The San Francisco call., 1898-02-25


 Washington correspondent telegraphs:
 Besides giving orders for enlistment of
 an unlimited number of able bodied
 seamen. the Navy Department to-day
 contracted for an additional supply of
 guns for arming auxiliary cruisers.
 Seamen are required, it was officially
 told, for gunnery on the training ship Lancaster. which will go into commis- sion in April, the cadet trainingship MonOngahela, the dispatch boat Dol phin and the training ship Alliance. I was also told 1t is difficult to get good seamen and that the navy will take all who offer themselves. The department believes it will be a good plan to get as many seamen as possible who will be ready for any service that may be required. I understand Secretary Long Is seriously thinking of the advisability
 of placing the monitor Miantonomoh
 (now at League Island navy-yard) in commission. this monitor being intend ed for the defense of Philadelphia. The cruisers Minneapolis and Columbia, also at League Island, will be placed in commission at an early date if the Sec retary regards the situation sufficiently serious. Many Seamen are required for these ships, and in the event of emerg- ency the seamen enlisted for the MOnongahela and Alliance will un- doubtedly be placed on board the yes sels at League Island. In not placing a limit on the number of seamen to be enlisted. the department appreciated that there would be no danger of ex- ceeding the number allowed by law. Even Chnl1fd the hay ha avPQaHpd the department understands the naval a~PUopris ton bill, which will soon be reported favorably to the House, au- thorizes an increase of the enlisted force
 The bill reported provides that the total number of men and boys in gen erai service and under training shall ~lot exceed Il, 800 men and 1900 boys. The present law only permits an elist- ment of Il, 900 men and 800 boys, so that the total increase authorized will amount to 800 men and 750 boys. AL though 1t is said at the department that this is not sufficient it is appre- ciated that it will enable the depart ment to place all the monitors and the Minneapolis and Columbia in commis- sion without difficulty.
 a -CO1-l dCl 1OI guns IOT dU8lldTy cruisers was entered in to to-day by Captain O'Neil, chief of the Bureau of Ordnance of the Navy Department. with the American Ordnance Com pany. It provides for supplying to the department thirty six-pounder rapid fire guns. They will not be delivered before summer. Captain O'Neil told me there was no significance attached to the contract. He said the company completed several days ago its con- tract made with the department some months ago, and that in order to keep the works in operation he had deter mined to make another contract. The guns will cost $1100 each, making the total contract S330O0. I understand that the Naval Committee has included in the Dill an item appropHating s250.- GOO for the purchase of reserve guns for the auxiliary cruisers instead of $500, ,0O0 as recommended by Captain O'Neil. The guns now available for auxiliary cruisers include forty-nine four-inch, forty flve-inch and forty-one six-inch As 8 reserve for the navy there are on hand four eight-inch. four ten-!nch, two twelve-inch and two thirteeen-inch. The department also has on hand a moderate supply of guns of one and six pounder types.
 Besides the vessels mentioned in the Herald this morning as being availa- ble for service as auxiliary cruisers, the department has taken measures to as- certain the number of small steam yes sells which would be useful as gunboats. tugs as rams and steam yachts as tor pedo boats.
 Assistant Secretary Roosevelt sent in- | structions to the various militia organi- | zations in all parts of the country call | Ing for this information. He instructed | them to classify craft. For instance, he desires 10 know how many steam vessels in the district are capable of a speed of from nine to twelve knots at sea in ordinary wealth er and sufficiently strong and stable to carry a battery ot at least two finch and four 6-pounder rapid firing guns In order to ascertain the number Of tugs that would be available for use as rams the department has directed naval mi Iitia officers to report only such iron and steel tugs as shali be particularly heavy in construction, especially for ward, and have speed of about twelve knots and displacement Of not less than 250 tons. Upon such tugs will be mounted g. least two 6-pounder rapid firing guns
 The instructions of the Assistant Sec retary contemplate a division oe steam yachts as torpedo boats into three classes. Yachts of tfie first class must Kaye speed of IS knots an hour for two consecutive hours. and be capable pf mounting two Whitehead torpedo tubes, long and short. and two six pounder rapid-ire guns. Yachts Of the second class must have speed of from ~ to IS knots, and be sufficiently strong