The morning call., 1893-04-27

war vessels, but as the idea was advanced
by the chairman of the most important COM
mittee of the House, and was seriously dis
eussed by other statesmen, THE CALL
correspondent considered it worth while to
investigate the matter little.
When the Russian relief proposition was
being agitated the question of naval trans
ports was discussed. Mr.. Boutelle of
Maine, himself an old sailor, and who
served in the Republican House Of Repre-
sentatives as chairman of the Naval Com
mittee, gave some practical knowledge that
some other members of the Congress we're
incapable of giving. He said:
MANY would naturally be likely to place
great deal of dependence upon positive
statement made by so experienced legls-
lator as the chairman of the Committee on
Appropriations, that the Navy Department
Is amply supplied with transports to per-
form this work. Nevertheless the fact is
that the United States Government does not
own a transport ship. There is also great
Misrepresentation in the minds of many peO-
pie in regard 10 the services that naval
vessel can properly perform. Gentlemen
will remember the old story Of the Secretary
of the Navy from an interior Stale who
was said to have expressed great astonish-
ment when lie looked down the main hatch
of ship Of war and discovered that the
burned thing was hollow A modern naval
vessel. however, is hollow to very limited
extent. Everybody knows that the prob
lem is not to fnd something to load them
with, but to find room in them for their
crews. provisions, mechanical appliances
and the necessary munitions of war.
suppose Holman may have been misled by
ba Faaf tI,nf lpb{ hov, hoo, for
such'purpOses as the conveyance of the re-
mains OF Ericsson to Sweden, etc.
''AmonG the old vessels OF the navy
there is, so far as l know, only one that
would be available, this is the Coustella-
tlon. She is now laid up at Annapolis. She
is the training-shiD on which the cadets go
out on their annual cruise. She could carry,
l understand, only about 5000 barrels of
flour. She IS Il sailing vessel. and 1t would
be necessary 10 put her in proper condition,
TO lit her out thoroughly for an ocean vOy-
ace, to man her with a full crew of officers
and men, and my impression is that by the
time We had balanced our books we would
find that the attempt at economy had
'petered OUT"
Secretary Herbert said: Modern war
ships are unified for transport service be-
cause of the method and manner Of their
construction. All Of them have horizontal
engines below the water-lIne, extending
more or less from stem to stern, and all are
cut up into compartments of various kinds.
The vessels also carry immense armaments,
much heavier guns than the old line ships.
For these reasons, and because the holds
of the vessels would be always heated, none
of them would be fit tor transportation
pu poses, unless. possibly, the saiIing-ship
Constellation.
mo naval vessel may be used for any
purpose other than that authorized by law,
and if a special act could be passed the
Constellation might possibly be remodeled
so as 20 accommodate Chinese passengers.
Modern war vessels could not transport
them unless by standing the AIongolians ON
deck. exposed to/the weather. or by crowd
ingl,hem into a Yerite Bile Calcutta hole"