The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-28

Commodore Watson, with his flagship TIC
prevent this Secretary Long has ordered
Commodore Howell to proceed Immediately
to the American fleet off Havana to take
command of the post vacated by Commo-
dore Watson. Commodore Howell is at pres
ent in command of the coast patrol fleet
and he will take the entire fleet with him
that is, all of the larger vessels, to reinforce
the blockade of the Cuban coast. He is al
ready on his way south from the New Eng
land coast and should reach Cuban waters
by the end of the week.
FORMIDABLE VESSELS
Members of the naval board were in SEES
sion all the forenoon. They had before them
confidential kilograms from Admiral Samp-
son, with whom they had been in close
communication by telegram and cable for
the last two days. AS a result of this con-
ference the board was able to announce the
composition of the Eastern squadron. OF the
whole squadron the best all-round ship, un-
doubtedly, is the battle ship Iowa. She is OF
IL ,29S tons, with speed of 1619 knots. Her
battery is made up of forty-six guns alto
gether, so that she is a floating fortress in
herself. Four of these guns are twelve-inch
caliber, mounted in turrets. and there are
eight eight-inch guns in turrets six four
inch quick firers. twenty six-pounders, six
one-pounders and four Gatlings The Iowa
has splendid armor protection with belt of
fourteen-inch steel, seven feet six inches
broad around her vital, with cellulose back
ing and coal protection.
Z The Oregon is sister ship to the Indiana
and has just earned a worlds record as a
cruising battle ship by making the long run
from San Francisco to Key West. Her
battery is heavier than the Iowas, in that
her big four turret guns are thirteen-inch
caliber, but the oregon is believed to be in
ferior in the matter of armor distribution.
The battery in other respects than the big
guns is similar to the Iowa. Like the lat
ter, she is fitted with torpedo tubes COM
plete.
The flagship Newark is what is known as
protected cruiser, having protected deck
of arched steel covering the engines and
boilers. She was built in 1890, and recent
extensive repairs made at Norfolk have
made her a splendid cruiser, with speed
of about nineteen and one-quarter knots.
Her steaming radius is 10, 100 miles. on $50
tons of coal at ten knots
The cruisers Yosemite Yankee and Dixie
were recently three Morgan line steamers
plying between New York and South Amer
lean ports They are all now fast stanch
steel vessels of $500 tons each, which have
been transformed into excellent cruisers,
first by the addition of good batteries of
ten five-inch rapid-fire guns and second by
the addition of belts of Illuminated armor
over the vitals of the ship. The Golfers are
nothing more than merchant steamers
fitted up for coal carrying and without ar
NOR, but carrying two guns each. The
Scandal is 5,294 tons, the Abarenda 600
and the Alexander 400.
The officers of the Eastern squadron are
as follows: Commander in-chief, Commo-
dore j. c. Watson; battle ship Iowa, Captain
r. D. Evans; battle ship Oregon, Captain
Charles e. Clark; flagship Newark Captain
Albert S. Barker, cruiser Yosemite, Com.
mander w. Fl. Emory cruiser Yankee
Commander W. H. Brownson; cruiser Dixie,
Commander C. H. Davis; collier Scandal,
Commander E. W. Watson; collier Alexan-
der, Commander w. E. Burwell; collier
Abarenda, Lieutenant Commander w. H.
Buford