New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-24
THE YANTICS LAST CRUISE
She WILL CRAWL. THROUGH THE CANA
DIAN CANALS To DETROIT.
THERE SHE Will. pass THE REST OF HER DAYS
~ q let ~ a Al;1llS FOR BATTNi"N
Oh MICHIGAN NAVAL. MILITIA

Washington oct iS.-IIad not the Admin
istration carefully considered every aspect Of
the proposition to l,nd the condemned old
frigntr Yanic t. the Detroit battalion OF the
Michigan Naval Militia the sporadic outbreaks
e violent jngoisrn which have appeared IN vari-
Gus Canadian quarters the last few weeks about
alleged lnfraclons Of the so-calcd Rush -Hagot
treaty might cause Erayc alarm for the main
tenancc Of he amicable status quo with the
northern nriehbors Of Tia" United states hut
the facts IN the w"ra $" thoroughly salts
factory 10 those cvcr-watchful guardians ~ the
British Empires interests who investigated
them several months ago. and The utter ali
scrcs Of Interior designs by the United states
was 50 patent 10 Enslands representatives,.
that they have only 10 he briefly enumerated To
carry universal conviction oi The Yantics pachc
mission.
While in outward appearance th'N snip Is ms
pictu, esau. and impressive any of the old
craft OF ohsolct" naval typ.. sh. had been re-
tanned for years IN the Iiio Plate. on ia" south
Atlantic her bottom haIf the time supported
safely by mud banks. brcaus" 1t was deemed
hazardous 10 risk on,' crs and crew In her for
the long voyage home across seas that ar" often
turbulent. Her degeneration had 80 far pro
grcsscd that she could not De- lawfully repaired.
and she was finally on the point II being con
dcmncd unfit for service. ahcn an officer "as
found TO fetch her cautiously along IN" coast :"
this country go that she might b- assigned u
the New Jersey or Maryland militia Organiza-
tons which were begging for such vessel AT
this junc,ur- the Detroit battalion. which waa
one Of the most efficient and earnest in the ser
vice. applied for the vessel for use AS "A floating
barracks. moored TO one NJ the docks Of that
city Maryland and New-Jcrsey already pos
scssei vessels for similar purposes and Assist
ant Secretary Roosevelt on the point Of
turning the Yantlc over 10 the State Of Mich
igan. when lac was confronted by the Rush
Bagot bugbear. II was promptly demonstrated.
however. that no State naval militia has yet
been able To operate loaned naval vessel on ne
count Of expense, even thc monitors requiring
too great an cxpcnditur. to permit their move
ment away from moorngs. and u was conclu-
siycly proven that the Detroit naval reserves
had no Idea beyond securing quarters which the
State declined To furnish.
IT Was decided 10 leave the masts in the ship
to afford drill opportunities. and tn. engines
were not taken out. as they were practically
worthless. could not be repaired sufficiently 10
BE- used another year. ard there We're no funds
for their removal All the guns. most Of IN, III
of anti1uatcd pattern were withdra wn and In
this harmless condition the old ship l,n Boston
over week ago under her own steam. 10 save
tonnage. f',r Montreal where the Michigan PEG
pie will receive her and cut off her bow and
stern in order that she will conform 10 the
length of Canadian canal locks. AZ Detroit her
last cruise viii end ifsominiously for no mat
ter what emergency may subsequently occur ii
IL well known to the experts ~ho cauikcd her
gaping seams Boston last month that sbe
could not hold together ia a scaway for an
OTTER wear
The Yantc was built at The first Phlladephn
Navy Yard abandoned in 1861 Sh. IL h,,k
rugged nine hundred tons displacement and
her best speed IN i"r ptifniest days was ~
knots. Her armament now disniantl.d con
sisted Of two nine-inch smoothbprcs ore eight
inch Undertaking rifle and some small guns
She is $50 feet in length. 10 zoe, beam /. feet
2 inches draft
But. even with ths battery her fprrnidab,lity |
was insignificant compared with the Govern
mcnt cruisers which now patrol the Great /
Lakes The new American revenue cutters Car |
Isle and Gresham. built ia 1880 ard lS.6 are ,
the exact size Of the Yantic. ana. IN addition
to rapid-ire rifles and machine guns they have
torpedo tubes exactly like those installed I'm
the highest class Of modern warships The
Government has two more such vessels building
at Cleveland to h. finished next April. but they
larger and faster and in fact compare
hvorably In lighting capacity with the latest
gunboats of any navy. In oncnslvrnrss they
classcd above the Petrol. bancroft U.leua
Newport. Annapolis or other piofrsscd lighting
cruisers.
The English also hav" warships On tin. Great
Lakes but they called fisheries ana revenue
patrol cutters. Their dimensi, are. especially
adapted 10 ready passage through the canals
80 they may be available either in the Gulf
Of 81 Lawrence as Ear west ~ Lake Su-