New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-12
HUREYING NAVAL ENLISTMENTS'


TORPEDO roATs ORDERED PUSHED
Washington, March II tspeciaD.-The ACTIVITY
Of the Navy Department to-day. so far hs I"
was exhibited 10 the public and 10 oHicers OH
duty in the various bureaus. was connneu l"
hurrying the work already undertaken to"aiu
enlistins two thousand additional men. toward
completing vessels under construction. hnishns
the repairs to ships and putting all the exist
ing Navy into fighting condition. orders mao
been issued heretofore for all these purposes
and supplementary instructions were being Tor
warded in cases where obstacles had been en-
countered The difficulty in securing sufficient
recruits continues to be most Irritating the re-
norris indicating that. while enthusiastic men IN
great numbers are applying for enlistment, the
number Of desirable men physically VINO nave
had experience as seamen or machinists is us
couragingy small
The special Recruiting Board. consisting OF
Commander Hawley. Chief Engineer webster
and Surg ,on Persons. started for New-orieahs
and Galveston tonight TO stir up recruits III
the South and West. In the hope that good ma
terial will he found there. In Commander Ha"-
Iev's absence. Commander Joseph n. Hemphill
has been ordered to the Bureau OF Navigation
In charge OF ships crews. and he Is energeu-
cally trying to secure men for the Columbia ana
the Minneapolis.
PROGRESS OF WORK on WARsHIPS.
Chief Constructor Philip Hchborn to-day fur
nished to Secretary Long a statement OF the
progress Of ships now under construction for the
Navy, compiled from reports OF the superintehd-
ing constructors. This shows that the patte-
ships have advanced only ! per cent toward
completion in the last month with the exception
of No g. the Alabama. at the Cramp shlpyaru'
which shows an advance Of 4 per cent. It's pres
ont degree Of completion being A. per cent. which
js exactly the same as that given for her sister
No I the Illinois at Newport News. Her other
sister the Wisconsin, No. q. at the Union Iron
Works san Francisco. is credited with condi-
ton Of 81 per cent. The Kearsarge. NO. - ana
the Kentucky No g. at Newport News. were be-
gun year before the others and are now READY
for launching being - per cent completed Inc
only vessel which has made no visible improve
ment for over a month and on which her con-
tractors have accomplished little OF pracucai
value for nearly a year is gunboat No. H. the
Princeton at the works of John Dialogue q
Sons. at Camden. y. J. This vessel is rated at
90 per cent and her builders have received no.
tice to appear and show why the Govern
ment should not take the vessel and complete
her at once at their expense. II the Govern
ment SEXES her she can be made ready for sea
in few weeks.
The condition Of the torpedo-boats is as fol-
lows:
No T. Rodgers. 2i5 knots, Columbian Iron Works.
Baltimore 81 per cent about month.
No. S. Rowan. . knots. Moran Brothers. Seattle
No g. Dahlgren. 80 knots. Bath Iron Works
No 10. r 4. N. Craven 80 knots. Bath Iron
No. IL Farragut 80 knots Union Iron Works. San
No. No. IL. DAVIS. 225 knots. Wolf wicker, Port
'" 10 49, Ar Fox. BIS knots Wolff wicker Portland
No q Nj Morris. 225 knots. Herreshor Manufact-
uring Company, Rhode Island, Is per cent about
* MaSEsnzis, 20 :, kn mo cor Charles Htlm"n
No is Mckee 81 knots. Columbian Iron Works.
No 10 f;tringham. 30 knots Harlan Holllngs-
WI No. 20 Goidsboroush 80 knots. Wolf wicker
Portlamd Orr; per cent Gas Engine and Power
COMPANY New-York. per cent.
ORDERED TO HURRY TORPEDO-BOATS.
Secretary Long wrote to the Columbian Iron
Works to-day. Insisting that they should de-
liver the Rodgers, No. 4, and the Mckee. No. IS
to the Navy within thirty days, The Rodgers
was finished nearly year ago. bu. broke down
on her trial trip. and most OF her engines have
had to he rebuilt No. II, the Morris, is promised
by the Herresnofs in month. This firm. which
is most prompt In its contracts. completed No 10
the Talbot and No 1G the Gwinn late in Feb
ruary and these vessels row being fitted
with torpedo apparatus for immediate service.
Submarine torpedo boat No. !, the Plunger Is
reported CO per cent completed at Baltimore. but
its utility is considered doubtful except in
semi-submerged condition. Secretary Long is
said to have replied to the president Of the con-
structing company for this vessel. who visited
fho Nav mon
fifty such boats In three months:
Don't you think you had better give us one
first and be quick about that
The only other vessels now under construction
are steel tuCboats at the NewYork Navy Yard
and at the Maze Island Navy Yard which have
just been begun
RETIRED OFFICERS VOLUNTEERING
The Navy Department continues 10 receive
messages from retired and other officers who
wish to get to the front. A characteristic letter
which came to-day was as follows:
BROOKLYN y; Y. March TO- 1895.
DTap inch of, Sc am not man
when anything Is going even II have four stripes
him. He'll show them the way. same he did
before Yours JOHN LOW. Chief Engineer.
This officer is detailed as inspector of furnaces
for naval boilers at the Continental Iron Works.
and will be detached from there as soon as his
services needed ahoat
AMMUNITION FOR THE OREGON.
FOUR HUNDRED TONS BROUGHT FROM MARE
ISLAND TO HER ANCHORAGE
CHANNEL SHALLOW.
San Francisco. March u.-rhe batte-shp oregon
is to receive al once four hundred tons Of anrnu-
milton. This quantity will prove a full compile
ment for the magazines OF the ship. To-day the
powder snot and shell will be brought from Mare
Island to the oregon anchorage in Mission Bay.