The San Francisco call., 1897-09-25
TWELVE HUNDRED MEN BEING
KEPT VERY BUSY.
Preparations That Show Uncle Sam Will
Not Permit Japan to Steal March
at Hawaii Pending Annexa-
ton Proceedings.

I There are now at Mare Island the cruis-
ers Baltimore and Charleston, monitors
/ Monadnock and Monterey and the gun
! boat Marietta, sister snip to the Wheel
| ing, and like the latter ready for sea, al
though she Fl as not been given her official
trial Besides these there are the wooden
corvettes Marion and Mohican and the
old gunboat Pinta.
At present interest is centered in the
Baltimore, which has been ordered to pro-
ceed to Honolulu on October l, whether
! her repairs are com pleted o. not. In con-
sequence of this order the cruiser fairly
represents a gigantic beehive. Carpen-
ters and calkers, painters and plum mbers
are crowded together so thlckly on her
/ decks and sides as TO actually interfere
with each other. From stem to stern on
every deck rows of arc lights are strung in
order that her repairs can be prosecuted
by night as we'll as by day. The work is
we'll in hand now, and when she drops
down the bay next week to proceed TO
Honolulu where she Will fly The pennant
of Rear-Admiral Miller, she will be prac-
tcallv a new snip. The Baltimore was
taken out of the drydock Thursday night
and towed 10 the quay. where she will re-
ceiye her stores as soon as the worEmen
are ou. of tn way. Partof her armament
was placed in position before she left the
dock, four guns OF her main battery being
mounted. The smaller guns will be
swung into place Monday.
just astern of the Baltimore IS the cast
defense vessel Monadnock, which came
out of he dry dock less than TWO months
ago. She Is in readiness for service at
a moments notice and is lying the yard
waiting the trial by court-martial of sew
eral III EN- bers OF her crew. Tue urt has
been ordered, and as soon as the trial is
concluded she will return to San Fran
cisco unless she should be ordered to re-
enforce the fleet milling in Hawaiian
waters.
Lying in the stream a short distance
from the Monadnock is the Monterey,
which moved up to the navy-yard Thurs
day. The Monterey will 60 into the dry
dock tomorrow for cleaning and paint
ing. Her engines and machinery are re-
ported to be in good condition, so 1t will
only a few days before she Is ready for
service.
Between the drydock end gate lies the
NJ Marietta, her officers and crew on board,
and the vessel spick and span, as betit-
ting the baby of the feet
When the large square red flag was run
up to her forepeak early this morning,
the signal that she was taking her am mu-
Eition aboard, she became the recipient of
unusal attention and speculation. Less
than twenty four hours before the Wheel
ing had shipped her ammunition and
started almost Immediately after on
cruise that has excited the entire country.
Powder Is about the last thing to go on to
/ a ship before she proceeds 10 sea, and it
looked as though the Marietta was to fol-
low the Wheeling. Her officers. however,
| denied that they had received any orders
to get ready for sea, and secuted the idea
board was significant.
Their attention was called TO the fact
that pile of coal on the quay was being
transferred to the gunboat's bunkers as
fast as gang of tars could get it on board,
but the explanation was readily made that
only ten tons-merey enough to keep her
fires going had been delivered, and no.
body knew when the remainder of her
supply would be received. But the fact
that she has received her ammunition and
can be sent 10 sea on twelve hours notice
is exciting much comment at the navy
yard. AS yet Admiral Kirkham alone
knows whether she is scheduled for Homo
lulu or not.
Unless the admins tration anticipates
trouble with Japan over the proposed an
nexation OF Hawaii and is making all
preparation to meet it the signs at the