The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-11
THE BOUTWELL, OUT OF DATE.
SECRETARY GAGE SAYS NEW REV
ENUE CUTTERS ARE NEEDED.


The boutwell,, McLane, COIfax and
Seward Among Those Which He
Says should he Condemned ana
SOId-SOme Remarks on the I'M
pOrtance of the SerVice-WOrl1 OF
the Service in Preventing FiIibus-
tering-Lives Saved and Vessels
With CnrgOes Assisted.
Particular attention is given to the rev.
enue cutter service in the report just made
by Secretary Lyman j. Gage Of the treas
ury department, and especial attention is
given to the service in waters along the
South Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Among the vessels in this service, which
the Secretary of the Treasury says should
be condemned and sold are the Seward,
the McLane, the Boutwell, and the Colfax,
all of them plying in southern waters OF
chief interest to Savannah as the report
with regard to the Boutwell,, which has
had her headquarters here for many
years. a. cth ~,
The Boutwell,. the secretary says, was
built in 1878, and owing to bad design is
not now, and never was a seaworthy yes
sell 1t is a twin-screw boat, very slow, and
unfit for the work of a revenue cutter. The
Boutwell, cost originally $7OOOO and has
cost for repairs, $3.50. She is now at
Jacksonville, and has been doing duty late
ly in watching tilibustering expeditions
The secretary makes a similar report
with regard to the McLane which is sta
toned at Key West. This vessel was ac-
CURED by the navy in 1865, after serving
as a gunboat during the war 1t is an iron
side-wheel vessel of obsolete type, has
been thirty-two years in the revenue cut
ter service, and cost originally 1886, 900, and
since for repairs, S113,275. This vessel, it is
stated is not worth extensive repairs.
In speaking of the prevailing insurrec-
ton in cRba, however, the secretary taRes
occasion to compliment the McLane upon
the capture of the tug Dauntless, which
was seized in the act of leaving the coast
on June 20, with IT'S rifles, 100000 rounds Of
ammunition. medical supplies and twenty
seven men on board.
The Coifax, whose headquarters are at
Charleston, was constructed in 1871, Is of
iron sheathng with wood, twenty-six
years old and d sidewheeler. Her cost
was originally S65 800, and since, for re-
pairs, $4,000. The hull, the secretary says,
is very tender and cannot be properly re-
paired without practical rebuilding, and
is not worth any considerable outlay.
The Seward is of less interest TO this
section. She is located in the Mississippi
river near The mouth. The Seward was
constructed in 1873, is a wooden side
wheeler, and now. after twenty-four years.
service, is practically worn out, unsea-
worthy and not worth extensive repairs.
Her cost originally was $3i,600 and since
for repairs $26. 5SS.
The secretary, speaking generally, calls
attention TO this arm of the service and
its importance, showing that there have
been in commission during the year TWEEN
ty-One cruisers and fifteen vessels detailed
on harbor duty inland. These vessels have
cruised an aggregate of 800, 762 nautical
milesTA oarded and examined 1859 vessels
of tE merchant marine, and reported to
the proper authorities for various viola
tons of law, 536 of them, mourning penal
ties in the aggregate sum of $149 O07. 20.
During the year eighty-two, vessels in act
ual distress, with 623 persons on board,
were assisted the value of the vessels
and cargoes amounting to $1,20s, 306. Dur
ing the year seventy lives were saved.
OF this number, twenty-eight were rescued
lLOHi lllc WdlGI anu SdNeu lIOlu uIOWHlHSs
The secretary speaks of the fact that
the ColfaX and the Boutwell, were placed
by order of the President, under provisions
Of section 275 of the Revised Statutes, in
cooperation with the navy for the en-
forcement of the neutrality laws, and so
remained from April until May 81, 1897,
when they were released by executive or
der from the control of the navy, and re-
turned to the treasury department.
Other features of the report speak of the
personnel of the revenue cutter service
the matter of pensions for aged officers
and men in the service, and the question
OF providing a boat to patrol the Yukon
river, which, il Is said, on account of the
shallowness of the water there, and the
light draught necessary the boat for this
purpose will have to be built in sections
and carried there and put together The
Importance of this addition to the service
is recommended on account of the increas.
ing population in Alaska, many of the
people going from the United States to
the gold fields.