The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-15
THE MORNING NEWS. !
established 1850; Incorporated 1888.
J. II. ESTILL. President.
BRAZILIAN WARSHIPS BOUGHT.
srcRETARY LONG ADMITS THEIR
PURCHASE.


snain and Neither Chilli Nor the
Argentine Republic VIII Sell Her
sbips-Crew Ordered From the SAN
t,roucisco to Hoist the Flag on the
tmazOnas.
washington, March 14.-The reported
coli. TO the United States of the two Bra
uu,sn cruisers Amazonas and Admiral
Abrauall, now receiving their finishing
touches in an English ship yard, was con-
6rned here this afternoon.
Possibly the officials took more pleasure
in closing up the business because OF the
knowledge that the Spanish agents had
been striving to secure these very ships,
70 whom, it is said. they would be of
much greater value in case OF trouble
than 10 the United States.
1t is learned also that Spain has not
secured the O'Higgins, and that Chile will
not sell her 10 Spain.
If is said furthermore that Spain has
NOT and cannot purchase ships from either
Chile or the Argentine Republic.
orders nave been sent TO Commodore
Howell. commanding the European sta
ton. to send a force of men from the
San Francisco to take possession and
hoist the United States flag on the Bra
zlian ship that is ready to go into COM
mission at Newcastle This will prevent
eDv difficulty in case hostilities should
break out, as the ship would be under the
flag. but lying in friendly harbor.
Just as soon as the crew can be put
aboard the Amazonas she will start for
L .x.tTl
follow at the earliest possible moment.
The terms of sale are secret.
Mr.. Lane, agent of the Maxim Nordcn-
feldt Company, said to-day that the two
ships are the latest and best products of
the famous Armstrong's yards. One of the
ships is complete in every respect, has
her coal supply and ammunition on board
and steam can be raised at any time
There will be no trouble in bringing this
ship across, as an adequate force from
the local yards can be can be secured for
the service.
It is said the coal and ammunition Oh
board passed with the sale to the United
States The ammunition is not all of the
kind in use by the United States navy,
so that the supply of ammunition is a nee
essary adjunct to the new ships.
The other ship has been launched but
It will take some time to make her ready
for sea. Mr. Lane believes, however, that
there will be no difficulty in bringing her
over immediately If ii is desired to make
the move without delay, as the hull of the
ship is so well along that she could be
towed, and her own sail power utilized
for the trip across.
The two vessels will be extremely USE
ful additions to the United States navy
in either war or peace, in the opinion or
Secretary Long who acknowledges they
have been bought by the United states.
They are steel, sheathed and coppered,
with twin screws, and will be the nrst CT
the cruisers in our navy to embody that
most useful feature of naval construction,
sheathing, for which Chief Constructor
Hichborn has worked, earnestly for many
years past He finally succeeded in hav-
ing some of the smaller gunboats @on-
structed on this principle. The Amazonas
is rated at 5000 tons displacement, with an
indicated horsepower under naturai
draught of 1880, which is calculated to de-
vclop twenty knots speed. Thus, while the
ship is about the size of the Charleston
she is much faster. Her armament is also
much more formidable, not so much IN
cabre, for the main battery is made up
of six 6-inch guns, but these guns, as Wen
as the 47-inch guns are of what is known
as 50-calibre length, giving them an un-
usual range and power.
In addition TO this, are six ten-pounder
Maxim machine guns and two boat or
field guns. The torpedo tubes are three
in number The coal capacity is 800 tons,
giving her an effective steaming radius OF
5000 knots, most valuable feature, inas-
much as it would enable the ship to cross
and recross the Atlantic without coallng.
Such a vessel used as a commerce destroy
er would be vastly more effective than
what appear to be more powerful crafts,
because of her ability to get along on long
cruises without touching In at neutral
ports to coal and thus exposing herself
to capture.
The cruisers carry no armor in the or
dlnary sense, but their machinery is pro-
tected from the fire of guns by an arched
steel deck below the water line, varying
In thickness from 1.3 to S.5 inches. The
battery has an unusual train, being ar
ranged to fire three ahead and three
aslern of the principal guns.
Col Haywood, the commandant of the
marine corps, to-day made five details ol
marines for cruisers now being repaired OF
ready for commission. There are two
drafts of As each for the Philadelphia and
the Charleston, one of 81 for the Newark
Of Norfolk and two of 30 each for the Co
lunhia and Minneapolis at League ISL
and.
The recruiting branch of the navy de
partment is naturally one of the busiest
'i'Htles OF the service just now. IL 10 ~
lne temporary command of Capt. Hemphl
curing the absence in the South Of Capt
hawey, ana he was busy to-day with rep
yes natives of the railroads engaged n
arranging for terms for transportation ol
recruits to the seaboard and of sailors
already in the service from one port tc
another, made necessary by the commis'
son of new ships. A problem that con
fronts the recruiting officer is how to pro-
cure the necessary force of enlisted nler
i'f manning the two ships which have
peeh purchased from Brazil
N. f. Palmer, representing the Qulntaro
iron Works of New York, which built the
eH-ines of the Maine, was at the navy de-
paitnent to-day in consultation with the
ouclals respecting the conversion of YES
SEES Of the merchant marine into wal
CIalt While not shipbulding firm, the
QA'ntard works have done great deal OF
work on the engines and interior fittings OF
s'ts which is just the class of work
la' would be required in the case of aux
A-ary cruisers.
because of a protest from some of the