New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-13
HOW THE NAVY HAS GROWN
NO LESS THAN FIFTYTHREE VESSELS
ADDED FOR ACTIVE SERVICE.

GUNS AND 40 CORRESPONDENTS CRUISERS
TO PREVENT PRrvATEERING-TRI-
AIS OF TORPEDO BOATS.
fer TELEGRAPH TO rRInrSEl
Washington. April 12.-Thc growth Of the
| Navy In the last three weeks, which constitutes
the period Of its abnormal activity In actual
war preparations. may be appreciated when 1t
! is stated that nfty-three vessels have been add
ed TO the list OF naval units in commission FOR
! service. This includes the vessels purchased.
which now number nearly forty. and the revenue
cutters. lighthouse tenders and the steam coast
! survey vessels. or the purchased vessels tho
mos; effectise are believed to be- the ambulance
! ship Solace. the four Morgan Line cruisers yam
kee Dixie Prairie and Yosemite and the yacht
! Maynower.
Net much Is thought OF tho vessels made
abroad. and naval men are already shaking their
heads abou, the New orleans. which had put
into Halifax. and the Topeka, which has not yet
left England 1t appears the latter vessel Is
| without guns and will need much Navy fard
work before she can be sen: into action The
impression prevails that the European purchases
/ were solely made TO circumvent SPANS acquisl-
/ tion OF the ships. rather than 10 make effective
| additions to the Nays fighting strength.
| The Soace is said 20 be the best vessel so
! far secured md not until to-day did the
! Strategy Board and the other fighting elements
| give up their struggle to take her away from
| Surgeon General Van Rcypen. who Is rapidly
| hitting her out for her novel mission OF mercy
| The nghtlng authorities OF the Navy Depart
! ment wanted 10 mount a number Of rapid fire
6-inch rifles the ship and attach her TO the
| Flying Squadron. but final ruling has been made
! against them. and the vessel Will sail under
the neutral white flag with its rcd cross.
As this vessel will hurry from the scenes OF
engagement 10 land her wounded NJ the
est port before the lighting ships could be de-
tached from the squadron IT apparent that
she would bring he drst news Of battles fought.
and many newspaper correspondents volun-
teered for duty on her
40 CORRESPONDENTS ON THE sOLACE.
Secretary Long has. however. determined that
/ newspaper men are contra bani ~ war as any
reports they published would be OF value
the other Of tho combatants and therefore
! this ship cannot 10 used - carry any news
whatever. not ven 20 the United States Govern
ment or her neutral security would be leopard
tied. II has beer decided that the Solare shall
carry no saluting gun: there will no; he even
revolver aboard OF her. and not an ounce Of
| explosive. except In the rockets she viii require
! to send up for Signals at night She Will be
ready for commissioning on April II. and Will
feet at Key West
Tho Yankee and the Dixie are 70 have main
| batteries Of ten 6-inch rapd-hre guns each.
! while tho Prairie and the Yosemite will have
the number OF 5-inch calibrc. An effort
was made to-day 10 have tho side TO be
! applied 10 these vessels made pa inches thick.
| which would make them more formidable than
| many other regular naval cruisers. but II
finally decided TO adhere to II. inch. which can
| be more speedily attached and 1t Is believed
Will prove effective for the scouting service.
the extreme outer line OF defence. for which
| they are Intended. II is estimated that these
| vessels remain thousand miles of the
| coast for fully month without resort to
coaling. and that they Will be able to absolutely
| prevent privatecring. They will each have a
| marine guard Of forty men and officer The
| marine officers who were selected to-day for this
| duty are Lieutenants Herbert l.. Draper. Henry
{. Haines, James T.. Mahoney and Louis J. Ma
gill.
REVENUE CUTTERS TO Re ARMED.
The Behrlng Sea patrol for the coming season
has been abandoned and the revenue cutters
which pollced the seal islands have been at
tached to the Navy and ordered at once to the
Union Iron Works at San Francisco to be fitted
with guns. These are the Grant. Rush Corwin
| and Perry. The coast survey vessels Patter-
/ aon. Macarthur and Hasser on the Pacific Coast
were also added TO the Navy to-day and the
field operations Of the survey were abandoned
! for the present season. Surgeon General Van
! Reypen has received 900 applications FOR the
I fifty positions OF acting assistant surgeons
which viii he needed in case OF war. which Is
n sufficient indication 10 him that doctors
patriotic However. all the vacancies
| practically filled. he hopes intending applicants
, will turn their efforts In some other direction.
TORPEDO BOATS TO BE TESTED
The torpedo boat Morris. which VIII be
| launched 10y the Hcrresnons tomorrow. will
have her builders trial Thursday. and will
max. her official speed against time on
Monday before board OF naval officers
Commander Sperry, the equipment officer OF
! the Ncw-York Navy Yard. who Is enthu-
! sihst regarding submarine torpt do-hoats. has
/ been ordered To make thorough test 0f the
| Holland boat. which IL offered to the Govern
ment He is to find out particularly whether not
| the boat can MAKE any speed. and how far she
| can semsubmer6ed. these being The chief
| essentials in such craft the submarine feature
being mostly matter Of curiosity to Army Off
GERS. as II can be utilized chiefly for inner har-
Dor defence and not on the high seas where
| the Navy must operate
| Ex-Assistant Secretary Of the Navy J. r.
! Solely. who succeeded in selling the collier Mer-
| rmac to the Department for S3i2GtO has Of
! fered the Miami and the Menemsha. for $50 900
and $lSOUU respectively. to be used "a col
I liers and distilling ships to be stationed near
Key West. The Menemsha Is ordered to Nor
folk tomorrow for inspection The Miami left
| Galveston yesterday for New-York where she
will be inspected. These vessels carry cotton
| and cattle from Texas TO New-York. and
| already equipped with large fresh water tanks
| In their double bottoms. That Of the Menemshs.
| holds five hundred tons. They are we'll adapted
| for the needs Of the Navy at Key West. where
| potable water IL scarce. and. they
! cheap. they will probably be purchased.
THE POPLAR DISPATCH BOAT HERE
! The Atlantic Transport Line steamer Mime
waska arrived yesterday bringing another addition
| to the United States Navy. II is n craft intended
| for a dispatch boat. having a speed OF q knots.