The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-02
The Secretary of the Navy Losing
No Time In the Matter.
The Richmond, Alert and Adams
ordered to Make Ready,
And tho New Charleston Being Hur-
ried to Her Completion.
A Description OF the Vessels and the
onicers In Command-The British
Naval officers at Gibraltar Send
Graceful Tribute to Us.

WASHINGTON, April line Navy de-
partment is making every effort to secure
an adequate representation at Samoa.
Orders were sent out today TO have the
Richmond, Alert and Adams sent to Apia
at tho earliest practicable moment, The
Alert is at Honolulu, all ready to sail
when she Goals and provisions, and can
reach Samoa in month or forty days.
The Richmond is not in such a favorable
place, being at present in the River Rio dc
In Platte, on the east coast OF South Amer
ica, and must 20 around Capo Horn. The
Adams Is under repair at the Mare Island
California; Navy Yard. Ten days or two
weeks will serve to complete the repairs,
and after few days additional consumed
in taking in stores and coal she may sail
on her voyage, which will take about a
month. The Yantic, now at Brooklyn,
will be ready to sail on the 10th instant,
probably to relieve the Richmond.
While the vessels ordered to Samoa are
favorable vessels Of their kind, yet they
are by no means equal to the three vessels
which were wrecked. aud are OF antique
type compared with tho vessels OF the
German East African fleet which has been
ordered TO Apia. The old Richmond is
by far the largest OF the vessels that will
20 down. She was built in Norfolk in
1853, and Is Of 200 tons burden, 225 feet
long. 42l feet broad, and ia draft. Her
speed II set down at VI knots when In
trim. but she Is doubtless foul, and con-
sequently much reduced in speed by her
stay in South Atlantic waters She is
commanded by Capt. A. V. Reed, with
Licutenant.C Commander Louis Kingsley,
and Lieutenants w. II. Everett, J. H. @.
Coffin, y. II. Crosby, J. NJ. Robinson and
j. o. Nicholson. Her complement is
twenty-nine officers and 32l men. The
battery is headed by twelve l0.inch
smooth.borcs, one S.inch muzzle-loading
rifle, and one 60-pound brcech-loading
rifle, two 20.pound brcech-loaders and
some small secondary guns.
The Alert Is a l,OOO.lon vessel, built by
John Roache In 1870. She carries "a OIL.
Gers and l27 men. She is rated at Il
knots, Is l75 feet long by 80 feet BEAM
draws i22 feet Of water, and carries n bat.
terry OF one ll.inch. two 0-inch smooth
borcs. one G0-pound rifle and four small
guns In the secondary battery. Her oiii-
cors are Commander James d. Graham
and Lieuls John Garyin, 4. 4. Greene.
c. r. Moore, j. T.. Parker, q. ID. Bostwick
and VIM. G.. llannum.
The Adams Is rated at ,375 tons. She
was built In 1875 at Boston, by Donald
Mckay. Her length is 1856 feet, by 30
feet beam aud li3 draft. She is set down
asa 0.S knot ship, with battery Of four
0.inch smooth bore, one S-inch muzElo-
loading rifle, one G0-pound muzklo loading
rifle aud five guns in tho secondary bat.
terry. The detail for tho Adams was al.
most completed this afternoon. She will
be under tho direction Of Commander
Edwin 4. Woodward.
There will be no new orders In regard
20 Samoan Affairs given 10 the comman-
dcrs Of tho vessels. Admiral Kimberly
will remain at Apia and will continue Ia
command Of the squadron. llo had In.
slructions issued 10 him before his de-
parturo and the situation has not changed
since then. Tho Admiral las considerable
discretion vested In him. and may, to n
considerable extent, exercise his own
| Judgment in regard to what shall be done.
Should anything occur 10 render new In
struciions advisable they can be prepared
aud sent 10 Samoa long before the war
vessels get there. The thing now needed
is the ships, not instructions. II Is i'm.
probable that the Samoan conference will
have met and settled the enlargement
between the United States and Germany
before our vessels reach Samoa, and any
new orders sent 10 Admiral Kimberly will
doubtless largely be governed by tho pro-
ccudings Of the conference.