The evening times., 1897-04-16
VESSELS HELD IN RESERVE
Several TO Go Out of Commission
Before Long.
SECRETARY LONGS PLAN
Katahdin to BE Followed by the CO.
Iumbia, Minnesota and Cincinnati.
They Are Not to Be Put in Ord
nary, However, But Kept Partly
Manued-A Matter of ECONOMY.

Secretary Long intends to adopt more
economical program in connection with the
fleet In the Secretary's judgment there
are now too many vessels in commission.
He will gradually reduce the number in
service The vessels to go out OF commits
They are 10 be kept partly manned, and
will ride at anchor in some body of fresh
water yet TO be decided upon.
The Secretary said that the new program
did not contain any sensational features,
but was based upon what appeared TO him
TO be good. practical business reasons.
He added that the country was at peace,
and that there was no likelihood Of big
fleet being needed for active service in the
immediate future. Should an eXigency arise
the vessels to be put out Of service could
be promptly made ready for cruising, as 1t
was not proposed TO dismantle them N any
sense Only material reduction in the
strength of their crews was to be made
They are to be known as reserve ships.
and will be held in a condition for call
upon short notice.
The ordering OF the Katahdin out of COM
step in the program. The ram is vessel
OF the special class. In time of war she may
prove useful, but she is of no value as a
cruiser. She has proved her qualities,
such as they are, and Secretary Long has
decided that il would be extravaganza
longer to keep her flag flying. The Secre-
tary said this afternoon that the next yes
sci TO go on the reserve list would be the
Columbia, the big, swift cruiser now at
tached TO the home fleet, which some time
ago made the fasttrip from Southamptonto
New York The Columbia has been in
commission about three years, and has fully
demonstrated her efficiency as a cruiser
of the cummerce-destToyer type. She is a
great coal consumer, and is otherwise ex-
pe1lsive to maintain. A smaller, more
economical slip would better meet re-
quirements. Hence Secretary Long has de-
cided TO put her in reserve. He will issue
directions TO this effect shortly after
the Grant memorial exercises on the 9th
Of this month.
Not long after the Columbia orders are
promulgated instructions viii be given
TO put the fastest of American cruisers,
the Minneapolis in reserve. This steel
clad greyhound is how on the European
station Recently she has been cruising
in Turkish waters. looking out for Ameri-
can interests. She is huge ship, and even
more expensive to keep in active service
than the Columbia Naval officers say
that it has never been theintention to have
the two vessels constantly in commission,
because of their ex pensiveness. The
Raleigh. OF the home squadron, viii go to
fiaf Of 10
Minneapolis. AS another vessel of that
squadron. the Cincinnati, has been ordered
home, Admiral Selfridse's command viii
be reduced to three ships, the San Fran
cisco, the Raleigh and the Bancroft.
Although Secretary Long has reached
no formal decision as to the monitors, the
probabilities are that at least two OF these
low freeboard vessels, the Amplitude and
the Terror. now attache / ID the home squad
ron. will soon join the reserve fleet. The
former has been in commission for some
time, and, for her class, has proved 10 be
an efficient vessel The Terror, her sis
ter, was commissioned only recently. The
Amphitrite viii be put on the reserve list
first Soon afterward the Terror VIII
follow. Naval officers say that for pur-
poses of instruction, only one monitor need
be kept in commission. They think that,
everything considered, the Puritan, being
the largest and most comfortable OF the
monitors. should he kept on active duty.
A number of questions relating To the mon
itor class are, Yet TO be decided by Sec
retary Long
The Secretary said today that ii was not
his purpose to make any wholesale re-
dactioa in the commissioned fleet. To keep
up the fleet at it's present strength did not
seem advisable. 1t was equally unad-
visable, the Secretary said, to cripple any
OF the squadrons, and this would not, OF
course he done He mentioned one practi-
cal point to which he has given attention.
This is that the enlisted force of the Navy
is limited. and that If all vessels now flying
flags are maintained In active service il
would he impossible to put In commission
new ships nearing readiness for cruising.
The big speedy battleship Iowa is almost
ready for her personnel. But there are not
enough men available to work her guns,
engines, etc. She must soon be accepted
fromthe contractors, and for obvious reasons