The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-19

Monitors 10 Ee Made ReadY-The Baltimor'
to Sail Wednesday.

PHmADrLpHM, Jan. ls-Ihe work OF
pumping out the great dry dock recently
built 80 the League Island navy-yard prepara-
torv 20 an examination Of the bottom Of tho
monitor M0ntauk was begun this morning.
This Will consume two or three days.
All day Saturday telegrams were passing
between Ieague Island and Washington. and
as a result to-day force Of men sufficient %
eouip the vessel for sea in less than three
weeks was put 20 work. This Will require IN
addition 10 the force or mechanics already
employed. fourteen machinists. boiler makers
and copper smiths. Dix months ago the
monitors Nahant and Jason We're dry dOcked
and their bottoms scraped.
The orders from the Navy Department re
0uire tnat the Moutauk's engines be tired after
she had been thoroughly Oyerhauled. CAPTAIN
C0ughlin. the acting commandant at League
Island says the monitor could De equipped
fer sea in a week ii necessity required H..
Ia an interview he sad. The MOltAnk las
not been out Of the water for eighteen years
and is a vessel with only her engines aud
guns aboard That is 20 say she is dismani.ed,
as there was no occasion during Ion! peIlcl
of idleness 70 have her equipped She
Is preserved as well as 10 IS possible for
auv boat 10 be Tn order 10 preserve
the engines il is necessary t. separate
many 0f the parts. and u is almost Ike build
ing new engine d put them together.
IL viii take fifteen men three weeks % DO
il. As have said. in cases OF emergency
we could put her IN condition 10 week.
The cnns have always been kept in order.
She has two of them and they are rited
guns aud thOw ftteen-inch shell
il would take one week o. put twenty-hye
or thirty tons OF ammunition 10 the vessel.
The powder ID put IN bags. each charge ready
for the gun. ard the shells are in cases. Mo
have 10 order vet % put ID ammunition We
had orders SIX months ago % get the Nahsut
and Jason ready for service. but no trla4 on
ENGINES was ordered. The Monrauk ls 1873
tons displacement. We could get the Nahant
and Jason ready for service ID week. lhe
complement Of each ship is from 100 20 l'J
officers anl men
CAPTAIN Couehlin was asked whether the de-
rartment would be likely % send the inoni-
tors 10 Chih in case Of war. lie said II would
be dangerous 20 DO So. lie regards them as
being admirable ar means OF coast ana harpNr
defense but it would entail great expense T.
take them % South America and would also
consume much time
In the last report of the chief OF the nu-
reau of ordinance SAID Captain OoAgA.ln'
there was provision made 20 diserm the
monitors Of their l5-inch smOOth-bore guns
and substitute the last pattern aud lu-inch
prOiectlle thrower5. but ] think II there Is
going o. be a war the present armament Will
be employed
There are fifteen monitors ONLeu uy the
United States Government. Nine are at
Richmond. lying in the James river. three at
League Island. one 40 Brooklyn. one az An
napolis and one at Mare Island.
SAN FRANCIsCO. Jan. ls.-lhe Cal this
morning states that the cruiser Baltimore.
now at Mare island nayy-yard. has received
orders 10 leave Oh Wednesday for the South.
She Will go direct % Acapulco or Callao with
out a stop. Nothing can be learned 10 show
that she Will be Joined by the Charleston Or
the San Francisco. now az san Diego.
Csptain Schley and all the officers OF the
baltimore. whose cruise has expired. have
asked 10 be reassigned % the ship on
rbe understanding that trouble viii
occur with Chill. Nearly al the tlme-expred
sailors Of the cruiser have also re-onllsted on
similar understanding. 10 is also stated that
the A,hican. a wooden vessel. has been
ordered 70 leave in a day or two for Panama.
The Mohican IS now az Mare island nearly
ready for sea.
SPErSGuzLD. Ill. Jan. -Adiutant-Gen-
eral Reeee was asked last night concerning
rumor that lie had been called upon 20 report
10 the War Department az Washington the
number of militia available IN Illinois IN the
event OF war with Chill
General Reece said trat neither be nor the
Goyernor had any C. mmunicati0n on the sub
iect from the War Department. and that
there was nothing IN tie story 50 far as the
Illinois officials were concerned. Governor
Fifer also stated that there was no iouncs-
ton for the report.