The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-05

4
! war. In the Geneva award. however, un-
! friendly acts by Great Britain prior to the
| breaking out of the rebellion constituted
part of the case on which heavy damages
| We're awarded against her. But as a gem
! eral rule foreign governments are free to
sell war ships, either directly or through
| their citizens, up to the actual date of hos
| tilities.
1t is probable that the Olympia, flag
| ship of the .Asiatic squadron, and the peer
less queen of the cruisers, will come home
TO San Francisco. The navigation bureau
F. has this movement under consideration, and
in view of the fact that the ship has been
three years away from navy yard, en-
] gagged in hard cruising service, even If there
We're not other reason, it is likely that the
/ order will be given. Olympia is protected
cruiser of extraordinary speed aid endur-
| ance, with a battery strong enough to over
power almost anything short of a battle
| snip and speed enough to run away from
that or anything else that she does not care
70 hight. The torpedo boat Winslow at
| norfolk, has completed her repairs and will
Join the flotilla at Key West as soon as
the gale on the coast blows Itself out and
makes the run down safe.
! AMMUNITION FOR ASIATIC FLEETS
| The Navy Department is making prepa
ratlons to replenish the supply of ammuni-
| tlon or war ships on the Asiatic station. To
| thls end orders have been sent to the train
| ing snip Mohican, now at Mare island to
| carry the ammunition The ship was Just
ABOUT TO leave for a long cruise with the
haVal apprentices, going as far as the Sa-
/ moan Islands. Her first stop was to be at
| honolulu and the department has seized
the opportunity to utilize her as a powder
snip without interfering with the itinerary
already arranged for her cruise She will
carry thirty tons of ammunition for the
China feet, and will start almost inameoi-
| ately 1t is said at the department that this
| is only part of regular supply of ammuni-
| tion forwarded to the United States naval
| stations abroad when opportunity serves.
| Every war ship, under the regulations has
| a certain allotment of ammunition She Is
| expected to have target practice at least
once every quarter yet the regulations pro-
| vide that her supply of powder must never
be allowed to drop beyond a certain speci-
| ned quantity, sufficient to meet any emer-
| gency. On the Asiatic station, from the ex-
penditure of an undue proportion of am
munition in target practice, or through the
failure of the department to keep up the
supplies, some of the ships are obliged to
installments of powder are received The
department has gathered hundred tons of
ammunition at Mare island for the Asiatic
fleet and this stock has been lying there
for several months on account of the in
ability of the Ordnance Bureau to forward
1t. The merchant marine engaged in regtl-
lar passenger traffic either refuse
absolutely to carry such a dam
gerous cargo ask excessively
high freight rates in order to protect
themselves against loss of insurance. The
first opportunity that presented itself in
many months was the sailing of the gum
boat Concord some weeks ago, but owing
to her limited freight-carrying capacity
she was able to transport only a portion Of
"tAe ammunition The present plan is for the
Mohican to take the remainder to Hone
lulu, where it will be transhipped. either
to the Baltimore or the Bennington, now l,-
ing there and forwarded to the fleet at
Hong-Kong. The Boston and Concord both
arrived at Hong-Kong yesterday.
NOT FEASIBLE.
Senator Hale has received from Secretary
Long a reply to letter recently sent by
him, as chairman of the committee on
naval affairs, requesting the secretary's
opinion on the resolution introduced on
gan, instructing the committee to ascer-
tain the feasibility of constructing and
equipping within years time war ship
to be called the George Washington and
to be equal at least to any in the world"
The secretary incloses a report made by
Chief O'Neil of the Bureau of Ordnance,
and a joint report by Chief Hichborn, of
the Bureau of Construction, and Chief Mel
ville of the Bureau of Engineering. Mr.
O'Neil places the cost of the armor of such
vessel built under such pressure at So
OO0,009 and of the ordnance at 81 900 600
while he says that If the construction were
extended over a period of two years time
the cost of ordnance could be reduced to
100000 and of armor to 81 100000. He says
that his bureau could do the work of ar
moring and equipping such vessel within
a years time, but to do so it would have
to have adequate funds placed at it's dis
posal. He adds that the accomplishment
would necessitate constant work day and
night. He thinks two years the brefest
period of time in which the work could
be economically done. Chiefs Hichborn
and Melville unite in the following ex-
preston of opinion: I'VE do not believe il
feasible to construct such a ship as con-
templated to be completed ready for serv-
ice within a year by use of the facilities
now used. 1t might be possible by the most
strenuous exertion to accomplish this feat
in eighteen months at an enormous cost,
probably between eight and nine million
dollars total COST Secretary Long says
that in view Of these reports the depart
ment concludes that it is not practicable
to construct the ship contemplated in the
time specified.
THE DRY TORTUGAS.
Matters were very quiet, at least ex-
ternally, in the War Department to-day
There was q strong indisposition TO discuss
the proposition to resume possession of Dry
Tortugas but the officials did not hesitate
TO declare that only normal movements
were going on. So It was unkno-n officially
that the troops at Salt Lake are being re-
viewed and it was said that If this were
so it could be nothing more than the usual
periodical inspections required by the regu-
lations made. AS for the reported orders to
inspection officers at Bethlehem to be ready
for a quick start, it was said that Capt
McNutt and Lieutenant Bennett, who have
been on inspection duty for several years
past, are not to be disturbed and have had
no orders such as are reported from Beth
lehem.
In it's present defenseless condition, it iss
pointed out. Dry Tortugas is a positive
source of danger. as it could be occupied
by an enemy as base OF naval and mill