The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-14
QUIET DAY IN WASHINGTON
NOTHING HEARD FROM NAVAL
 COURT OF INQUIRY.


 Auxiliary Cruisers Hold Final Session
 Preparatory to the Departure of the
 Special Board to New York-Naval Off,
 cers Say That Plenty of Vessels Are
 Available.
 Washington, March 13-To-day un- like Sunday when the published state ments of the desire for the recall of General Lee and the protest of the Spanish government against sending war vessels with relief supplies to Cuba, caused much excitement among official circles, was comparatively quiet. There had been no information bearing on the doings of the court of inquiry on the Maine explosion received during the day or any other dispatches calculated to cause conferences be- tween the heads of the various depart ments. A number of experts of the war ordnance department conferred for a short time during the morning, While at the navy department the board on auxiliary cruisers held a final meeting preparatory to the departure of the special board to New York. Sec retary Long was at the navy depart ment for short while. He stated late in the afternoon that there was no news of any nature for the press and added in response to specific inquiry thai rnthi0cr roaaiupl frnr11 the court of inquiry.
 Board of Auxiliary.
 The board of auxiliary met in Assist ant Secretary Roosevelt's office Lieu tenant Commander Kelly and Naval Constructor Towerey the latter now on | duty at Cramps shipyards, were ex- pected, but their orders to attend had evidently arrived too late to permit them to do so. Each of the bureau chiefs present was able to give the board some information incident to work that may be required to fit out | any ships that might be obtained. Several of the members of the board as originally appointed to look into the matter are unable to leave the city at the present time, so it was determined | that a special board, of which Cap tain Rodgers will be president. should be designated to proceed to New York tonight to undertake the work in hand. An officer will be appointed in New York tomorrow to whom offers of ships will be directed.
 1 Hundreds of Vessels Available. l Naval officers say there will be no l difficulty in obtaining aal vessels de- l sired, as there are hundreds available. 1 Thanks to the careful work of the | naval intelligence office the department keeps in close touch with the construc- ton of all craft that could be utilized 1 in the event of hosilities and just now they amount to forty of all sizes and conditions. They will be in | spected at once. A number of the yes sels which have been constructed un- der the subsidy act of congress are now engaged in carrying the mails. The vessels to be examined will include all classes from liners to ocean going tugs which can be of very material service for number of purposes. Tonnage 1 draft, speed condition of boilers and l machinery and other attributes will figure in the thorough inspection which will be undertaken by the board be- fore any chartering or purchasing is | recommended. Both the ordnance bureau and that engaged in the work of construction of repair are ready tC take their part if equipping the ves- sels as may be required. AL the Wash ington gun factory there are now ir various stages of construction no less than 150 guns of formidable character | on which work is being done night and day with view to their early com pletion. No new guns are being start ed, but the entire efforts of the fac tory are devoted to finishing those now under way. A naval officer said there would be enough of them when finish. ed to constitute a fair armament fol probably thirty or more auxiliary cruisers should such large fleet bt found necessary to supplement the regular warships.
 Gunboat Mac1ias.
 The gunboat Machias, which has just arrived at Norfolk from the Asiatit station by way of the Suez canal, has been found to be in fair shape as { result of the examination by the maya construction board. A thorough over. hauling will be unnecessary in tht present instance and she will be sen to Boston, where all necessary re pairs can be made in about ten days The ordering of the Helena and Ban croft to the United States will leav, Admiral Howell with but one vessel the San Francisco. No explanation fol the action is vouchsafed by the off cials of the navy department and Sec retary Long when asked to-day de clined to say anything about this ste1 further than the two ships had been or dered home.