Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-12-23
PREPARING TO MEET CHILL.
What the Navy Department Il Doing
for Possible Emergency.

wAsRrssroS. Dec s3-rhe navy de
psrim-nt il plssias . ws,ing game 10 'ht
Chiiise m.tser jass nov, and, aside from
the grAdal cspeeatra,ioa OF shirs, very
httle i. being daae. Tas belief 10 eecon'
irg general that. at the last moment Chill
vi ! b. guided by reason, but II she she uld
not. il is difaeult to zee how . Sight could
be aveidsd After the attitude assumed ey
the President and the prspArations made ty
the navy department, the Uaited States
carnes we'll accept Any thing but full sstit'
fae'isn. or exercise the conslrasns TO can
pei IL.
How complete the preparations Of the
nkvy Department have been. few even OF
the ofa .ials in the department know, hu'
from the fact that something rev uadei
this h I'D is fouai every day or two, IL Is
safe 10 assume that, il offensive operations
60 not result there sill be no general sur
prise, blsb In the UaNei States and Chill,
at the smauat Of preparation that has eeeo
made. As has already been stated, Il
iesM part Of the sir ele-tufreted monitors
will be put in commission 10 the event of
hostiliti,s IL can now be stated that II
they are ne. ded they will go into se'-
vice with modern hreechlostira g
gus in ,hs iuHets. Ths Bureau
of Ordnance has prepared ali
the plsns for taking out the d 'teen-ineh
snoo h bore guns and mouariag 10 the cid
turrets. either enc modern ten inch suo CT a
pair Of sighs-inch guns No change Ia the
iurrsss will be Necessary and the work could
be done. in 81 eBergaoey. in ten days or
t~o weeks. With these moaern gans In
NJ. h.a AL ha
iuso very tfficieut vessels.
There are now at the Washington ord.
nance shops three tea inch guns cam pleted.
which are 10 be meuated on the Terror
VII she il ready, but which are nov being
he'd 10 reserve for use on the sirgle-tur-
rsted mentors IL necessary. These would
sru h-ee II ihe old vessels, while eight
eisht-inc guns, nov ia the shops, would
arm feue more Of them. This you'd give
the nsv, AZ once seven highly tthlient hgat-
srmorej vessels.
Then there slowed away IN the sh ,ps
enough four, five and six inoA guns 70 tufA
half = d. zen fss, merchant ships into aux
ihsry cruisers on very short nonce
u nisr the system put in operation while
sir. Chapdler was secretary OF the navy,
ard fully developed by Mr., Whitney, the
hss q full list OF American meT-
chant steamers. with full particulars sho~
ing jnst what each vessel would be good
for 10 time of var. The best OF these
would be taken at once and supplied with
suns and ammunition.
II the United States 10 dnsliy compelled
to use force in bringing Chill to terms, ths
fjrst move that will be made, ia sd iition ."
the concentration Of ship, vii
probably bes general shipment of guns
from the Wsshiugton ships to tn Pacific
cossf. while at the ssma lime = numb,r Of
vesnls will be ehsrter, d At San Frsncisco
and sent to the Mare Isispd Yard. where
douele gangs OF msn will work, hight ard
asd day. getting them ready TO put the guns
aboard as soon ss they arrive. Many OF
these auxiliary cruisers would be
more than q match for the second-rAte
Cniilsn ships, and could leave the regular
cruIsers free TO look after the Esmerslls
znd the other more Efficient vessels In tbs
Cbilisn navy
Ths fset that the United States would he
able to send TO sea. or such short notice, =
SQUADRON of extern porized naval vessef,
irmons strstes tne wisdom OF keeping tue
work on guos well sdvsnced, 40 as 10 have
On hand, AZ all timss, more than are needed
for the slips already complesed.