The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-26

MILWAUKEE, Wis, March 25.
Gresham will go to the coast"
This was the wording of dispatch
received this afternoon by Capt. A. B,
Davis, commander of the revenue cut
ter Gresham. The message was sign
ed by the secretary of the treasury
under whose Jurisdiction the revenue
cutter now is.
Early in the day Capt. Davis re-
ce4Ved Telegram ordering him to get
the vessel in readiness as soon as pos
s1ble, which message was quickly fol-
lowed by the foregoing dispatch Civ
ing positive orders.
When seen this afternoon, Capt.
Davis said he expected to be in readi-
ness to leave about the middle of next
week, providing he could plow through
the ice in the straits of Mackinaw; and
that 1t was thought by vesselmen that
the straits would be navigable by that
time
I'VE will push our way through the
Ice, II such thing is possible" said
Capt. Davis, "and expect to be on the
coast in about three weeks.
The Gresham has not received ex-
plic1t orders as to which navy yard
she shall proceed to.
The Gresham ordinarily carries
about forty-six men. She now has
twenty on board. The rest of the crew
will be enlisted as rapidly as possible.
Capt Davis received a telegram late
today giving him the choice Of accom-
pany1ng the Gresham to the coast or
OF taking command of the steamer
Fessenden, which will do duty in place
of the Gresham on the 500 river. He
replied that he would certainly ac-
company the Gresham
WASHINGTON, March 25. Capt.
Shoemaker, chief Of the revenue cutter
service, was busily engaged today in
making assignments of officers to the
revenue cutters detailed for defensive
service along the Atlantic seaboard.
Every vessel in the service, available
for action has been or will be assigned
to duty. Even the new cutter Gresham
on the great lakes, and the little cutter
Calumet, located at Chicago, have been
called on, and in a day or two both
the lake ships will be en- route to the
rendezvous at Hampton Roads. They
will make the trip to the Atlantic sea-
board through the ST. Lawrence river
The commanders of the revenue cut
ters have been notified by wire to be
in readiness to move as soon as their
general orders are received.
The revenue cutters which will be
OIueTeu lHtO service ana tne1r present
stations are as follows:
The Woodbury. at Portland, Me-: Hamil-
ton, Philadelphia; Hudson. New York;
Manning. Boston; Calumet, Chicago:
Gresham, Milwaukee,; Morrow, Whining
ton, N. c., and Window, Baltimore.
Capt. Shoemaker was of the opinion
that it would require about a week for
all Of the vessels to reach Hampton
Roads or rather Norfolk, which will
be their official rendezvous
At the navy yard there the vessels
will receive their equipment-guns, am
munition, torpedoes and supplies and
will make such other preparations as
are necessary for fighting service.
The new cutter Gresham, recently
built at Cleveland, in brief time can
be transformed into a formidable COM
merce destroyer or torpedo boat. She
was built expressly for such an emerg-
ency as she is now called upon to meet.
She is equipped for torpedo tube and
can carry an ugly battery of rapid fire
guns.
All Of the vessels are first rate sea-
going craft and all of them are fitted
with small but effective batteries. Their
speed varies from fourteen to twenty
knots.
All officers Of the revenue cutter serv-
ice now on duty with the life saving
service are being withdrawn today and
assigned to duty on the vessels ordered
to Norfolk. Their orders are made i'm
mediately effective in every case and
they will report to the commanding
officers Of the ships as soon as the
vessels arrive at Norfolk.