Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-03-17

.i,gran March ia weeks
lions closed yesterday by the
-'o purchase by the navy ae-
.nr in Lvnuol OF two hne cruls-
lii and building for the brazil
co royarnmeat Possibly our oftlclals
a more pleasure in closing up the
,..soass IN this manner because Oh the
's,y,IedEe that Spanish agents hdu
~, sfrhing to secure these ships, 10
.,.t,r il is said, they would De ol
W Greater value in case OF trouble
Lam TO the United States. The ques-
.i'n ,f how to get the ships home mas
80 vet been settled, according TO the
-,,r.t,,.v of the navy. The United
o,otes flag will be hoisted over the new
80 Within a week. Just as soon as
rev can be put aboard the Amazohas
-ta will start for the United States
Tho other vessel will follow at the
EARLIEST possible moment. The terms
= +ba sale are secret. The vessels Will
-, extremely useful additions to the
navy in eltneF wal VI pN'N0' 49,
on,njon of Secretary Long. They
40 steel sheathed and coppered, with
,,,ir screws. and will be the first
cruisers in our navy to embody sheath
inc in naval construction. The ANA
,onss Is rated at $500 tons displace-
rnent with an indicated horse power
pnder natural draught of 1000 which
is calculated to develope a speed OF
twenty knots. While the ship is
about the size of the Charleston, she
&c much faster and her armament much
more formidable. Such vessel used
az commerce destroyer would be
vastly more effective than more power
ful craft, because of her ability to get
along on long cruises without touch
in neutral ports to coal, and
exposing her to capture. The cruisers
are the latest and best products of the
famous Armstrong; yards.
The dangerous deficiency in the en-
glneer branch of the navy has been
brought to light strikinglv in the fact
that it is scarcely possible to secure en-
gireers to bring back any ships pur-
chased abroad This state of affairs
has been brought to the attention of
the house naval committee. but so far
Il Is feared without meeting the degree
Of success which was hoped for in the
shape OF an amendment increasing the
number Of engineers and officers in
service.
Col Haywood, commandant of the
marine corps, yesterday made five de-
tails of marines for the cruisers now
being repaired or ready for commits
sion. There are two drafts of SIS each
for the Philadelphia and Charleston at
Mare Island, one of SO for the Newark
at Norfolk and two of 80 each or the
Columbia and Minneapolis at League
Island.
Senator Proctor yesterday spent half
az hour with Secretary Alger and af-
terward had a conference with Assist
ant Secretary of State Day. Then he
went to the white house and was clos
eted with the president for two hours
from the room he courteously declined
70 speak regarding the nature OF the
Information that he communicated to
Tho president.
The ordnance department Of the
army has sent an invitation to all
INNS which in the past proposed to
bl.d disappearing gun carriages in
answer TO the departments advertise
mant TO come forward at this time and
submit oa their own behalf proposals
Tor building such carriages. They are
invited to state how many carriages
ileT can undertake at one time and
are enj2ined especially to state the ex
At time to be consumed in making
faem
laa bureau or ordnance opened bids
yesterday for large supply of armor-
PIERCING projectiles and for $1,000, 900
..." bali cartridges. The bidding
N'l-lf together a number of repre-
~a.atlyes of large steel and 'ammuni-
Won mpanies, some Of whom took oc-
@aoh 70 give assurances that in the
present emergency the government
NoTA would be given preference over
numerical orders Although the de-
ia.Aent intends to accept only one
w Or 70 divide the order between the
.'1lors il afforded satisfaction to the
.'.aHities to know that such large
supplies could be obtained from so
1a4t sources on short notice. The
1ls Viii be briefed and awards made
"la the next few days. as the war
lFtment wishes the work to begin
q. once. :
has been a satisfactory i'm
4amant In the health of both Ad-
aiard and Captain Sigsbee.