlantic blockade and in the Potomac flotilla. Lieutenant Whiting was promoted to lieutenant-commander, 16 July, 1862, and in the gun-boat "Ottawa" participated in the attacks on the defences of Charleston. engaged Battery Gregg and Fort Wagner, and assisted in the capture of the lower end of Morris island in 1863-'4. In 1864-'5 he commanded the "Savannah," in the Eastern Gulf station. He was commissioned a commander, 25 July, 1866, had the steamer " Tioga" (in the coast of Maine and in the Gulf, was at the New York navy-yard in 1867-'9 and 1871-'2, and commanded the sloop "Saratoga" and the monitor "Miantonomoh" in the North Atlantic squadron in 1869-'70. He was promoted to captain, 19 August, 1872, and commanded the steam sloop " Worcester," flag-ship of the North Atlantic squadron, in 1871-'5. In the first year of that cruise he took out contributions of food and clothing from the American people for the relief of the French sufferers in the Franco-Prussian war. Owing to the want of means to transport these contributions to the needed districts in the east of France, the stores were taken to Liverpool and London, where a favorable market realized a much larger sum of money than that which was expended for the purchase of these stores in this country. The American relief committee in France also urged that the money was more needed' than contributions in any other shape, He was present at New Orleans during the political excitement owing to the overthrow of the Packard government, and won the confidence of the citizens by wise measures, contributing to allay the excitement. On 11 June, 1878, he was appointed chief of bureau of navigation and office of detail, with the rank of commodore. Failing health and almost total blindness resulting from exposure incidental to the service compelled him to be relieved from this duty, 12 October, 1881, from which date ha was placed on the retired list, with the rank of commodore, by special act of congress.