Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-19
THE NATIONAL CAPITOL.
A Remarkable Commentary on the
Management of the Nations
Navy.
Twenty Million Dollars Worth of
Frauds Advertised at
Auction.
Major Nickcrson Making Forced
Marches in the Direction of
the Pacific.
CAPITAL NOTES.
Special Dispatch to TnE BER
THE ROTTEN NAVY.

THE ROTTEN NAVY.
WASHINGTON, June 1S.-Chandler will
this week advertise the following
named useless navy vessels for sale to the
highest bidder above the appraised value.
This IS i'll accordance with an act of con
gress. These vessels have been examined
by board of inspection and their report
has been approved by the secretary of
the navy and by congress. The total
cost of these vessels was about $40, 900,
600. None of them are useful for
any naval purpose, except few
which are used as barracks and coal
hulks, and the board pronounced them
dangerous even for this purpose. This
is II remarkable commentary upon the
management of the navy. These are
not, with few exceptions, old ante war
ships. The oldest was built in 1914, but
only ten were constructed before the
war The rest have been built since
1861; eighteen were built be-
tween 1868 and 1867. The tim
bers to some of them which have
never had deck plank laid, are rot
ten. The ships are the Alaska, Blue
Light, Benecia, Burlington, Congress,
Dictator, Florida, Frolic, Guard, Glance,
Iowa, Kansas, Niagara, Narragansett,
Nyack, New Orleans, Ohio, Old Mona
dornock, Pawnee, Relief, Roanoke, Sus-
quehannah, Saco, Shawmut, Savannah,
Sabine, Supply, Tuscarora, Worcester,
Wyoming.
MAJOR NICKERSON.
1t is believed at the war department
that the report that Major Nickerson was
seen at st. Louis last week is true. The
war department officials think he is max
ing his way to the Pacific coast.
GENERAL CHARLES EWING
is lying dangerously i'll with pneumonia
at his home in this city and his death is
hourly expected. General Ewing is a
brother of General Thomas Ewing, of
Ohio, and relative by marriage of Gen
eral Sherman
RERDELLS $ PLEA WITHDRAWN.
WASHINGTON, June 1S.-In the Grim
inal court this morning Rerdell appeared,
accompanied by Merrck and Ker. Judge
Wylie asked Rerdell if he desired to
withdraw the plea of guilty of con-
spiracy in the star route case. Rerdell
answered in the affirmative. Under
the circumstances, said Judge
Wyle, ''the court has no hesita-
ton in allowing that to be done.
One man cannot be guilty of conspiracy.
The jury has acquitted the others, and
that is enough" The court directed the
clerk to enter nolle pros, and ReIdell
left. After organization of juries for the
June term, Ker called up the case against
VIM. Pitt Kellogg, charged with receiv
ing money in connection with a mail
contract while in the senate.
Ker said he understood Kellogg was under
bail. A messenger was dispatched for Kel-
logg and Ker then called up the two
cases against Thos. j. Brady charging him
with receiving money while second assist
ant postmaster general, in consider
alton of increasing certain mail SER
vices. ker said that bail
had not been furnished in these cases,
and asked for a process to bring Brady
into court. Judge Wylie replied that
ker could have IA process, and the court
would make it returnable tomorrow.
TREASURY STATEMENT.
The issue of standard silver dollars
from the mints for the week ending June
10th was S193, 400; corresponding period
latt year, S171 ,40S.