The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-27

Orders Issued ny Navy Department
The Sc. Paul to Be Empressed.

The Sc. Paul to BE impressed.
WASHINGTON March 26.-The Navy
Department issued orders to-day placing
officers in command of a number of the
single-turreted monitors which have re-
Gently been called into service. Lieut. r..
G. Peck will command the monitor Lehigh,
which is to go to Boston. Lieut.. w. M.
Irwin will command the Montauk, which
goes to Portland Me-; Lieut.. H. T. Flick
holm will command the Jason, which goes
to New York Lieut.. c. S. Richardson will
command the Nahant, which goes to New
York. and Lieut.. M. E. Hull will command
the Catskill, which goes to Boston. These
naval officers will be first in command of
the several monitors, and will be aided by
officers and men from the naval militia of
Massachusetts, New York New Jersey and
elsewhere. The monitors are still at the
League Island navy yard. being QUILTED
as rapidly as possible, and reports received
at the Navy Department indicate that they
will be ready to proceed in from ten days
to three weeks. Another order issued by
the Navy Department to-day assigns Lieut..
j. Noel ''at once to command the Nezin-
scott" This craft is a fine new tug which
will be used as a supply boat. She is now
at New York. and when Lieutenant Noel
takes command she will proceed to Key
West to further augment the fleet there.
To-day's orders also gave the Nezinscott
a full complement of officers.
The commanders of the various monitors
above referred to are drawn from the fac
ulty of the United States Naval Academy
at Annapolis and from the steel inspection
force, as the emergency is such that these
oIncers can be better utilized for active
or of1I1 ifr1o y(1rl<
at the academy and for inspection.
The assignment of Lieut.. j. L. Jayne to
command the torpedo boat Rodgers, an
nounced to-day in effect operates as an ac-
ceptance of this new boat and brings her
into commission. The Rodgers recently
made mad, her trial run from Baltimore to Nor
iolk, out she has not formally been ac-
cepted, although the assignment of a naval
commander to her foreshadoWS her ac-
Septance and commission. She will doubt
less be added to the fleet of torpedo craft
already at Key West.
secretary Long had an early conference
to-day with Senator Hale, chairman of the
senate naval committee lasting over half
an hour. The secretary then had a, talk
with Lieutenant Commander Mark Judge
advocate of the Maine court of inquiry.
MI. Mark spent most of the morning at
the navy Department, comforting with the
Judge advocate general and with Captain
Crowinshield, chief of the Bureau of Navi-
cation. He maintained the strict reticence
ne mas shown ever since the report of the
court was confided to his care. He has
taken desk in the judge advocate gen
erals office and will remain in Washington
while the report of the court of inquiry is
under consideration by the President and
CABINET, with view to answering in
Qulr1eS which may be made.
Commander VIM. II. Emory one Of the
members of the board of inspection and sur
Vey; to-day had an extended conference
with the officials of the Navy Department
In the event of the American liner ST.
Louis being called into service as an auxil-
lary crulser-an event that Is regarded as
q TO
Will probably be detailed as her command
ing officer. His business a the department
Is supposed to have been in connection with
mat matter. There are intimatiOnS that
Commander w. II. BroWnSon, who is also
member of the board of inspection and
survey, ana who is now in Europe nego-
likely TO De assigned to command of the
American line steamer st. Paul, should that
vessel be called into service.
IL is understood at the Navy Department
to-day that no additional orders have been
sent to the battle ship Oregon which sailed
several days ago from San Francisco. The
instructions to her commander were to
await orders at Callao, and it is likely that
Just prior TO the time she is due at that
port orders will be sent to her. Upon those
orders her future movements will depend.
II is now deemed likely, in view of the
present emergency that the vessel, which
IS one of the finest in the navy will be or
dered to proceed around the Horn and up
the east coast Of South America Whether
she will be attached to the squadron of
OdnpSOI hSy west III the
event of her coming into the Atlantic has
not yet been decided, but that probably will
be the disposition made of her.
me government has acquired two small
vessels, the contracts for the purchase of
Whlcn We're closed last evening. One of
them is an ocean tug, and both of them
VIII be employed as provisional torpedo
boats. The Navy Department declines to
make public the names of the newly ac-
quired vessels.
In order to expedite the enlistment of
men for the naval service, which has not
been quite so successful, owing to severe
requirements, the Navy Department to-day
issued an order waving the requirements
as to height in the case of all landsmen
and mess attendants. This applies to all
recruiting stations, including that at the
washington navy yard.
MachlnistS in the gun shops at the navy
twelve hours day, The new order takes
effect at midnight Sunday, when a full
force VIII begin and work continuously I'M
I'll noon Monday. A second shift will work
from noon until midnight, and they will re-
leve each other from Gay to day. For sew
eraI weeks the officials have been working
the force in three shifts of eight hours
each; but the failure to secure the requisite
NUMBER OF hands to push the work as rap
idly as they desire causes the change in
their plans. Captain Pendleton, who is in
charge, also says the work should not be
in the hands of three different sets of men,
as 1t is too important. Guns are being
turned out rapidly and prepared for ship
ment to the war ships. Several large thir-
teen-inch guns are being given the finish
ing touches. and a large number of smaller
callbre Will soon be ready for business
A Nm