The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-05-28
GOING TO GIVE THE WEST A SHOW

Dick THOMPSON 1lbvut to Send u Naval
Vessel to Cruise Along the Mississtppi.
Washington Special to st. Louis Republican
This afternoon your correspondent had
conversation with the secretary of the navy
to the following effect: ~..
Correspondent-"Is it true that you are
to send naval ship to St. Louis?' H.
''Secretary-"Yes, but was trying to
keep the fact a secret. wanted to run
vessel up the Mississippi river before any
one knew what was the matter, just to aston
ish the natives.'' ..z... .....
Here the secretary enjoyed one of his
hearty laughs. &. - '.''' -
eyes, he continued, 'about the first of
next week the Wachusett will leave the
Charlestown, Mass, navy-yartl. I have been
thinking for some time of a way to give our
Western boys chance to get in the navy.
They are too poor to come East, and / am
Wachusett is of that size and make of ves-
sells that are called third class. She is
about 100 feet long, with displacement of
1850 feet, and has tonnage of 695. She
is an old vessel rebuilt, and this will be her
| first cruise since rebuilding. She is screw
propeller, three-masted, square-rigged ship,
and is the same one with which Collins
cut out the Florida during the war. She
was designed for six guns, but her broad
sides will be taken off to give her room but
she will carry two eleven-pound guns, which
I think will be sufficient for all war purposes
on this trip"
Here the secretary again REQUIRED to the
novelty of the expedition. He said that he
could not we'll get man. Of-war around to
his home at Terre Haute, so he was going to
| do the next best thing, and send one to st.
Louis.
sThose Democrats out there in Missouri -
he continued, twill swear I am using the
navy for election purposes. We will have
them fire gun or two to let them know We
mean business. No, but in dead earnest
now, our Western boys ought to have show
and think this is the best thing have done
since have been in the cabinet. wrote t.
John Simpson, of the Vandalia road, asking
him to get for me some facts as to the navi
cation from some boatmen. The Wachuset
draws sixteen feet. A gentleman who wa
twenty-five years on the river says can &c
the ship up to St. Louis at this time of tn
year very easily. She will go there ant
when the river lowers she will be taken dow
to Cairo, where she can run all tn
year round. This vessel is not adapted for
regular training ship. She will serve as
recruiting ship, and when we get her full o
boys she will run down the river and unloa'
on to regular training ship. The officer
are now being selected for her."
The secretary believes in making the nav
popular in the West, whence it gets nearl
half its officers, fact not generally known
1t is net unlikely some of these Western OF
fcers will be placed in command of the W.
chusett. 1t takes about 10 men to ma
her, but on this trip she will hardly hav
over 80 men, besides the servants, SO as t
make more room for the boys to be pickle
up along the river. Under the law, boy
must be between the ages of 16 and IS t
enter the navy. They are put through
regular course of training calculated to adaI
them for not only the ordinary duty of
sailor, but the higher duties of seamanshiI
The Plymouth, larger vessel, a year ag
made the trip to Vicksburg and Matches
This is the furthest up the river that a three
D masted ship has ever been able to 90.