Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-25
tive ability. The retirement of Admiral

tive ability. The retirement of Admiral
Sicard has the effect of raising Captain
Sampson to the rank of commodore.
He is a native of Eew-YoSk, entered the
service In September 1857. gnd has been
over forty years II active service. nearly
fourteen of which we're spent foh the sea.
He concluded his last cruise in June, 1882.
since which time he served as chief of the
bureau of ordnance UP to the time of his
assignment to the command of the Iowa.
Hardly less important than the assign
ment of Captain Sampson was the prac-
tical determination to place Commodore
w. S. Schley in command of the fleet now
assembling at Hampton Reads. This will
consist of the battleships Massachusetts
and Texas, the cruisers Brooklyn, Min
neapolis. and Columbia, and such other
ships as may be assigned. 1t is commonly
known the flying squadron, the idea
being to make Hampton Roads the base
of operations and yet to give Commodore
Schiey easy and effective cruising dis
tancc of the entire sweep of the Atlantic
seaboard north of that point. The two
commands under Commodore Sampson and
Commodore Schley will be of equal dig
nifty, and will be entirely independent Of
each other, for the present at least.
Commodore Schley commands the fullest
confidence of the administration and OF
Secretary Long for his good judgment and
ability. During the present crisis he has
been frequently called into consultation
with the navy chiefs, who recognized his
complete familiarity with every detail Of
naval procedure.
When the flying squadron was first sug-
Eested his name naturally presented itself
as probably the ffttest man in the serv-
ice for that particular duty. He came
prominently into public notice by the Sue
cessful prosecution of the Greely relief ex-
pedition, and later as commander of the
Baltimore at Valparaiso at the time of the
Chilean revolution.
The next important move was determin-
alton to create a joint commission from the
ar and naval departments SO as TO bring
them into harmonious action on all meas
ures. Captain Barker. the naval aide OF
Secretary Long. was designated to repre-
sent the navy department in this common
plan of action. The representative of the
war department has not yet been named.
IT will not be necessary for these two Of
ficers to leave Washington as they can best
arrange joint plan of action in confer
ence with the bureau chiefs of the two
departments here. i
Then, at the close of the day. came an
announcement that the navy department
had succeeded in purchasing eight steam
yachts and four steam tugs, presumably at
or near New York. for use in the auxiliary
naval fleet The boats are about 400 tons
each. and in an emergency are among the
fleetest along the Atlantic coast. and are
said to be somewhat similar TO the May
flower. recently purchased of the Ogden
Goelet estate. This acquisition to the navy
is regarded as an exceptionally valuable
one at the present time. as the greatest
need Is felt for small craft suitable as tor
pedo boats and dispatch boats. There was
additional satisfaction at the navy depart
ment at the large number secured in sin
gle purchase. The names and amounts paid
for the various yachts and tugs are not dis
closed, as IL is said this would prove an
embarrassment to the government in pro-
noting speculation on other craft for which
negotiations are now proceeding.
Orders were issued to-day to have the
Mayflower put into commission as soon as
possible This vessel is a steel yacht pro-