The San Francisco call., 1898-03-24
GETS MONITORS READY FOR WAR Secretary Long Has a Busy Day Moving
 War Vessels. Old Defenders of the Nation
 Will Be Put in
 Order. New Revenue Cutters That the Treasury Department Will
 Give to the Navy.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, March 23.-Secretary Long had an extremely busy morning. MT. Roosevelt and the various bureau chiefs were with the Secretary for some time, perfecting the plans for the speedy completion of the old monitors. The Bureau of Engineering can put in the three new boilers with little delay. The Ordnance Bureau has little to do on the monitors, owing to the good con- dition of their guns. armament, etc. The quota of powder for their 15-inch guns is already sacked and can be put aboard in a few hours. MT. Long also saw a number of public men, including Senators Proctor and Lodge.
 Secretary Long determined to-day to order the double -turreted monitors Hd- ritan and Terror to Key West, where they will re-enforce the squadron in those waters. He also determined to bring into service the eight single tur- reted monitors at the League Island navy-yard, Philadelphia, two of which will be sent to Boston, two to New York and four held in reserve at Phila- delphia. The Puritan and Terror take the place of the battle-Ships MaSSachu setts and Texas, recently withdrawn from the squadron at Key West. It was said at the Navy Department that this move was in accordance with pro- gramme previously agreed upon, al- though this programme has not been announced heretofore. The Puritan, by many experts, is regarded as the most formidable fighting machine in the navy In addition to other prepara- tionS for possible trouble, the Navy De- partment to-day took steps toward util- iZing ten of the sea going revenue cut ters for use along the Atlantic coast. Captain Shoemaker, chief of the reve- ffnr iTn far C. sistant Secretary Roosevelt during the day on the plans for turning over these cutters to the navy. They will be first sent to Norfolk, where additional guns will be mounted and then will proceed to Key West and become a part of the squadron there. Their main service will be as naval pickets, fleet of these cut ters being maintained outside the crui- sers and battle-ShipS. The revenue cut ter service now has ready for instant and active service 124 line officers, "A engineers, 900 enlisted men and 19 yes SelS of which 14 are on the Atlantic coast. Two others are in course of construction and with rush orders can be ready for service within three or four weeks. The Manning, the Gresham, the Alquoin, the Onondaga, and the Windom are all new, fast and efficient vessels and could go anywhere and per form any service that any vessel of their class can perform. The Manning is considered an 1S-knot boat. All of them, it is said, could be quickly con- verted into torpedo-bCats or dynamite cruisers. Whether this last move will be made is not yet definitely decided Secretary Long said to-day that it had become evident that torpedo boats could not be bought abroad, and could net be built soon enough in this coun- try so that we might have to equip other craft with torpedoes. The Navy Department opened bids to-day for ex- tensive improvements at Dry Tortugas and Key West, a formal transfer hav- ing been effected as regards Tortugas, which passes from the Treasury to the War Department. These consist of two solid steel piers to be constructed at Dry TCrtugas, with two extensive coal sheds and an elaborate mechanical equipment for loading naval vessels with coal At Key West the improve ments consist of a steel pier and two coal sheds, with similar machinery for loading warships with coal. The bids ranged from $1,151.000 for the entire work down to about s400,00O The awards will be made within a day or two.