The herald., 1898-04-14
PACIFIC COAST TOWNS
WILL NOT BE LEFT WITHOUT
PROTECTION
Revenue Cutters and Ocean Tugs Will
Be Promptly Converted Into
Effective Cruisers

WASHINGTON, April 13.-To protect
the cities of the Pacific Coast from the
ravages of privateers the commission OF
officers known as the War or Strategy
Board has recommended and the Secre-
tary of the Navy has arranged to gather
e gunboat fleet of some formidability In
Pacific waters. Reports have come by
cable that the Spanish in Chile and Peru
had made up funds to fit out privateers
and the known richness of the vessels IN
the Klondike trade is expected to at
tract many such craft to prey on the
shipping of California, Oregon and
Washington. 1t is not believed that any
Spanish war vessel will get into the
North Pacific, but the comparative free
dom from danger of capture by cruisers,
which would be less in the event Of war
in the Pacific than in the Atlantic, will
attract many privateers undoubtedly.
Accordingly, the Navy Department
has sent orders that four revenue cut
ters shall be fitted as auxiliary gun
boats; that three steam tugs be pur-
chased and that three coast survey and
one fish commission ship be converted
into vessels for defending the coast.
Directions have been given for the
purchase Of three tugs, which had been
previously recommended for auxiliary
purposes. These tugs are the Fearless,
the vigilante and the Active of San
Francisco. They will be sent to Mare
Island Navy Yard for conversion.
1t is intended to assign the Fearless
to act with the Monadnock or the Monte
rev in the defense of Puget Sound. She
displaces 7O1 tons and has a speed of
thirteen and quarter knots. The Vigil
lante displaces 500 tons and has speed
of eleven and half knots, and 1t is ex-
pected will operate in Southern Califor-
mia waters with the Charleston. The dis
placement of the Active is 266 tons. She
can make twelve knots. 1t Is probable
she will be used for patrol service.
The four revenue cutters to be used
by the navy are the Perry, the Grant,
the Corwin, and the Rush, heretofore
engaged in Bering Sea patrol work. II
war should occur or the present situation
remain unchanged for another month
they will not go to Bering Sea this sum-
mer.
Another vessel to be used as gunboat
is the Fish Commission steamer Alba
tross. The coast survey steamers Pat
C6TSOU, I1dSSlSl diiu NAS<AA AAAA A'e y ~--SS
been ordered to Mare Island on the rec
ommendation of the War Board. All
these vessels will be given adequate
rapid-fire guns and while at the navy
yard will receive some protection to VI
tai parts-the boilers and machinery.
With these eleven improvised vessels
there will be no lack of warships to de-
fend the ports and commerce Of the
Western coast.
The cruisers Philadelphia and Charles
ton, the gunboat Yorktown and the
monitors Monterey and Monadnock
with the old Comanche, which may be
pressed into service, are now at Cali
fornia ports, so that there would be
fleet of sixteen ships ready to defend
San Francisco. Portland and other cit
les from Spanish privateers Among
them are several good sea-going vessels.
capable of proceeding to meet any Span
ish vessel operating under letters Of
marque.
Hard on the Crops
MILTON, CAL, April ls.-This is the sec
ond dev of extreme heat the thermOme-