The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-26
1t Was Definitely Established Yes
terday at Hampton Roads.
SCHLEY IS IN COMMAND
FINE RECORD IN THE NAVY OF
UNCLE SAM.
Commodore Schley Was In Command
of the Baltimore During the
Chilean Trouble-List of Vessels
In the North Atlantic and Flying
Squadron-Naval Movements.

Washington, March 25.-The instruc-
tions issued by the navy department
during the day covered every branch
of naval armament. The flying
squadron was definitely established
with Commodore Schley in command.
He will hoist his commodore,s flag on
the flagship Brooklyn next Monday.
The squadron is to consist of exactly
five ships. despite conjectures as to
possible ships that might be added.
Those of the squadron will be the crack
armored cruiser Brooklyn, the battle
ships Massachusetts and Texas and
the cruisers Columbia and Minneapolis.
Other ships which are now, or here
after at Hampton Roads, will not be
of the flying squadron, but will belong
to the North Atlantic station under
Captain Sampson. The flying squadron
is to be a small, compact fleet of the
best ships of the navy for quick serv-
ice at any point along the Atlantic.
NORTH ATLANTIC STATION.
At the same time, the North Atlantic
station, under Captain Sampson. is to
DG luI dug nc u ulSCA
Cincinnati, which left Port Antonio
three days ago under sealed orders, is
to report at Key West and become
part of Captain SIMPSONS fleet. The
gunboat Wilmington, also en- route
from Port Antonio, will likewise re-
port to Captain Sampson at Key West
as well as the gunboat Vicksburg, now
at Hampton Roads.
Late today the navy department gave
EN- IT,
showing the exact character of each
fleet as it stands today:
The following vessels comprise the
North Atlantic squadron: New York,
Iowa, Indiana, Miantonomah, Fern,
Puritan, Terror, Marblehead, Mont
gomery, Delaware. Castine, Nashville,
Helena, Wilmington, Vesuvius; tor
pedo boats Footem Dupont, Ericsson,
Gushing, Porter, Winslow; tugs Ley
den and Samoset.
FLYING SQUADRON.
The following vessels compose the
flying squadron: The Brooklyn, Mas
sachusetts, Texas. Minneapolis and
Columbia.
Some of the other more important
developments of the day may be sum-
married. as follows:
acquisitions We're made on the naval
ordnance bureau for a large number of
quick fire fOur-pounder and six
FOUNDER guns to be mounted on the
revenue cutters and the steam yachts
about to be purchased. The bureau
determined to use the quick fire guns
for these craft which had been origin
ally intended for the Atlantic liners
St. Paul and st. Louis. Captain Brad
ford, chief of naval equipment, COM
pleted plans for securing a naval coal
ing station in waters south of Cuba,
and the papers are now ready for final
action. The station will not be on
Navassa Island, as has been suggested.
but is likely to be at one of the several
fine harbors of Hayti or San Domingo,
or else on the Danish Island of St
Thomas, which is open to purchase
from Denmark for a considerable sum-
Late today the battleship Texas was
expected from Hampton Roads at the
navy yard to receive her machinery
for hosting ammunition and guns.
PAINTED BLACK.
Favorable answers were received
from the New York naval militia of
their readiness on short notice to sup
ply officers and men to man the single
tuIreted monitors now called into SER
vice. Orders were issued today to have
all the warships painted black, a color
that is best adapted to hostilities be-
good a target.
Commodore Schley visited the navy
department before noon, and after a
talk with Assistant Secretary Roosevelt
said he would assume command of the
flying squadron Monday The formal
orders, posted at the department today.
stating that Commodore Schley was
detached from his present service with
the lighthouse board and was ordered
10 Command Thp f1xyinor -,
first public admission of the navy de-
partment of the creation of a flying
squadron.
The fact that the squadron was con-
templated has been well known. but not
until today has the department defined
its character. The designation of "fy-
ing" has a distinct meaning in naval
parlance. 1t will give the ships a base
at Hampton Roads, but they will be
subject at all times to Commodore
Schley's orders for immediate service
a. any other point along the Atlantic
coast or indeed throughout the world
COMMODORE scHLEY.
Commodore Schley has a fine record
for discretion. good judgment and
fighting qualities. He was in command
of the Baltimore during the Chilean
trouble. which threatened to end in
war, and the peaceful termination of
which, it is believed. was due largely
to his tact and discretion. The three
vessels at present under his command
are all swift cruisers, and among the
others which probably will be added
are the St. Paul and the St Louis of
the American line, which were built so
that they could be turned into efficient
fighting machines at a few days notice
These vessels have not been impressed
as yet, but arrangements have been
perfected between the government and
President Griscoll so that no delay will
result when the decision is reached that
the outlook justifies the large expendi-
ture of money necessary for their
transfer to the navy department.
Commander w. II. Emery and Com
mGnder Willard II. Brownson. at pres
ent in Europe on special mission for
the government, it is expected, will be
assigned to command of the st. Paul
and the st. Louis.
THE ALBANY.
Lieutenant Colwell of London has
been directed by the navy department
to urge the builders of the recently
purchased cruiser Albany formerly the
Brazilian vessel Abreuall, to hasten the
construction of the ship with all posi-
bic speed. In the ordinary course of
the work. the vessel would not be COM
pleteG before next December, but it is
believed by officials of the navy de-
partment that if the builders are placed