The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-08-16
REDUCING THE FLEET.
Big Ocean Steamers Will Be Return
ed to Their Owners.

sidy law will be returned to their
owners, in accordance with the terms of
that contract as soon as they can be re-
stored to their original condition after
the declaration of peace. These in
clude the St. Paul and the St. Louis
to go out of commission next week; the
Harvard Formerly the New York; and
the Yale formerly the Paris) already
turned over to the army as transports
and the Yankee, Prairie, the Dixie, the
Yosemite, the Panther and the Badger,
which originally were named Ell Norte,
Ell Sol, Ell Rio and Ell Sud, of the Nor
gan line and the Venezuela and the
Yumuri, of the Red D line.
Regarding the disposition of the %
purchased yachts there is considerable
difference Of opinion in the navy, many
of the younger officers claiming that
by their excellent work as torpedo boat
deStrOyerS and dispatch vessels they
have demonstrated their utility for per
manent retention on the list. Older
officers, however, of a more practical
frame of mind, insist that better YES
sells for hostile purposes, particularly
of the gunbOat class, can be built for
much less money than these luxurious
yachts cost and they do not hesitate to
express their belief that the cOntinu-
ance of these vessels in commission will
lead to grave scandals and unceasing
jealOuSies. In their opinion the pos
session of these pleasure craft will
cation through the insistence of officers
to be assigned to them and because of
their seductive attractions as junketing
craft.
Thirty-five tug boats were also bought
at the beginning of the war and most
of these, especially the largest and
highest powered, may be needed for a
long time, at least, as naval auxiliar-
les in the harbOrs of Cuba and Porto
Rico and at the navy yards of this
country. Such vessels are required
Cfo r1f1 Of r~1Z
Roads and Key West for towing war
ships, for carrying supplies and for
countless other purposes and when pos
sessed of sea going qualities they will
be invaluable for duty around the new
island possessions of the United States.
The ambulance ship Solace, formerly
the Cromwell line steamer Creole, it is
proposed to maintain permanently in
the naval fleet and after her present
voyage to Porto Rico, it 81 probable
that she will start for the Philippine
islands to care for the sick of Admiral
DeWey'S squadron. This splendid YES
sci was practically new having been
launched only two years ago and al
though the first vessel of her kind in
any navy, has proven of such inestima-
bic value that no thought is entertain
ed of the navy being able to get along
without her. Naval officers regard the
repair ship Vulcan in a similar light
This intensely practical American
novelty has demonstrated her worth in
a remarkable degree at Guantanamo,
and bureau officials are so enthusiastic
about her that they have urged the adj
visibility Of sending her at once to
Manila and fitting another ship in her
plans for use in the Atlantic.
Perhaps the most remarkable eco
nOmical achievement affecting the navy
which has occurred during the war has
been due to the purchase of twenty
Golfers and half a dozen refrigerator
and distilling vessels. The refrigerator
ships may perhaps be dispensed with,
Of %In IRA nTf9 n of
retention. When the war began the
price of coal outside of the United
States had arisen on account of the
Welsh strike to an eXOrbitant figure.
It's cost at Key West was 81 a ton and
at St. Thomas, Jamaica and other
West Indies s well as South American
ports, it averaged $l2 The English
maneuVerS were abandoned on account
of it, Commodore Bradford found that
he could buy all the coal he needed for
1.S2 at Lambert Point, Va, loaded ana
trimmed on board vessels. This was
POCahOntaS coal, uneQualled the world
over for steaming. At first he chartered
a large fleet of schOOners, but after hos
tilities began he found he could not de-
liver to the fleet at any price Sampson
and Schley were cabling for coal, out
could obtain none and in this emergency
the purchase of golfers began. The
fleet of these vessels in the Atlantic
now includes the Abarenda, the Alex
andria, the Caesar, the Hannibal, the
Justin, the Lebanon, the LeOntdaS, the
Niagara, the POmpey, the CaSS1us, the
Saturn the Scinda, the SOuthery, the
Sterling, the Hector and the MarcelI JUS
the latter two taking the place of the
sunken Merrimac. In the Pacific there
are four such vessels, the Brutus, the
Nero, the Zafiro and the Nanshan, the
latter two purchased by Admiral
Dewey.
Just before the war broke out Ad-
rniral Dewey had to pay $l9 ton Tor
! fuel at Hong Kong. The navy depart- part
ment now delivers it to him at SO a ton
by sailing vessels and $40 by steamer
and at these rates over 10000 tons have
been sent to him. When the problems
of sending the Monterey and Monad-
mock were forced upon the navy depart
ment Commodore Bradford solved 1T
and avoided the dangers of trying to
coal these vessels at sea by purchasing
two of the largest golfers IN that ocean
to tow the Warships in order that the
latter might save their own coal and
yet be constantly ready for action IN
case an enemy was encountered me
1 BrutuS which tOWed the Monterey and
the Nero which went with the Mon
nadnock, each took 4,4OO tons or
coal and maintained a speed Of seven
I knots for Z 900 miles, while the monitors
under their own steam could scarcely
have gone 1, 900 miles at ten knots.
With certainty that the United States
| will hereafter maintain large meet IN
Asiatic waters and with the necessity
| for keeping large amounts of fuel at
| Honolulu. Samoa and Guam, as well as
| in the Philippines at least six of the
| f1rst-claSS steam golfers must be main
| tanned in the Pacific ocean. With the
! sphere of naval activity in the Atlantic
! and especially in the West Indies, per-
! manently augmented at least two such
| golfers will be required on the eastern
! coast of the United States and it is
! therefore unlikely that more than one
| or two of the smaller vessels of this
| class will be sold It is evident from
! these considerations that more than
| half of the auxiliaries. which have en-
! tered the naval fleets in the last three
months, are to stay and naval officers