The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-16
Almost Certain That This WarShip
Will Be Ours.
chill AND ARGENTINA
HAVE AGREED TO SELL Us PART
OF THEIR NAVIES.
These. Include Two Warships and
Several Torpedo Boats-The
o'Higgins Is Regarded as One of
the Most Formidable Ships Afloat
yorktown and Yumari Bought

Washington, April 15.-Several impor-
tant and decisive steps in the work of
war preparations were taken by the
navy department today. 1t was de-
cided to assign the naval reserves of
New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts,
Maryland and Michigan to the five
auxiliary cruisers hereafter to be known
as patrol boats The question of the
American line steamers was also wound
up today al the decision to charter all
four of them, the st. Louis, the st.
Paul. the Paris and New York. The
two first mentioned have already been
acquired by the department., though
the form of acquisition was tentative,
the department being undecided
whether it would purchase these two
only or charter all four.
With the announcement that these
magnificent ships had been added to
the auxiliary fleet came the statement
that the department also had pur-
chased the Yorktown of the Old Do
minion line, and the Yumari of the
Ward line. With these additions the
fleet of converted vessels now includes
the pick of the ocean liners and coast
ing vessels running under the American
paid are withheld by the department
THE O'HIGGINS AGAIN.
But of greater moment than any of
these developments was the reopen
ing of negotiations for the purchase of
two warships and several torpedo boats
from Chill and Argentina One of the
cruisers is the Chilean cruiser OHig-
gins, just completed at an English
yard, and regarded as one of the most
formidable of her class afioat. These
negotiations are being conducted by
Mr.. Charles r. Flint of New York, who
has large commercial and financial in
terests in both countries. Mr.. Flint
was at the navy department today and
held extended conferences with the
secretary and other officials. While
Mr.. Flint would not say now far the
negotiations had progressed, he init
mated that the international boundary
dispute between Chill and Argentina
was assuming such satisfactory shape
as TO warrant the presumption that
they were not averse TO parting with a
portion of their navies.
With this possible cause for trouble
in a fair way to removal. Mr.. Flint said
that the ablest and most conservative
men in both Chill and Argentina are in
favor of reducing the naval establish
ment and economiZing expenditures. 1t
has been suggested that Chill shall sell
the O'Higgins and one torpedo boat
while Argentina shall dispose of their |
Garibaidi, or the San Martin, both fine /
cruisers, and two torpedo boats. This /
would leave the two navies in about 1
the same respective condition.
Should Chill and Argentine decide TO !
sell these vessels, it was. believed 10 be /
pr ctically assured that they would be 1
added to the naval list of the Uaited |
States.
NAVAL RESERVES.
Orders have been issued to the naval
reserves OF Massachusetts. Maryland.
New York and New Jersey, to hold
themselves in readiness for duty on
I atrol ships, but the militia will not
actually go into service aboard the
ships until it is certain that hostilities
are to ensue. The patrol ships will be
assigned to the Atlantic coast line, and
f. RIM part of the general plan Of coast
defense. The scheme. as understood is
to assign one of the patrol vessels to
each OF the five divisions that have
been mapped out for the mosquito fleet,
Under command of Commander Horace
Elmer. These vessels will be the flag
ships of their divisions, and will be I'M
Ter the command of a naval officer.
These assignments actually have been
made.
The only other officer of the regular
navy aboard will be one engineer. The
est of the officers and the crews are
o be made up of the naval reserves,
With the possible addition of volun-
GERS. If volunteers are assigned to
hem. they most probably will be the
ocular officers and crews of the ships,
I being the desire of the department TO
etain as many of these men as pos
ible.
1t IS stated that there Will be no at
empt to observe sectional lines in max
ng up the crews of the patrol fleet, the
eserves in best condition and most {
.vailable will be assigned to the most
ship. Work on the patrol
essels is being rushed as rapidly as
ossible. and two of them probably
rill be ready TO go into commission to- 7
morrow.