The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-08-29
INTO THE G0LNEN HORN
MI StGn he r-',d SI-leS XGr Vessel BuRcdl.
An American Wnn.OEWar Needed
Needed There nnd the Train.
ing ship Was rho Only
Vessel Available.

Washington. Aug. 2S.-The Pres!den;
Eas decided to send warship to Con
s;antinople and the little ccd practice
snip Bancroft has been selected as the
hrst American naval vessel since the
rati!lcation of the treaty of Paris 10 pas:
The Bosphorus and anchor in the Golden
iiorn opposits the ga,dens of the SeraG-
l.o.
The n,sTy department. is in n state of
Surpres 20 excitement to-day on ac-
count OF The preliminary orders to fl tho
vessels for foreign cruise and al
though officials have be pledged 10
una nal secrecy over tine immediate e
cause OF the departure. II is well known
lh2S eNt.aord.nasy efforts are being
made 10 exp. di;e the dispatch of the
vessel from Annapolis, where the cadets
nave just d.sembarked from the sum-
mer crui7e and the instruction officers
nave been ord red ashore 10 the Naval
Academy. Within a day or two under
peremF' 'oiy orders new complement of
ol:iaers and men, il is underst Cd. will
man the ship and she will go TO the
Norfolk or New York navy yard 10
axe ady for n duty She was never
designed 10 undertake, Congress- hav-
II & authorized her constl uc.ion solely as
4 practice cruiser for the education OF
naval cadets. The administration hav-
Ing reached the decision. how ver. that
the presence of n United States war YES
Sci WIS inperatively demanded at Con
siantinople to perform duty similar TO
mat OF the guard ships maintain Il there
by England and France and O: her Euro
pean powers and the Turkish l. .ys rest
ing on the treaty of Paris forbiddinc
a vessel of over six guns to enter the
30 phorus, tie Bancroft alone was found
available for the rVice required She
has four guns and therefore is under no
obligation to secure permission to pass
the forts as would be the case oc all
other American warships save the Con-
cord now out of commission and the
Bennington. attach to the Pacific sta
ton nd the dispatch boat Dolphin,
which has two guns.
Ii is understood that during the cl!-
max of troubles at Constantinople sew
cInl months ago the United States asked
leave to send one of the ships on the
Furopean station into the Boshurus. but
this permission was refused at the time
OIL the ground that the MINNEAPOLIS. san
Francisco and Marblehead exceeded in
mower and size the terms of the Paris
agreement. 1t is also understood that
at Minister Tcrrelrs suggestion the ship
now to he taken has been under contcm-
nlation for some time. and is not due to
anr sudden and unforeseen complication
The cruiser Bancroft can carry only
200 tons of coal and must, therefore.
make port frequently on a cruise. Her
main battery consists of four 4-nch
rnpid fire rifles. and Il number of small
secondary weapons. and two torpedo
tubes. She carries ten officers and l20
men. In all respects she is n farship
of the highest class in miniature. equal
in appearance to the finest vessels in
foreign navies. For her size she Is pro-
badly the most formidable Of the United
States naval vessels.
AL the naval cadets who recently
cruised on the Bancroft have left An
napolis for months leave and the
classes from the Monongahela will leave
tomorrow to return to duty October
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