Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-11
GOING SLOWLY.
Government Not to Be Caught
in Rash Bargains.
AUXILIARY CRUISERS.
Arning of the Paris and Other
Swift Ships Discussed.
Search for Machinsts for the Navy lnsti-
tuted in the south-Court of Inquiry
Still Silent.

Washington, March 1O.-The United
States government has not yet acquired
a single additional ship for the navy.
The navy department is proceeding with
all circumspection in looking after the
qualities and prices of the warships Of
fered for sale There is a strong dis
position to refrain from being drawn
into bad bargains and to insist on get
ting good vessels at prices not extor-
tionate
Secretary Long received large num-
Der of cablegrams today, almost all re-
lating to offers of ships. Lieut., Niblack,
the United States naval attache at Ber-
lin, st. Petersburg and Vienna, is par
ticuIarly active in the quest for vessels.
There was good deal of talk during
the day about the assignment of officers
TO the command of auxiliary cruisers,
the St. Paul and st. Louis being especi-
ally mentioned, but Secretary Long said
that he had not made any such assign
fnents and had only proceeded to the
point of informing himself of the possi-
bility of getting the ships officered and
manned quickly.
q While looking after new ships the Of
ficials of the navy department are not
1eglecting the old vessels. Arrange
rnents have been made to make quick re-
pairs on several ships that, in the ord
mary course would receive a thorough
aud Understanding overhauling. Thus,
iu1 the case of the Philadelphia, orders
have gone to Mare Island to put her in
shane for sea within 40 days,
AT Norfolk the Newark is set down for
30 days repairs, and as a good deal OF
work has already been done on her, sne
will be almost a new ship when she
comes out of the yard. The big monitor
Puritan has practically completed her
repairs. The monitor Commanche, at
Mare Island, has been examined and
found in tolerable condition. At League
Island the monitor Miantonomoh and
the ram Katahdin went into commission
today, although they have not yet had
their orders They probably will remain
in the Delaware river or drop down INTO
the bay. The torpedo boat Dupont sailed
today from Mobile to attach hefseh
sssain to the f1otilla at Key West.
n Again it was said at the navy depart
n1ent that nothing had been heard from
the court of inquiry at Havana, nor
from Admiral SicaTd at Key West. The
nresence in the city of several persons
connected with steamship lines and steel
works. led to the circulation of sensa-
tdonal stories during the day Perhaps
none of these had the persistency OF
one that found currency, until 1t met
with summary denial at the hands OF
Assistant Secretary Day, 10 the eiLect
that Minister Woodford had notihed
the Spanish government that the presl-
dent intended to send to congress
message announcing the recognition of
Cuban independence.
Commander Hawley left Washington
this evening for the south with Ch1ef
Engineer Webster and Surgeon Persons,
to enlist machinists for the navy. The
board started for New Orleans. 1t has
been informed that there are a num-
ber of good men to be had on the gulf
coast. and Commander HaWley will open
temporary recruiting offices in the gulf
cities as he goes along.
A conference was held at o'clock in
the office of Assistant Secretary Roose-
velt to map out plans for arming and
aquipping merchant vessels as auxil-
iary cruisers. Mr.. Roosevelt presided,
and others present were Captain
Crowninshield of the bureau of naviga-
tiou, Captain O'Neil of the bureau of
ordnance Chief Hichborn OF the bureau
of construction, and Commander Brad
ford of the bureau of yards and docks.
This meeting had been preceded by a
call from President Griscom, of the In
ternational Navigation Company, which
owns the four steamships, st. Louis, St.
Paul, Paris and New York.
The board meeting brought out a gen
eral discussion of the work the various
bureaus would be called upon to per-
form in making these and other vessels
ready as auxiliary cruisers. About nine
ty-fiVe per cent of this work would fall
TO the lot of the bureau of construction,
which would have charge of installing
magazines, gun mounts light protected
arnor for the guns and machinery on
which the guns swing. This work, it is
said, could be accomplished readily
within two weeks time, as all material
except the guns, is in hand. The bureau
of ordnance could not supply all the
guns required within that short time,
although some 70 or more are. now avail
able.
The supply would be adequate, how
ever. for the most effective auxiliary
cruisers, and the complete armament Of
the merchant ships could proceed as
rapidly as possible thereafter. On the
question of manning the auxiliary fleet,
the navy department feels that the most
effective step would be to enlist in the
United States naval service the present
merchant crews of the several ships
These crews are thoroughly familiar
with the vessels and could handle them
with far greater effect than green crews
Of blue Jackets. The ships would be
Differed from the line OF the regular
navy In the case of enlisting a mer-
chant crew, the pay and allowances
would be about equivalent to the rates
paid ordinary sailors, and the time of
enlistment doubtless would be limited
to short periods.
The proposed batteries for the auxi-
harry cruisers consist in the case of the
St, Louis and ST. Paul, of eight six-inch
guns, four six-pounders and four ma
chine guns; the Paris and New York,
twelve six-inch, six six-pounders and
six machine guns 1t is designed to give
vessels of the Caracas and Seneca type
a main battery Of eight four-inch guns
and from six to eight rapid-fire ma
chine guns Those of the Vigilance
class are designed to have main bat
terry of six five-inch and four four-inch
guns, four one-pounders and three ma
chine guns. The batteries of the auxi-
liary cruisers on the Pacific coast, if
they should be called into use. are sub
stantially similar, six-inch guns being
the largest ones designed for use in that
service.
The navy department finds itself in
comparatively good condition as to the
supply of automobile torpedoes, which