The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-24

service 124 line officers. seventy-four engin-
GERS, nine hundred enlisted men and nine
teen vessels. Of which fourteen are on the
Atlantic coast. Two others are in course
of construction at Cleveland and. with rush
work, can be completed ard ready for sea
in from thirty to forty-five days The Man
ming. the Gresham, the Algonquin, the
Onondaga. and the Window are all new fast
and efficient vessels. and could go anywhere
and perform any service that any vessel of
their class can perform. The Manning is
considered an eighteen-knot boat All of
them, II Is said, could be quickly converted
into torpedo boats dynamite cruisers.
Whether this last move will be made is not
Yet definitely decided. Secretary Long said
to-day that IL had become evident that tor
pedo boats could not be bought abroad and
could not be built soon enough in this coun-
try. so that we might have to equip other
crssft with torpedoes.
The Navy Department. opened bids to-day
for extensive improvements at Dry Tortu-
gas and Key West, formal transfer hav-
ing been efrected as regards Tortugas,
which passes from the Treasury to the War
Department. These consist of two solid
steel piers. TO be constructed at Dry Tor
tugas, with two extensive coal sheds and
an elaborate mechanical equipment for
loading naval vessels with coal. At Key
West the improvements consist of a steel
pier and two coal sheds, with similar ma
chinery for loading war ships with coal.
The bids ranged from 81 ISL. 600 for the entire
for the Dry Tortugas piers and coal sheds
were as follows: Phoenix Bridge Company,
Phoenixville, Pa, 1896 $50; Michael ]. DAILY.
.. y. III,
Jacksonville. s274.7O0; Union Bridge Com
pany New York, $3.50, eco; Sanford & Brooks,
Baltimore, $4,000; New. York Dredging
Company, $4,000; r. G. Packard, New
York, $500 The bidders on the Key West
work We're: Phoenix Bridge Company, $780,
V00; Michael J. DAILY, 1921, coo: s. S. Leonard
Company, $1SS0O0; Union Bridge Company,
$4,000; Sanford & Brooks, Sac, coo; 9. p.
White, $273,0C0; X. @. Packard, $542, 900. Two
bids were made for the entire work at Tor
tugaS and Key West, as follows: r.. G..
Packard, $1,15 900, and Grattan & Jennings,
New York, 7,0Oc. Other bids were made
for the machinery. tracks, coal cars etc.
ranging from $3.50, 900 down. The award will
be made within the next day or. two. -.
Iaken all In all to-day was an unusually
busy one for Secretary Long Mr.. Roose-
Welt and the various bureau chiefs were
with the secretary for some time perfectng
the plans for the speedy completion of the
old monitors. The Bureau of Engineering
can put In three new boilers with little de-
lay. The Ordnance Bureau has little to do
on the monitors, owing to the good condi-
ton or their guns, armament, etc. The
quota Oh powder for their fifteen-inch guns
is already sacked and can be put aboard
in a few hours. Mr.. Long also saw a Rum-
Der of public men, including Senators Proc
tor and Lodge, Representatives Alexander
OF Bunalo, and Sherman and Commissioner
OF immigration Powderly. 1t is understood
that Buffalo would like the honor of hav-
ing one OF the new naval vessels named
after that city, and New York members
have been quite active in that direction
The Navy Department has purchased no
further ships abroad and the negotiations
are not proceeding in a manner to promise
success 1t was definitely determined to-
Gay that the Chilean battle ship General
O H1ggins, could not be secured. Comman-
der Brownson is to-day In Paris after hav-
ing at Laseinne. While these might be Sc
cured, they are long way from compile
ton and would be of little present service.
What the department wants is ships which
commissioned