Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-03-17
HIS YANKEE THRIFT.
Uncle Sam Will Use It in Buying
Ships.
He Is Not Looking for bad bargains In
Foreign ShIpyards-Plans for Equip
ment of Auxiliary Cruisers
-Machinists are Badly
Needed In the Navy.

states government mas not yet dc'luiISd
single additional ship for the navy.
This is not because of lack of offers
of warships from abroad, but for the
reason that the navy department Is
proceeding with circuInspection in
looking after the qualities and prices
of the crafts. There is strong dispo-
sition to refrain from being drawn into
bad bargains and to insist on getting
good vessels at prices not extortionate.
Secretary Long was in receipt of
large number of cablegrams Thursday,
almost all relating to offers of ships.
There was a good deal of talk yester-
day about the assignment of officers to
the command of auxiliary cruisers, the
st. Paul and st. Louis being specially
men toned, but Secretary Long set
these stories at rest by the statement
| that he had not made any such assign
ments and had only progressed to the
point of informing himself of the pos
| sibility of getting the ships officered
| and manned quickly. While looking
after new ships the navy department
| is not neglecting the old vessels and
| arrangements have been made to make
short repairs on several ships that in
| the ordinary course would not be
treated in that fashion, but would re-
| ceive a thorough overhauling. Thus
| in the case of the Philadelphia, which
| has had five years hard work and has
| never yet been done over, as is the GUS
| tom, orders have gone to Mare Island
| to put her in shape for sea within 40
days.
At Norfolk the Newark is set down
for 80 days repairs, and as a good deal
| of work has already been done on her
she will be almost new ship when
she comes out of the yard. The big
monitor Puritan has practically com
| pleted her repairs. The monitor Co
manche at Mare Island has been exam
| ined and found in tolerable condition.
At League Island the monitor Mian-
tonomah and the ram Katahdin went
into commission yesterday, although
| they have not yet had their orders.
| The torpedo boat Dupont has sailed
| from Mobile to attach herself again to
the fiotilla at Key West. Again it was
said at the navy department that moth
| ing had been heard from the court of
| inquiry at Havana nor from Admiral
| Sicard at Key West.
The presence in the city of several
persons connected with steamship lines
and steel works led to the circulation
| of number of sensational stories, but
| perhaps none of these had the persist
ency of one that found currency at the
| capitol, until it met with denial from
| Assistant Secretary Day, to the effect
| that Minister Woodford had notified
| the Spanish government that the
president intended to send to congress
| a message announcing his recognition
| of Cuban independence. Commander
| Hawley left Washington last evening
| for the south with Chief Engineer
| Webster and Surgeon Persons to enlist
| machinists for the navy. During the
| day the board changed its plans and
| finally started for New Orleans. 1t has
| been informed that there are number
| of good men to be had on the gulf coast
| and Commander Hawley will open
temporary recruiting offices in the
gulf cities.
A conference was held in the Office
of Assistant Secretary Roosevelt to
map out plans for arming and equip
ping merchant vessels as auxiliary
=
Roosevelt Capt. Crowninshield, of the
bureau of ordinances; Chief Hichborn,
of the bureau of construction, and
Commander Bradford, of the bureau of
yards and docks. This meeting had
been preceded by call from President
Griscom, of the International Navi-
cation Co., which owns the four ships
st. Louis, st. Paul, Paris and New
York. The board meeting brought
out general discussion of the work
the various bureaus would be called
upon to perform in making these and
other vessels ready as auxiliary cruis-
ers.'
On the question of manning the
auxiliary fleet, the navy department
feels that the most effective step would
be to enlist into the United States
naval service the present merchant
crews of the several ships. These crews
are thoroughly familiar with the YES
| sells and could handle them with far
| greater effect than green crews. The
ships would be otficered from the regu-
lar navy.
The proposed batteries for the auxil-
| iary cruisers consist in the case of the
"
| eight 6-inch guns, four 6-pounders and
| four machine guns; the Paris and New
York twelve 6-inch, six 6-pounders and
six machine guns. 1t is designed to
| give vessels of the Caracas and Seneca
type main battery of eight finch
guns, and from six to eight rapid fire
| machine guns.
The navy department finds itself in
comparatively good condition as to the
| supply Of automobile torpedoes, which
constitute one of the most deadly en-
gines Of naval destruction. The White
head torpedo is now in general use, al
| though "A few Of the Howell class are
still on hand. Fifty Whitehead tor
pedoes were secured a short time ago,
| and with these there is total of bout
| $50 on hand.
| Force Bill Passed Over the Governors Veto.
Frankfort, KY, March 1.-THE SEN
! ate yesterday passed the Goebel cleo