The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-15

WASHINGTON, D. c., March IA
Conditions appear 10 be quieter on the
surface at the navy department to-day.
probably this was because Secretary
Long, Captain Crowninshield, chief OF
the navigation bureau, Englneer-in-
Ca!et Melville, and other leading bureau
oillcluls OF the department. were called
10 the capitol during the forenoon TO
Inform the appropriations committee OF
the needs OF the naval service in the
matter OF legislation. In the various
bureaus, however, there was hum OF
Industry and the work progressed as
incessantIy and steadily as for the past
two weeks.
The recruiting branch OF the navy de-
partment is naturally one Of the big
gcs, branches OF the service just now.
II is In the temporary command OF Cap
tain Hemphill during the absence In
the south of Captain Hawley and he
was busy to-day with representatives
OF the railroads engaged in arranging
for terms for transportation OF recruits
TO the sea-board and OF sailors already
In the service from one port to another
made by the commission OF new ships.
A problem that confronts the recruiting
Office Is to procure the necessary force
OF enlisted men FOR manning the two
SHIPS which have been purchased from
Brazil, the AmaZons and the Admiral
Breu. The officers OF the navigation
bureau are making all arrangements for
the speedIest possible delivery OF the
two ships on this side OF the Atlantic.
Il probably will require about go men
for each ship and the-question Is wheth-
er these men shall be hired abroad in
England under special arrangements
for the one trip or whether regular
Crews shall be sent out from the United
States 10 bring them home. The first
method is undoubtedly the quickest,
but II will not be available In case there
should be an open rupture before the
completion Of the two ships.
-
The two Brazilian vessels will be e1-
tEemeiy useful additions to the United
Statesnavy. They are steel sheathed and
coppe:ed. with twin screws, and will be
the first OF the cruisers in our navy to
embody that most useful fea ture OF ma
val construction, sheathing, for which
CAiei Constructor Hichborn has work.
ed earnestly for many years past. He
hna!ly succeeded In having some OF the
smaller gun boats constructed on this
principle. The Amazonas Is rated at
$500 tons displacement, With an lndl-
Gated horsepower under natural
Iraueat OF $500, which Is calculated 20
develop twenty knots speed. Thus, while
the ship Is about the size OF the Charles
ten, She Is much faster. Her armament
Is also much more formidable, not so
much In callbre, for the main battery
is made up of six slx-inch guns, but
these guns. as well as the A. inch guns
are OF what is known as flfty calIbres
length, giving them an unusual range
and power. In addition 10 this they
have ten six-pounder quick firing guns,
six one-pounders, four Maxim machine
guns and two boat or field guns. The
torpedo tubes nrc three In number. The
coal capacity Is $50 tons, giving the ship
IN effective steamlng radius OF 5000
"
much as II would enable the ship 10
cross and re-cross the Atlantic with
out c0aling. Such q vessel used as q
commerce destroyer would be vastly
more effective than what appear 20 be
more powerful crafts, because OF It's
ability to get along on long cruises
without touching in at neutral ports to
coal and thus being exposed to cap
ture.
The cruisers carry no armor In the or
d!nary sense, but their machinery Is
protected from the fire Of guns by an
arc!ed steel deck Just below the water
line, varying In thickness from IL to 3.5
inches. The battery has an unusual
train, being arranged to fire three
ahead and three astern Of the principal
guns.
IT Is now stated at the navy depart
ment that the Marblehead, which ar
rived at Tampa Saturday night, was
ordered 10 that place simply to take on
some stores for the North Atlantic
squadron. The torpedo boat Foo,e mr.
rIVed AT Charleston yesterday, on her
way 10 Key West, to Join the flotllla.
phe Fern sailed yesterday from Sagun
ior Key West. having, 1t Is presumed,
delivered all the stores for the starving
rhconcentrados which SO far have been
received from the central relief COM
fniltee, New York. The battleship Iowa
Game over from Tortugas TO Key West
Yesterday. The gunboat Annapolis has
arrived at Curacao. The training ship
Essex has sailed from New York for
Portsmouth. ~
The ordnance department OF the army
has sent an invitation to all OF tho
firms which have in the past proposed
to build disappearing gun carriages, in
answer to the departments advertise
inent, to come forward ut this time and
submit on their own behalf proposals
lor building such carriages, They are
Invited TO state how many carriages
they can undertake TO make at one time
Had are enjoined especially to state the
exact time 10 be consumed In making
laen. 1t Is believed by the officials
that the deliveries of such carriages
could begin In from three to four
months after the placing OF orders, the
Inference In time depending upon
whether or not the manufacturers have
uaeiF plans already In hand and also
upon the calibre OF the gun . be
mounted. whether ten or twelve inch.
he plans Of the fortihcatlon board
which are being followed in the en-.
placement OF these suns by the engi-
o"ers and ordnance officers of the de-
paftment contemplate the mounting OF
%ll sI me big rifles on disappearing car.
although these are more complicated
una difficult OF manufacture than the
ordinary carriage, It Is said at the de-