New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-25
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES.
GOSSIP OF VACANCIES AND COMING rNo-
MOTIONS.
THREE VESSELS TO GO INTO COMMISSION AZ SooN
80 THE PRESIDENT SIGNS THE NAVAL
APPROPRIATION BILL-woRK TO BE

PUSHED on SEVERAL OTHERS
fny TELEGRAPH THE TRiBuNh'l
Vashinc.on Feb 2t.-EXisuns anu 20.
cancies In the commissioner s -, oio,os
me-. Of much speculation III 'n'ai'
80 -. ,ho-e is a vacancy in the ONCE OF hriga-
- Weseh' - a,so in the quar;ermasters corps
wv -. pavnaaster- General Smith gives up
IN % ties and in May General Casey. chief
.. inoors is TO retire. For the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
-, Secretary Lamont will probably make MS rec
s''i ,s,,ions 10 the President this week a hVelY
.- &c going on among the colonies OF the line
49,, osi,jon 1t Is said at the War Department
~. .hare are no less than twenty applicants for
,ba MACE The office is to be filled by the seiec-
,foo bv the President. and all the coloheis are
riblc for promotion. 1t seems probable that COLO
,sj Zenas r. Bliss of the oath Infantry VIII gel
the star Ills chief competitors are Colonel smarter
,,o senior officer OF infantry and Colonel GORDON
tho comn1andant Of the cavalry troops al Fort
Never, near Washington
For the ouartermas tership over 200 first lieuteh-
auts of the line are aspirants. The contest Seems
10 be narrowed down to Hoskins. Of the ar'iieis'
a11 Brereton Of the infantry Lieutenant hoSN'is
& a resident of New-York Paymaster-"eheIa'
Smith Will retire in March His would-oe Successes
are many but the indications are that '"e $50,
will select either Colonel Terrell, the heN' '
f,Io,oI S..r,on the cecond senior. or Lieutenant
Colonel Glenn. For General casey ; O a,
are a number of asp,rants, but rev a'o"e1 ,s a.
$50 colorsls Nendell and Abbot the se"'o "
the CORPS. retire in the fall The heN' ~ oc,iva
mel Craighn has more than TWO y ns, racord
d,tv and being an officer with an 49, ,ho
"a ,,sl,-known ability. he Is 'houe"' ~ ,,
anu ,atoo of the President, although weH-ih-
I'oo e,oors Of the Army attach Importance 10
,,andlv relations existing between '"e i'e''
an, and Colonel wilson -.
GENT az" result of the authorization by Congress OF
49,, onl,stment of 1000 more men Tor the Navy the
' IT,, eeet Is 10 be Immediately and considera-
ST., augmented The naval authorities are so conn.,
den, the Senate will adopt the House provision i'i
,sii,ional sailors that they are aireaoy MAKING
,,lans TO commission three Vesseis. " INN w"
neeks from the time the President signs the Naval
~r,otion hill one monitor, one heavily armored
,,ser and one protected cruiser, requiring IN all
CSC men, will have their colors flying. Inese 'esses
are the Amphitrite the Maine ana the bostoh' AS
hereafter there will be embarrassment IN secur-
ing a sufficient force OF seamen ana engineers u"
authorities have decided to push construction WORK
90 oil shins undergoing completion. II is the present
exnectation that by August the Puritan. the Ter
ror the Monadnock the Indiana, the Massachu-
sets the oregon. the Texas. the hataho!h anu the
Ericsson will be in commission
The Amphitrite will be the first vessel 10 receive
her officers and men. Her ensign Will be- hois'ea
With anproprate ceremonies at the Norfolk Navy
Yard about March 10. Powerful IN offensive ana oe-
fensive qualities and Of such construction tha' se
can take the seas and fight her guns uhder conui-
tions OF wind and weather that would render the
ia ShiOned
an important addition TO the fleet her general
dinensions are Length 260 feet; breadth, 90 ieet'
drauebt 141a feet. Her main battery consists OF
four 10-inch, high-powered rifles, mounted IN TWO
barbettes two forward and two aft on the Hoship
line and two 4-inch rapid-fre rifles. mounted ~
broadsde The secondary battery Includes SIX sia''
11o,cbL;ss rapid-fre guns and two Gatlngs. Inc
vessels sides are OF steel, nine inches thick Inc
trrets are ~ inches. and the barpettes H2 ic"eS
thick Her chief novelty consists in the construc-
ton of her barbettes and the location OF the OIL
GERS quarters. The barbetes are placed IN turre's
which are three feet above the deck This arrange
rnent will permit Of her guns being used in MOD
eratey heavy and keeps the waves ana spray
that come on board from getting below. the ohcers
ouayters are of light armor. They are built much
ike the superstructures OF modern SHIPS ana are
suated between the turrets, covering all the inter-
mediate space. The vessel Will require B. crew oi
16O men, Captain Wise will be her commander ana
ldeutenant-Con1mander Adams her executive oH-
GER She will be on special service for WHILE ana
iater join the North Atlantic squadron unoer CON"
mand OF Admiral Meade.
The Maine will be only few days behind the
Amphitrite in going into commission. She is Off
cally classed as "A steel armored cruiser with TWO
barbettes" She is 3ls feet long 81 feet wide and
draws 21is feet of She dspaces SSis tons OF
water Her maximum horsepower is 5000 which Is
calculated to drive her in a moderate sea at the
rate of seventeen knots She will four l0-nch
and six 6-inch guns as a main battery ana twenty
small rapid-f rifles and two Gatlings as second
airy battery Her side and turret armor Is OF Har-
yeyized nickel steel. and is IL inches thick. one
was built on modified English designs. the plans
having been purchased by Secretary Whitney. There
IS curious bit OF gossip in connection with her to
the effect that prominent naval architect OF Lon
don claims that the plans followed In her consTuc-
ton were his, and that he has received no COM
pensation reward for the use OF his IDEAS. Ihere
is considerable speculation as to who VIII De the
vessels commander The probabilities are that Cap
tain T. f. Kane will be selected. While high up IN
his grade. this officer has had but one year ana
four months sea service a captain. The ships
will consist OF 80
The Boston is the Mare Island Navy Yard,
where she has been undergoing extensive repairs to
her machinery ever since her return from the men,
orable cruise in the Pacific. The prominent part
taken by Captain Witse his officers and men, In
protecting American interests at Honolulu at the
time Of the Hawaiian revolution in 1888 will direct
special attention TO the Boston's movements. The
further fact that she is OF pioneers of
the new steel Navy lends interest 10 her services
While not OF modern design. naval architects now
regard the conditions and requirements, she is
ertheless useless and comfortable craft and when
gn Sped sr not essT1a fhe VIII be valuable as
her future commander; Captains NJ; l.. johnson and
Yates Stirling, with the chances favorable to the
selection Of the latter The ship will be attached
10 the Pacific station. and In due return TO
o.uu.
Current gossip of interest to naval officers has
for transfer the retired list in the course Of the
coming week. This officer is present the com
mandant of the naval station at Newport. and
has under his direction the apprentice training
establishment. the torpedo station and the war
college His retirement would create unexpected
Vacancies in his own and all the lower grades OF
the line. Commodore Wallace occupies peculiar
position. which resembles in the main that held
By Admiral Erben about the time Of his advance
inent from the grade Of commodore. He cannot
become admiral. in the usual course. being
senior In age 10 seven officers who outrank him,
nnaHsneiy' Meade Kirkland Beardsee, Sefr1dge.
x,oIton. Seard and Mathews. He now has the
sgaest honors rank and pay which ne rea
So.ahDy expect to receive, and cannot count upon
further distinction or advancement The Commo-
core Is particularly sensitive to criticism whether
JUST or unjust, u Is said. A few DAYS ago soma
TOR Snsndier inircduced resolution calling upon
me Iecreoaf OF tne Navy for information as to
whether or not officers at Newport detailed for
nIIaa iaSi1.