Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-06
The Navy Department Will Put
Them in Commission.
A THOUSAND ENLISTED MEN NEEDED
The Recent Appropriation Will
Man These Ships.
MORE SEA MEN WANTED


from Congress, after the hardest kind OF
struggle, the officials of the Navy De-
partment have taken prompt action to put
five more vessels into commission for ac-
tive sea service. These are the steel cruis-
er Boston and the corvette Marion at the
Mare Island navy yard, near San Fran
cisco; the modern double-turreted monitor
Amphitrite at the navy yard, Norfolk, and
the government-built battle ship Maine and
the old wooden frigate Lancaster, at the
navy yard, Brooklyn. These vessels have
been ready for some time, and would have
been put in commission before but for the
lack of seamen. The Maine and Amphi-
trite are new ships and have never been to
sea. The Lancaster and Marion are vet
Grams. They belong to the old navy, the
members of which are becoming very
scarce on the naval list. Most of their
associates of the good old days before the
war have gone to rotten row and are now
only memory and a name. There are but
Few OF them left and their number is rap
idly becoming smaller and beautifully less.
The Marion is in the same class as the
Alert and the Ranger, now doing good
service on the western coast of Central
America, and, like them, she is believed
to be good for several years more service.
The Lancaster.
The Lancaster is one of the finest ships
of the old navy and has made an excellent
record. Being constructed of wood she Is
obsolete as a fighting machine, according
to modern ideas, and she has sailed her
last foreign cruise. Here last active SER
vice was as flagship of the Asiatic squad
ron. She will never again occupy station
SO dignitied and important. Since her re-
turn to New York she has been transform
ed into training ship. and, when commits
stoned. will be sent to Newport and utilized
| in giving practical instruction in gunnery.
To Man Five Ships.
Congress added 1000 men to the enlisted
strength of the navy, and the Navy De-
partment has decided to utilize the in
crease at once in manning the five ships
mentioned. The Boston, Marion and Lam
caster have undergone extensive repairs
and have been ready for sea for some time.
1t is estimated that 1t will take the entire
additional force to properly man the quin-
tet. The statement that the provision for
the increase of the enlisted force had been
rendered nugatory by the failure to ap-
propriate for their food and clothing" is
erroneous. AS a matter of fact there is
ample provision for feeding the men ont
of the general provision for rationS, and,
SO far clothing is concerned. no appro-
priation is needed, for the simple reason
that "jackies, like officers, have to pay
for their own clothing. The new men will
be provided with the necessary clothing by
the government, and the cost thereof will
be deducted gradually from their pay, just
| as has been done with the men in the navy
from time immemorial. AS has been al
ready stated there is a general appropria-
tion for rations for enlisted men, and ac-
cording to the statement of naval officials
| no distinction will be made between old or
| new men in the use of this fund, which is
ample under all conditions to meet every
possible requirement up to the time of the
next regular meeting of Congress, when
there will be ample time to consider de-
| Gciency in this respect, if it should then
exist.
Need of the Increase.
Without the increase in the present en-
listed force it would have been impossible
to place a single additional vessel in conf
| mission. For three years the navy has
suffered severely for want of men to prop
erly man new ships The navy yards, re-
ceiving ships and recruiting stations were
SO depleted by the constant drafts upon
them that finally they altogether could not
muster men enough for a crew for one ship.
The Maine would have been put in commits
sion two months ago had there been a
crew available. The same is true of the
Boston and the Amphitrte.
Some of the ships already in commission
are short of their proper complement. All
the big ships. such as the New York, Co.
lumbia and Minneapolis, are short of men,
and 1t is said that scarcely any of the
vessels in active service are fully equipped
in this important respect
The Two Big Bnttleships.
The big battleships Indiana and Massa-
chusetts and the monitor Terror are rap
idly approaching completion and the de-
partment will soon be confronted with the
difficulty of providing them with crews.
That is out of the question with the avail
| able force, but the hope is expressed that
an additional thousand men may be added
to- the enlisted force after they are
| ready for active sea service. Another ves-
sci that will be completed in a few months
Texas Maina
These two are the largest ships built by
the government in recent years. The Maine
was constructed at the Brooklyn navy yard
and the Texas at the Norfolk navy yard.
OF the vessels soon to be placed in COM
mission the Boston ard Marion will be at
tached to the Pacific squadron, under COM
| mand of Admiral Beardslee, and the Maine
and the Amphitrite will be attached to the
North Atlantic or home squadron, under
command of Admiral Meade. The Lancas-
ter will be unattached, but will probably
be under command of the head of the
Naval Training School at Newport.