Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-14
THE BANCROFTS CRUISE
Believed to Be Going to Act as Guard Ship in
the Bosphorus.
Permission of the Turkish Govern
taincd-Interest I'm the Matter.


Considerable interest is shown in naval
circles in the cruise of the Bancroft, the
| miniature warship designed as a practice
| ship for cadets under instruction at the
Naval Academy. AS already stated in The
| Star, she has been detached from duty at
! the Naval Academy and assigned to the
European station for service as a guard
ship in the Bosphorus opposite Constan-
tinople, with the view of being Of special
use to the American residents OF the
Turkish capital in case of emergency.
There is no longer any doubt as to her
| mission, and the very fact that she is to
make the long trip is generally accepted
as indication that the sublime porte
has reconsidered its previously expressed
opposition to the anchorage of an Ameri-
can warship in the Golden Horn. She was
fitted out under hurried orders. and will
start on her voyage in few days.
A Three Years Cruise.
The Bancroft left the Brooklyn navy yard
Saturday afternoon for Tompkinsville, S. l.,
| to take on ammunition and have her coal
bunkers trimmed. She is being fitted out
| for three years cruise. and many things
have yet to be done to put her in condition
for active service. 1t is said that Com
| mander Belknap, who commands the vessel,
has no specific instructions with respect to
the voyage across the Atlantic beyond gen.
eral orders to proceed to Gibraltar without
unnecessary delay and report to Admiral
Selfridge commanding the European squad
ron. who is now en- route to that port on
| the flagship Minneapolis. Although not set
tied ii is probable that the Bancroft will
stop at the Azores for coal. The vessel
should easily cover the 1902 miles from
New York to Gibraltar at the rate of nine
knots an hour, which would take just hf-
teen days. If her commander decides to
stop at Fayal 2.09S miles from New York
she be speeded up to ten knots and
reach there in eight days. three days
stop there for coal and four days steaming
at twelve knots over the remaining loo
miles would fetch her to Gibraltar Septem-
Der p, the same date as if she had sailed
straightaway. The stop at Fayal would.
however, be safer, and if the weather
should be extremely fair, as it usually is al
this season, she will be heard from at the
Azores within ten days after leaving Sandy
Hook
Smallest Wnrship In the Navy.
The Bancroft is the smallest warship in
our navy, and Is not so large as some
ocean-going towboats. She can cross the
ocean in fifteen days. Werkmen have been
busy for several days rigging her sails. for
she is to be provided with the means of
continuing on her way In case ner engines
Should break DOWN OF HeT uIuiteQ Codl sup
ply give out. The sails may also come in
useful in case she meets with heavy wealth
err on the Atlantic. When small ship is
pitching and tossing in the trough OF
heavy sea sails can be spread and the YES
sci held steadier before the wind.
Besides her seven officers the Bancroft
will carry 1O2 sailors and ten marines.
Twenty-four additional sailors for the ships
OF the European squadron will be taken as
far as Gibraltar, where the Bancroft ex-
Pc cts to meet Admiral SeHrldseS HaSSnlp
the Minneapolis.
1t is expected that the tiny warship will
reach her destination about the middle OF
October, and confidence is expressed that
everything will have been arranged by
Minister Terrell by that time for her to
rass the Dardaneiles and to take her sta
ton near the Turkish capital for the sup
port of the United States minister and In
emergencies to serve as place OF refuge
for citizens Of the United States.
The Right In Turkish Waters.
This country was not party to the
treaty of Paris of 1855 or to the treat Of
London of 1871 which regulate the rights
of foreign ships in Turkish waters. Al
though the Turkish government recently
refused permission for an American war
shin to proceed to Constantinople on the
general ground that such privilege belong
ed only to the signatory powers. this gov
eminent has consistently maintained the
right to send ships into the Black sea. con-
tending that such since the Russian
ccnuuests on its shores can no longer be
regarded as a Turkish closed sea. While
asserting this right this government has
never sent a ship past the Dardanelles
without having first secured permission
from the Turkish government. The bat
terry limit of the European guardships at
Constantinople is six guns. None of the
United States vessels now on the European
station carries less than eight guns. The
Bancroft has but four guns in her main
battery, and she was selected as our rep
resentatfve at the Turkish capital almost
solely on that account. 1t is hardly likely
that the small vessel would be sent to Con-
stantinople against the wish of the Turk
ish authorities and Of the treaty powers
and, although not officially admitted, it is
generally believed that the administration
has received assurances that no further
opposition will be offered to the United
States having a guardship at Constantine
pie for the protection Of its people and