The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-11
,nFAR HASN'T BOUGHT A SHIP.
,,rRN,sENT INVESTIGATING THE
moRTH OF THOSE OFFERED.

sci -
work on Old Naval Vessels
v.iur Pushed-The Government
wou supplied With Automobile
Tornedoes-New Spanish Minister
Arrives.
vosbingtou. March 10.-The United
Gates government has not yet acquired
.ngle additional ship to the navy. This
,rre not becaue of a lack of offers of
.,rsbins from abroad, but simply for
a. reason that the navy department is
..,,sadiug with all of the circumspec-
- corsistent with the needs of the case
ooking after the qualities and prices
d the craft.
LENT. Niblack, the United States naval
,tocbe at Berlin, st. Petersburg and VII
on. IS particularly active in the quest
for vessels.
There was a good deal of talk during the
av about the assignment of officers to the
,ommand of auxiliary cruisers, the st.
Dali and St. Louis being specially men,
,,,ad but Secretary Long set these
saes at rest by the statement that he
hi not made any such assignments and
Ass only progressed to the point of in
Mrming himself of the possibility of get
ms the ships officered and manned
quickly.
While looking after new ships, the off,
,as of the navy department are not neg
hcdng the old vessels, and arrangements
have been made to make short repairs On
gyeral ships that in the ordinary course
would not be treated in that fashion, but
would receive a thorough and time-con-
nming overhauling.
4 Thus. in the case of the Philadelphia,
which has had five years hard work and
has never yet been done over as is the
esom orders have gone to Mare Island
"a nut her in shape for sea within forty
ays. The Yorktown, at the same yard
4 not to be touched at present, not only
kcause she is in fair condition, but also
ecause she is not SO formidable a cratt
as to make it desirable to divert to her
repair attention required elsewhere.
At Norfolk the Newark 1t set down fot
thirty days repairs, and as good deai
Of work has already been done on her'
she will be almost a new snip When sne
comes cut of the yard.
The big monitor Puritan has pracucally
completed her repairs.
The monitor Comanche at Mare Island
has been examined, and found in tolera-
be condition.
League Island the monitor Miantono-
mah and the ram Katahdin went into
commission to-day, although they have
not yet had their orders. They will prob
ably remain in the Delaware river or drop
inO the bay.
The torpedo boat Dupont sailed to-day
from Mobile TO attach herself again to
th aotla at Key West.
Again il was said at the navy depart
nent that nothing had been heard from
iie court of inquiry at Havana, nor from
Admiral Sicard at Key West.
The presence in the city of several per-
sons connected with steamship lines and
sleeI works led to the circulation of a
Number of sensational stories during the
Gay, but perhaps none of these had the
lFslstence of one that found currency al
'ne capitol, until it met summary denia
d the hands of Assistant Secretary
Day to the effect that Minister Woodforc
aad notified the Spanish government thai
He resident intended to send a message
20 congress announcing his recognition
oi Cuban independence
commander Hawley left Washington
IalS evening for the South with Chief En-
slneer Webster and Surgeon Parsons t.
'nHSI machinists for the navy
conference was held at O'Clock In th'
olnee Of Assistant Secretary Roosevelt t.
fa,~ ,ff,cr Nft,t
9elchant vessels as auxiliary cruisers. Mr.
Ao0seyelt presided, and others presen
"ele capt Crowninshield of the bureau
VI navigation, Capt ONeil of the bureau
ordnance, Chief Hichborn of the bu
Sau OF construction, and Commando
M tlu'ord of the bureau of yards and docks
"9 meeting had been preceded by a cal
I'm ~" resident Griscom of the Interna
,E '"al Navigation Company, which own
lg lour ships, St. Louis, st. Paul, Pari
'l new York The meeting brought on
senefal discussion of the work the vari
1S bureaus would be called upon to per
~ IN making these and other vessel
(IF as auxiliary cruisers About 95 pc
~ o1 this work would fall to the lot o
ouieau of construction, which woul
ro. enarge of installing magazines, GU
Yu''s light protective armor for tn
% 5Is ana magazines, and the circles o.
.+N'n the guns swing. This work coul
~, oceomplished readily within two weeks
as all materials except the guns ar
"'hd. The bureau of ordnance toul'
~ supply all the guns required withil
-' snort time, although somefseventy o
b. are now available. The supply woul
md1equate, however, for the most ef
o'e auxiliary cruisers and the complet
n-oulcht of the merchant ships coul
o9el as rapidly as possible thereafter
s., tne question of manning the auXii
h. meet the navy department feels tina
n most effective step would be to enlis
t,, we United States naval service tn
bte"- merchant crews of the severa
rni nese crews are thoroughly IA
H. with the vessels and could handl
r n with far greater effect than greei
oMa u bluejackets. The ships would b
Trytred from the line of the regular navy
ns e't case of enlisting a merchant creV
"aS and allowances would be abou
ors Itht TO the rates paid ordinary sail
Sori5 Ihe time of enlistment doubles
Tba o' limited to short periods.
crrs. t'oposed batteries for the auXilar
ssir consist in the case of the steam
ens 81 Louis and ST. Paul of eight 6-inc
F,r. 4oUr 6-pounders and four machin
Gjno, me Paris and New York twelv
gp, SIX 6-pounders and six machin
a. ugslgned to give vessels of the Cara
tgbt seneca type a main battery o
nDl6 5'nch guns and from six TO eish
Ts Hfe machine guns
ei OF the Vigilance class are design