The morning news., 1897-05-04
MAY BE A FLEET STATION.
MOVE TO SECURE TRAINING SHIP
FOR SAVANNAH.

FIOtilIas to BE Stationed Along the
Coasts for the Instruction of th.'
Naval Militia - The Commercial
Bodies Asked to Aid In Securing
the Establishment of the Head
quarters of Naval Section at Sa-
vnnnah.
1t is possible that Savannah may he
made a training station for the naval
militia OF considerable section.
Flotillas are to be stationed at NUM-
Der of the ports of the United States, snd
influence is to be brought to bear to sup
plement Savannahs natural claims to one
of the fleets.
Some time during the closing months OF
last year the assistant secretary of the
navy requested the president of the naval
war college and torpedo school. Capt. il.
c. Taylor, to submit letter treating of
the subject of the naval militia. In re-
ply Capt Taylor sent in a treatise on the
militia that has been adopted by the navy
department in most of it's details.
The suggestions of Capt. Taylor are to
be put into execution and the stationing
sells at certain ports permanently will re-
suit These vessels will have on board
a skeleton crew of trained sailors and
mariners and officers of the navy. The
crew win be filled out by the naval militia,
which will reap the benefits to be derived
from drilling with the experienced regu-
lars Of the crew.
In addition to the war vessel there will
be a number of smaller craft launches
and torpedo boats. The militia will also be
instructed in the working of these. The
smaller craft will be utilized in familiar
izing the militia with the coasts and in
them careful explorations will be made
all along the coast of the section, includ-
ed in the station.
The naval militia of Savannah is anx-
ious to secure the flotilla for this port,
and Lieut.. II. S. Colding has asked the CO.
operation of the board of trade and the
cotton exchange to induce the navy depart
ment to establish the station for this sec
tion at Savannah. Last year the captain
of one of the United States vessels which
put in here said that he regarded Savan-
nah as an ideal port for the establishment
of such station, and he recommended
that the section to be covered by the sta,
tion should be South Carolina, Georgia
and Florida, If this division of the militia
be adopted all the troops would be within
the section would be larger than that
The idea of Capt. Taylor is the training
of the naval militia for the best cooper
alton with the United States navy for
the defense of the coast. Signalling
would be one of the features of the
course of instruction and this would
be of particular advantage in this section
where the government has no telegraphic
communications along the coast, as at the
north. The line runs from Maine down to
Hatteras and there stops, so that familiar
ity with the signal code and the knowl-
edge requisite for its execution would be
| a great advantage on the southern coast
and would partly make up for the absence
| of the telegraph line. In event the sta
| ton is established here the militia will go
aboard for a certain time and be under
the complete control of the officers of the
vessel These officers would give the mill
| tia instruction in the handling of the
| guns, the working of the ship and every
| thing that would add to their efficiency
| and value as reserves in the event of war.
Lieut. Colding says the commercial bod
les of the city will interest themselves in
the matter and work for the securance of
| the fotilla.