The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-02-14
ARMY AND NAVY.

| If there were enough enlisted men in the
| Navy the Secretary would put four vessels into
| comm ission at once. They are the Amphitrite,
| Lancaster. Boston, and Marion. at present,
| however there is scant force to man the vessels
already on the active list. If Congress author
ICES the employment OF 2 600 addition al men, tile
ships first 10 be taken of the reserve list will be
| the four named. Tho service is seriously ham
| pered by the insufficcncy OF men. and at 10
distant day the Navy will be found with vessels
in readiness for service which now lie at the
Navy yards, all for want of crews.
! For seven years the Navy has been working
on several of the monitors constructed during
tho war with view to undermining them and
max ing hem efficient warshIps. Two of them
the MiantOnomoh and Monterey have been COIN
m ssioned and the third of the set is the m
pitrite. When commissioned she will be one OF
the most formidable fighters in the Navy. Her
two turrets arc further protected BIZ barhets
which permit OF greater elevation of the guns
and insure better action from them in sea.
way. Her battery consists of four 10-inch
rifles and secondary battery Of rapid. fire
guns. Between the turrets is supe.structure
for officers quarters, which gives The vessel an
advantage the other monitors where the
officers arc housed below. Capt. Wise has been
selected to command her.
Col. Nathan w. Osbourne died last week ut
ST. Augustine. Fla, of BriglI's disease. He
was appoint ted upon the increase Of the Army
May Ia 1861, Captain OF the 18th Inf, aud
serving tho intermediate years in the successive
grades. promoted Colonel in the 5til Inf.
Aug 5, 1858. He was aged so years and sc
months. lie was brevettcd Major for gallant
and nieritorious services in the siege Of Vicks-
burg, Miss" His death, which is much re-
GREETED in Army circles. will cause promotions
as follows: Lieut. Col. William Lucius Kellogg.
9Th Inf. to be Colonel; Maj Henry Blanchard
Freeman, 10Th Inf, to be Lieutenant Colonel
of the 9th; Capt. William Henry Mclaughlin,
18th Inf, to be Major Of the 18th First Lieut..
Charles Mcclure. 18th Inf, to BIO Captain in
that regiment, and Second Lieut.. James Bay
lies, 9th Inf. TO be First Lieutenant Of the 18th
Inf.
Secretary Herbert has made the Goth paw
ment OF 500 ga on the battleship Oregon, under
construction at San Francisco. This is the last
payment to be made on the vessel until her
preliminary acceptance. The contract price of
the vessel is s., I22,7,0 which WAS divided into
30 equal payments Of $1O7. 427--IOper cent. be-
ing deducted from each until her final ac-
ceptance. The Oregon is now I3-i5ths com.
pieted.
The annual report OF Lieut.. Schuetze 10 As
sistant Secretary McAdoo on the Naval militia
Was made public last week. It's most import
ant recommendation provides that series of
drills in the monitors be arranged for with the
Governors Of the States concerned the engage
ments to be made. If possible early in the
Spring, aud the exercises to be carried out
Systematically during next Summer at which
time, il is believed, two or more monitors on
tho Atlantic coast and the Monterey on the
Pacific may be available for this important
duty.