The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-07
The War Ships Wyoming, Worcester, Pow
hatan, and the lron-CladS CanOnicuS
aud Mahopae Being Got Ready
for Immediate Service.
Secretary Robson and the Spanish
Navy in Cuban Waters.
The Chief Engineers to Inspect
and Report ON the Coast
and HarbOr Defences.
Rvrnor of Cubans Firing at an
American Vessel.


The Navy Department Ordering Repairs md
Kquipments 10 All the War Vessels
Secretary Robson Looking 10 Cubn-Tron-
CIads and the North Atlantic Fleet 10 He
Pressed Into Service.
One would be led to believe from the sober CON
versation Of the heads Of departments that the
unusual activity at the Navy Department Is only
occasioned by routine matters. The Secretary OF
the Navy, in explanation OF the orders relative to
the monitors Canonlcus, at Philadelphia, and Ma.
hOpac, at the washington Navy Yard says they are
merely ordered into commission to relieve
other vessels now on stations-only this
and nothing more. When asked what particular
service the lubbcrly monitors could DO ne remarked
that all OF them needed Overhauling in order TO
keep them from rusting out He Is authority for
the statement that not word has been heard from
Captain Potter, commanding the Shawmut. and the
denial created 10 THIS concerning the peace
ful exit Of the Florida from ST. Thomas has not
reached the Navy Department. When asked
what there would be In sending mon.
itors into cuban waters when every Spanish
Oficer from Admiral Polo down looked upon them
with contempt he SAID. ''They may have occasion
to change their minds before long" Yet every.
thing is peaceful and the American eagle has not
discerned the silent and secret workings OF the
Navy Department. The SIP anish naval officers are
not alone in their opinion OF our navy. The best
naval Oficers IN the service agree In the
main with Admiral Polos views. Our supe-
rlority consists the personnel Of the navy rather
than IN the number OF our guns, The Spanish navy
In cuban waters to-day exceeds In the number OF
guns carried by all the available vessels OF the
American navy over two hundred. During the
coming week the Worcester. OF sixteen guns; WyO-
ming, OF six guns ana the Powhatan, OF seventeen
guns, together with the monitors Canonicus ana
Mahopac, will be ready to proceed to cuban waters.
The Canandagua, or ten guns, will be ready
FOR inspection by the middle OF the month The
IroquOis. OF six guns now Al New York, can be
ready for sea- with extra force at the New York Navy
Yard In less tnan thirty days, and the Hartford In
sixty days. The POwhatau and the Froic, also o
sldewheel sloop, carrying the same battery, will
acc as tenders to the ironclads They are to be
ready for SEQ by Thursday next. The service
ON these vessels is exceedingly distateful
to most officers. number who have been
| detailed have asked for other service, but
| Secretary Robson will make no change. Very un-
favorable comment Is made on Admiral Lee The
| Flag Oncer OF the North Atlantic Squadron. who
has been at home ever since the Grand Duke Alexis
arrived IL will be remembered that his ragshIp,
| the Severn, was ordered 10 New York TO meet the
Russian Prince and arrived there early in septem-
Der. Naval officers declare that they should re-
gard the sending OF Captain Davenport with
OF bringing out the Hornet when the
Admiral himself should have been entrusted with
its execution as snub direct to that officer The
utmost activity prevails at the Washington Navy
Yard. Tic mechanics and lab0rers being put
on in relays, and thus working TWO days In one.
The greatest is being taken In fitting the Maho.
pac and Frohc both vessels being provided through
out with new equipments, and the best Of their
GLASS; Artifcers long employed at the yard state
that vessels have ever been sent from this ship
yard as thoroughly prepared for sea as these.
THE HARBoRs AND COAST DEFENCEs TO BE IMMEDI-
ATELY INSPECTED.
Generals ]. G. Barnard, QUINCY A. Gilmore, II. G.
Wright, 4. h. Tower and George w. Cullum, COM
porting the Engineer Board on FOrtincatiOns, were
summoned to this city by telegraph ON Thursday
from New YORK and reached here yesterday. Gen.
eral Abbot, Chief Qf the Experimental Torpedo
Service at willett's Point, was also ordered to
pair TO washington. The Board held long confer
ence yesterday under the presidency OF General
Humphreys, Chief OF the Corps OF Engineers, and
separated for the purpose OF personally inspecting
| the sea coast deiences on the Atlantic and the
Gulf, and reporting what Is Necessary to be done
| to nut them In immediate readiness for service.
The capabity OF the harbOrs defended by the forts
for further defence by Instructions ana 0rpedoes
also to be ascertained by these distinguished en-
gineers, and 1t Is expected that further appro-
priation for the torpedo service will ne asked for
from Congress at once. The Austrian TORPEDO sys-
TEN Is the favorte with our officers and an extern
sive knowledge Of this new arm OF defence has
already been acquired by observation IN Europe,
correspondence with European governments and
experiments conducted at Wietts Point BY the
battalion OF engineers.
RUMOR THAT AN AMERICAN VESSEL WAS FIRED
INTO FROM MORRo CASTLE, HAVANA.
An improbable story was circulated o-dsy to the
erect that one OF our vessels had been fred into
from MORO Castle. Havana IL caused some ex.
element, but no Information has been received In
any quarter up to ono O'Clock to-day showing that
anything had taken place there to warrant such q
rumor. Gentlemen in high oficial positions there
say there Is no cause whatever to excite alarm in
the public mind relative to Spain, as the prepare
lions OF the navy are only In the usual course or
business.
Activity In the Philadelphia Navy Yard-Re.
pairing the lren-Ciads.
From the Philadelphia Ledger, Jan. 81
Matters are quite DrlsK now al the Navy Yard.
The force OF men have been increased BY An addl-
employed in fitting out for sea the two large
wooden vessels, Powhatan and Richmond, which
past past, and Also s in renting and repairing
| the iron-cads recently. ordered BY the gov
on the 20 w Be-
to-day. she is o sidewheei frigate OF the second
rate :, l62 tOns anu carrying seventeen guns one
| has been thoroughly Ovcrhaued and rebuilt ana
will DE ready Tor STA by the end OF this
month. The steam screw frgate Rich.
| mond, 1000 TONS carrying twenty-five nine
| incn guns. has also been put IN first class
| seagoing order and Will be ready to accompany tue
| Pownatan. lhe monitors CanOnicus, AJAX, Saugus,
| wyandotte and Manhattan, now at League Island,
| have also been ordered 10 DE overhauled and placed
| IN commission. they are all single turreted mon
tors Of Tue fourth Glass; $50 tons burthen and eacn
| one carrying Two 15-lnch rides. The Canonicus
was towed up 10 the wharf AT the Navy Yard yeser-
| day. She will be ready for sea In twenty days.
These ron-cIads are all good condition and will
/ only need to be repainted, overhauled and their
machinery tested. Orders have also been forwarded
| from the Navy Department TO New York to prepare
the Dictator, similar monitor TO those mentioned
above, and TO Boston to prepare the Miantonomah,
monitor OF the third rate, 1,225 TONS with two tur
res and carrying four l5lncniguns. 1t Is the opin
ion OF the oflcers at the Navy Yard that the cntrs
neet mentioned Is intended TO be held In readiness