The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-19
MARINE INTELLIGENCE.
1oCAL AND GENERAL NEWS OF
SHIPS AND SHIPPING.

Timber for the Schooner Fleet.
Vessels Bound for Savannah.
The first step looking to the carrying
out of the governments intention to here
otter maintain a permanent and independ-
emit fleet of transports was taken Thurs
day when the steamship Mobile, which
was formerly in the service of the At
1antic Transport Line, between New York
and London, and which is at present a
tbe Erie Basin, was ordered to proceed to
cramps yard to be overhauled and thor
oughly equipped for transport duty, says
the New York Commercial.
Ten vessels have already been selected
for the service. They are the Mohawk,
Mobile. Mississippi, OLDHAM, Massachu-
sets Minnewaska, Michigan, Rouman-
ian. Scandal and Arizona. These vessels,
as soon as they can be spared, will be
fitted out at the different shipyards. Some
will have accommodations for infantry
and heavy artillery and Others for cavalry
and field artillery.
The infantry troop ship will be fitted
with cabin quarters for a full regimental
staff OF officers and a big berth deck with
accommodations that will correspond with
she best storage quarters Tor tOe men.
The cavalry ships will have a deck de-
voted entirely to the horses For their
transportation an ingenious sling cOntriv-
ance will be used, and each horse viii be
practically slung in a hammock so that 1t
can sleep and rest secure from the buffet
ings of the ship.
There will also be regular fittings for
the guns of the artillery and racks for
the safe storage of the small arms of
the men. 1t will require about a month
or six weeks each for the completion of
the ships then they will be put in reserve
until wanted.
In the war with Spain nothing perhaps,
in the proper equipment of an army was
so entirely lacking as vessels on which
troops might be carried and though
enough ships were secured eventually, the
terms and discomforts of overloaded and
poorly adapted transports were one of the
chief sources of trouble to the war depart
ment.
With a fleet of ten transports in reserve
this trouble would undoubtedly be min
imized, should occasion again arise to
call on their use.
Sail tonnage for Brazil and West Indies
Is meeting with more inquiry, and, though
shippers are prepared to concede some i'm
provement in rates, owners are not
prompt TO accept the terms submitted
hesitating partly on account of the dan
gers attending a Southern voyage at this
period of the year. says the New York
Journal Of Commerce and Commercial
Bulletin. Coastwise lumber tonnage is
held at advanced figures and, though nu-
merous orders are in the market, shippers
are opposed to the views entertained by
owners, hence little business is completed
Golfers to the East have been in ample
supply therefore an improvement in rates
has been checked Long-voyage freights
1111I md 81
for grain are inquired for, but tonnage is
offered reservedly, foreign owners antici-
pating higher rates in the near future
September October and November boats
to Cork for orders are quoted So Cd and
steamers to picked ports United Kingdom
Continent IS 41ad, berth terms, for the
same period. Cotton rates are strong and
timber boats are held at advanced figures.
Time rates are also higher
When the two new steamers building
for the service between Boston and Balti-
more, on the Merchants and Miners
Transportation Company, have been
launched the line will have a fleet of
magnificent vessels, and which will be
second to no coastwise fleet. 1t may be
OF interest to readers of this column to
know that the first two steamers started
by the line, in 1854, We're side-wheelers
Joseph Whitney and William johnson. the
and arriving out at Baltimore In seventy
six hours. In 1859 the steamers S. r.
Spaulding and Benjamin Deford We're
launched at Wilmington, Del, and placed
on the service. Since that time the bust
ness has increased so wonderfully that a
feet of eleven steamers are flying be-
tween Boston, Providence and Savannah
to Baltimore. Steamer Chatham was sold
to the government and is now a repair
ship
The Merchants and Miners steamer
Berkshire was floated Friday from the
dock at the Columbian Iron Works, Balti-
more, and her place was taken by the
Allegheny, of the same line Both vessels
nave been doing transport duty for the
war department between Florida ports,
Cuba and Porto Rico.
The steamship Chattahoochee. Capt.
Lewis from Boston via New York arriv-
ca Yesterday with a full cargo She
brought a large amount of freight from
boston, 1t having been waiting there for
her several days. Boston ana Savannah
merchants are gratified at the resumption
OF the regular line between the two ports
Inc steamship Gate City will sail from
Boston Thursday for Savannah, via New
York. The Chattahoochee will sail from
thls port Thursday direct for Boston.
NO time will be lost by the three ship
building firms which have been awarded
tne contracts for the new battleships in
beginning their construction The Cramps
VIII build the one to be known as the
MAINE, the Union Iron Works the Ohio,
ana the Newport News Company the Mis-
souri, Each of the new vessels is to have
displacement of about 1850 tons, a
bunker capacity of 1900 tons of coal and
steaming radius of 10000 knots at 10
Knots an hour. The length of the battle
ships is not to exceed 32S feet. Unless the
required speed of is knots an hour on the
nlal trip is maintained the builders will
incur heavy penalty
a young Irishman has reached Phila-
uephia on the British steamer Snowflake
VINO Is a star in his method of obtaining
Tree transportation by slowing away in
some recess of ocean liners. He is the
champion stowaway i'm the business, and
Could give valuable points to some of