Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-04-05
FORMIDABLE NAVAL CRAFT.
ORDERS FOR NECESSARY REFIT.
TING TO BE MADE AT ONCE.
One of the Cruisers In the Kansas City
-Chickamauga Battlefield May
BE Made Preliminary
Gathering Ground for
Troops.

N.euI To-Day sent teie6AdP oAo~AS ~
auxiliary cruiser board at New York To
purchase Immediately. ten vessels for the
auxiliary navy. These boats were TO De-
eco and 10,00l tons burden, and ths
board was directed to conclude the pur-
chases as soon as possible.
These vessels are much larger than the
majority of the ships purchased up to date.
it being the desire of the department TO
secure vessels large enough for use at sea
in any capacity.
Upon receiving the orders the naval aux
iliary board purchased the following:
Caracas and Venezuela, Of the Red D.
line; Kansas City, of the Savannah hne-
Yorktown, jamestown and Princess Ann-
of the Old Dominion line: FL Sol and three
others of the Morgan line
These vessels will be used as cruisers In
the proper sense of the term. and are not
to be classed in the mosquito fleet OF yachts
and tugs. The larger boats will make a
formidable naval craft, there being few
cruisers in the navy of tonnage exceeding
6,OOo 1t is understood that orders will be
issued at once to place the newly acquired
vessels in shipyards for the necessary re-
fitting.
With the exception Of the purchase OF
ten steamships for auxiliary cruisers, to-
day was devoid of development in the mil
itary and naval branches Of the govern
ment There were the usual constant con-
ferences between the various bureau
chiefs Of both departments, and both Sec
retaries Long and AIger had numerous
callers from the capitol. No orders. it
was stated. have been sent to either the
fleet at Key West or the squadron at
Hampton Roads, and no confirmation could
be obtained Of the report that sea orders
had been sent the battleship Texas at New
York Secretary Long held a brief con-
ference with Secretary Alger during the
afternoon, and left the department short
ly after 1 o'clock. much earlier than has
been his custom for the past few weeks
Up to the hour of his departure 1t was
stated that no advices had been received
regarding any movements Of the Spanish
torpedo fleet or other Spanish vessels.
either had the department been advised of
any developments In the effort to purchase
warships abroad.
No decision has yet been reached by the
authorities as to the location Of the pro-
posed naval base on the Gulf coast. the
matter being still under consideration
Secretary Alger has decided to recon-
mend to the president that an additional
allotment from the emergency fund be
made for the use Of the ordnance bureau
still lacking ammunition for the sea coast
Notifications. and the extra allotment will
be used for this purpose.
1t has been decided to detain for a time
at the Chickamauga battlefield the Twenty
fifth regiment of infantry, which is about
to leave the various forts In Montana for
service at Key West and Dry Tortugas.
The reason for this action Is said to be the
fact that the water supply at either OF
the above named places Is not satisfactory
at present. Chickamauga, General Miles
says, Is an excellent place for the cpncen-
tration Of large body Of troops. and it
Is believed the location has been seriously
considered by Secretary Alger as a point
for the preliminary gathering Of troops
in case Of war. The navy department WAS
informed late this afternoon of the arrival
of the dynamite cruiser vesuvius at No.y-
folk to-day from Washington.
Reports received at the navy depart
ment to-day indicate . general movement
for the concentration of warships at Key
West and other points on the coast, where
their services may be required in the event
of hostilities. The monitor Terror, the
gunboat Newport and the tug Leyden have
arrived at Key West. The feet cruiser
Minneapolis has arrived at Newport News
for duty with the flying squadron. The
gunboar Bancroft. recently detached from
the European station, arrived at Boston
and will be at once put in condition for
active service. She is said to be In need
of a general overhauling. The yacht May
flower, recently transformed into dis
patch boat, has arrived at Norfolk and
this is taken as an indication that she
will be assigned to duty with the flying
squadron. The revenue cutter Hudson also
has reported her arrival at Norfolk, where
she ls to undergo reconstruction into a
gunboat. The torpedo boat Somers, pur-
chased in Germany, arrived at Weymouth
this morning on her way to the United
States. The monitor Monadnock has ar
rived at Mare Island. The steam collier
Saturn has arrived at the Brooklyn navy
yard. The yacht Josephine, recently pur-
chased OF Mr.. Widener, Of Philadelphia,
arrived at League Island navy yard this
morning and will be converted at once into
a torpedo boat destroyer. She will be re-
named the Vixen.
General A. w. Greely, the chief signal
officer Of the army. left here to-day for the
South where he Is to make arrangements
at the various sea coast cities for connect
ing posts and forts with electricity.
New York, April 4-Under instructions
from Washington. the naval auxiliary
board to-day added ten auxiliary cruisers
to the vessels owned by the government.
The vessels for which the board negotiated
to-day. and which will be Immediately turn
ed over to the government, are: The Kansas
City, of the Savannah line, 3s79 tons; the
Caracas. 2.5s4 tons, and the Venezuela, 2,S43
tons. of the Red D line; FL Sol, 4.523 tons;
Ell Norte. 1863 tons; Ell Rio, and Ell Sud,
4.655 tons each, of the Bergen steamship
line; the Yorktown, the jamestown, 2,S9s
tons each, and the Princess Anne, 3,O7s tons,
of the Old Dominion
The terms upon which they were secured
were not disclosed by the board, but a
member said that they would be purchased
outright. They are to be armored and
equipped with guns.
The board has now for the auxiliary
cruisers a fleet Of twenty-five vessels in all.
including the dozen yachts previously Sc
cured. the Creole for hospital ship and
the Saturn and Lebanon for colliers.
New Orleans, April 4-The government
to-day purchased the new seagoing tug R.
w. Wilmot. one Of the finest ever built in
America. The price Is not stated.
Now an Art Tile Trust.
Akron. O.. April At is announced here
to-day that a deal Is nearly completed for
the consolidation of all the art tile works
In the country, about a dozen In number.
The largest are at Trenton, n. j.. Zanes-
vile, o., and Barberton, suburb of this
city.