Reginald Rowan Belknap ( 26 June 1871 – 30 March 1959 ) was an officer in the United States Navy . He served in the Spanish – American War , Boxer Rebellion , Philippine – American War , and World War I . He gained distinction in 1909 for his relief work in Italy after the 1908 Messina earthquake and tsunami and for his work in command of the first offensive mining campaign in U.S. Navy history , the laying of the North Sea Mine Barrage in 1918 . He was also a published author , an inventor , a member of many professional and social organizations , and an active member of the Episcopal Church , and he played a role in the selection of Amelia Earhart as the first female pilot to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean
1908 Messina earthquake and tsunami
1908 Messina earthquake
Reginald R. Belknap