Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-11
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE p1sPArcH.i


WASHINGTON, March 10.-The Nipsic,
which carries six smooth-bore guns and two
rifles has by this time been reinforced, if
she hasn't been sunk, by the Trenton, which
carries II eight-inch rifles. and the Vandalia,
which carries seven smoothbore guns and
one rife, and the Monongahela, which
serves as store ship. The other vessels of
the Pacific station are the Dolphin, now at
Chemulpo, Coreh. which carries one six
inch modern steel rife, two six
pound rapid firing guns, and
four 47-millimetre revolving cannon. The
Alert, with four old smoothbores, at Homo
lulu, and the Pinta, mere tug, of no pos
sible use, and the Sitka. The Trenton Is
the largest most powerful and best armed
of the ships of the old navy, but her II rifles
are altered over from 10-inch castlron
smoothbores belonging to the period of the
Civil War. OF the ships OF the Asiatic sta
ton, the only moderately large ship is the
Brooklyn, which is on her way home, under
easy sail, with broken screw.
OCEAN RovERs.
The Essex, of six guns, is somewhere in
the Atlantic Ocean on her way home. The
Marion, with seven smoothbores and one
rife; the Omaha, with II smoothbores, and
the Little Palos, with a half-dozen how
itzers, were in Chinese waters at last ac-
counts; and the Monocacy, with four smooth
bores and two rifles, was at Yokohama, un-
seaworthy and awaiting condemnation and
sale. The Mohican, with seven smooth
bores and one rifle is at Panama. This is
the entire United States naval force in the
Pacific Ocean.
Of the ships that might reach Samoa in
course of time, the Enterprise, Lancaster
and Quinnebang, with only "a guns alto
gether, are In the Mediterranean. The AL
lance, Richmond, Swatara, and Talla-
poosa, with "a guns altogether, were, at
last accounts, at or near Montevideo. The
Atlantic, with two eight-inch and six six
inch breach-loading steel rifles and a good
assortment of rapid firing guns and revolv-
ing cannon, is at Aspinwall. The Adams.
with five smooth bores and one old rifle, is
at San Francisco undergoing repairs, which
without special efforts would not be COM
pleted before June.
Of their new ships the only four in COM
mission are the Chicago, Boston, Atlanta
and Dolphin, and the two former are at
New York, the first with 8-inch, 6-inch
and 5-inch reech-loading rifles, and the
second with S-inch and 6-inch breech-
1OdOllg anu DObu hdf4uS SOO0 eupp1y
of machine guns.
COULD SOON HAVE A NAVY.
The Yorktown, which is to have 6-inch
breech-loading steel rifles, is completed at
Philadelphia. The Charleston, at San
Francisco, is nearly completed, and could
probably be finished and armed with g.
inch and 6 6-inch breech-loading steel rifles
inside of month.
Mr.. Cramp, of Philadelphia, says he can
finish the Baltimore, which will have four
S-inch and six 5-inch breech loading rifles
in three months and the Philadelphia,
which will carry II 6-inch rifles in six
months. The Vesuvius, which is verv fast
and armed with dynamite gun, is at Phil
adelphia ready for use.
New York and few other ports are pro-
tected by torpedo mines, and the small mon
itors in the James river would be better
than nothing for coast defense. The five
large monitors, of which four are on the
Atlantic coast and one at San Francisco,
couldn't be completed under several months.
For the destruction of German commerce
our fleet could be recruited rapidly.
The Navy Department has for five or six
years been collecting information about the
merchant steamers and steam yachts that
might be armed in an emergency.