The San Francisco call., 1896-08-05
MILITARY AND
NAVAL GOSSIP,
Goat Island to Be Utilized
as a Training
Station.
APPRENTICES TO CRUISE
Number of Boy Marines on the
Pacific Coast Will Be
Doubled.
WAR DEPARTMENT ORDERS.
Fifth Artillery Officers at the Preside
Assigned to Battery Duty at
Fortress Monroe.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug, 4.-The
Navy Department is paying considerable
attention Just now to the training station
which it is proposed to establish on Goat
Island. The department has sent to Rear
Admiral Kirkland, commandant at Mare
Island Navy-yard, statement OF the
changes contemplated in the Pensacola IN
order TO fit her for duty as the station
training-ship. In addition another vessel
will be assigned to the station, which will
be used TO take apprentices on short
cruises. In fact, it is determined to make
the training station to be established
there as much like that at Newport, on
the New England coast, as possible. To
the Newport station is attached the old
man-of-war Constellation. In addition
the Essex is used fol cruising purposes.
No decision has yet been reached by the
department as to the ship to be selected
1for cruising purposes for the apprentices
On the Pacific Slope, but it is expected that
either the Mohican or Hartford will BE-
decided upon. The Mohican will prob
ably be used until the Hartford is avail
able. The latter vessel cannot be used for
cruising purposes under year and half
or two years on account of the amount of
work yet to be performed upon her.
The department has not yet been neti-
fed as to the number of boys who have
enlisted on the receiving-ship Indepen-
dence under the order issued some months
ago by the Secretary, permitting their en-
listment. In his orders at that time the
Secretary limited the number of appren-
tices who should be enlisted on the coast
l.
cial of the Bureau of Navigation, who has
charge of enlistments, that this mum Der
was merely tentative, and when it had
been reached the department would in
crease it to 200. The fact that the officers
of the Independence are complaining of
room consequent upon the quartering of
apprentices on board their vessel makes
the department. desirous of providing
some other place for the accommodation
of the boys as quickly as possible. For
this reason it has instructed Rear-Admiral
Kirkland to expedite work on the Pensa-
cola.
At the instance of other officials of the
department Com odore Matthews, chief
of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, has
abandoned his proposition to widen the
entrance to Mare Island docks. Imme-
diately upon his return from inspection of
naval stations of the Pacific coast the
commodore prepared plans for increasing
the width of entrance to the dock at Mare
Island, his object being to make the
structure sufficiently large to accommo-
date the bsttleship Oregon. The matter
was submitted to other bureau chiefs, but
did not meet with their approval. 1t was
fad ont hof ha
large enough the Oregon would be unable
to reach Mare Island on account of OBJ
structlons in the channel; in fact, she
must take on stores which are brought to
her from Mare Island by means of
llghters-a very expensive method. II
was also stated that even with the width
of the dock increased 1T would still be a
dangerous thing to dock 8 ship like the
Oregon i'll a structure not especially built
for the purpose.
In view OF the facts thus presented
Commodore Matthews has deeiaed not to
press Secretary Herbert to issue orders
looking 10 an increase in size of the en-
trance to Mare Island dock. It is his in
tention to make strong argument in his
forthcoming annual report in favor of
another dock at Mare Island, showing the
necessity of such structure. AS an evil
dence of such necessity he will point out
work now in progress at Mare Island
which could have been expedited had
another dock been located at that place.
The War Department will issue orders
within day or so to number of officers
holding the ranks of first and second
lieutenants, who are serving with the
Fifth Regiment of Artillery, stationed on
the Pacific Slope, assigning them to duty
with the batteries at Fortress Monroe and