Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-03-07
INSPECTING The INDIANA
Naval Circles expectant Over the
Report of the Board.
Marines Assigned 10 Gun Duty Said
Ia Have Been Acting as Pow
der Monkeys" 80 Sec.
Herbert Interested.

Washington, Feb. 26.-Naval circles
are In a state of expectancy, not to say
excitement, over the probable result of
the visit Of the board OF inspection TO
the battleship Indiana, which is now in
progress. The mechanism and the u b
stantial qualities of the vessel are not
expected TO furnish n opportunities
for criticism. but there is a well defined
impression that something of q surprise
will be given Secretary Herbert when
the portion Of the report relating To the
personnel OF the Indiana and the man
ner Of Its disposition reaches the ye.
IL VIII be remembered that when the
Indiana was placed In commission and
Captain Robley ID. Evans was assigned
to her command he recommended that
no marines be placed aboard the vessel.
The reason assigned by Captain Evans
for this request was ha. the quarters
on the Indiana were limited and there
would he accommodations only for the
crew.
Rear Admiral Ramsey. chief of the
bureau of navigation, approved this
recommendation, and IL was forwarded
TO Secretary Herbert. To the instant
surprise and utter amazement Of the
naval n marine officers Secretary
Herbert refused TO indorse the sugges-
ton. The attempts which, ii Is claimed,
had been made for a by influential
naval officers 10 ignore the marine corps
and bring II INTO disrepute and disuse
as "A branch OF the naval service had
been brought To Secretary Herbert's at
tentlon first by the Evening Star, which
In September, 1894. published the testi-
mony given by Colonel Haywood be-
fore the congressional committee on the
reorganization Of the navy. lie pursued
his inquiries further, and, IL is asserted,
discovered that upon every United
States war vessel where marines had
been assigned to the batteries he eff
cheney OF the boa in target practice
had been increased by a large percent
age.
Secretary Herbert her applied to
Captain Evans recommendation by di-
rectlng hat a guard OF sixty marines,
under command of their proper officers.
should be placed aboard the Indiana
and assigned to duty at the guns. The
marines went to their duty on the ship.
1t is now stated that since that time
the marines on the Indiana have benn
N'iiS 'h's piiS aS poN uFl iii'ilNNs -
as he men are called who carry the
ammunition TO the batteries.
Naval officers declare that this con-
stitutes a violation OF Secretary Her
bert's positive orders, and that the
claim made by Captain Evans friends
that powder monkeys are really do
ing duty at the u n is IA technical eX-
cuse, and will not be considered by the
secretary.
In his annual report Secretary Her
bert praised the value OF the marines
In high terms, declaring their superiori-
ty over the sailors as artillerists by rea-
son OF their greater experience and con-
slant drilling. With this In view con-
sentative naval officers say hat he will
take measures to have his orders re-
garding the marines on the Indiana car
ried out to the letter when he reads the
report OF the board Of inspection of the
battle ship Indiana, OF which an officer
of high rank i'm marine corps il a men,
Der.
Interest In the outcome of the AFFAIR
has been greatly heightened by the fact
that Secretary Herbert sent a letter to
the house committee on naval affairs
recommending an increase OF the ma
nine corps by 500 men.