The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-15
BOUGHT TWO CRUISERS
Brazil Sells Them to the United
States Government.
SPAIN WAS AFTER THEM
The Latest and Best Products of the
Famous Armstrong Yards and Most
Desirable Acquisitions-En-
gineers Needed.

umphant purchase by the navy depart
ment, in London, of the two fine
cruisers built and building at Else
wick, for the Brazilian government.
Probably the officials took more pleas
ure in closing up the business in this
manner because of the knowledge that
Spanish agents had been striving to
secure these very ships, and that to
Spain, it is said, they would be of much
greater value in case of trouble than
to the United States. The next question
is how to get the ships home, and that
has not yet been settled, according to
the secretary of the navy The United
States flag will be hoisted over the new
ships within a week probably, and just
as soon as the crew can be put aboard
the Amazonas she will start for the
United States. The other vessel will
follow at the earliest possible moment.
The terms of the sale are secret.
The availability of the two Brazilian
ships was first brought to the attention
OF the navy department by Mr.. Laine
agent of the Nordenfeldt company. who
was authorized to dispose of these ships
building at Elsewick and two others in
course of construction in France
Mr.. Laine said to-day that the two
ships purchased would be a most de-
slrable acquisition to the American
navy, as they We're the latest and best
products of the famous Armstrong
yards. One of the ships is complete in
every respect. has her coal supply and
ammunition on board and steam can
be raised at any time. There will be no
trouble in bringing this ship across. as
an adequate force from the local wards
can be secured for the service 1t is
said the coal and ammunition on board
passed with the sale to the United
states. The ammunition is not of the
kind in use by the American navy. so
that the supply of ammunition is a
necessary adjunct to the new ships
The other ship has been launched. but
it will take some time to make her
ready for sea. Mr.. Laine believes there
will be no difficulty in bringing her over
immediately if IL is desired to make the
move without delay, as the hull of the
snip is so well along that~she could be
towed and her own sail power utilized
for the trip across.
dangerous deficiency in the engi-
neer branch of the navy has been
brought to light strikngly in the fact
that 1t Is scarcely possible to secure a
staff of engineer officers to bring back
to the United States any or the ships
purchased abroad. A short time ago
when orders were given to rush the
work of putting the cruiser Chicago
in shape for active service the engineer
in-chief pronosed that he would have
the ship ready in three months instead
of six, as estimated. To do this he
would work the forces day and night
and to keep them at the work would
place an engineer officer aboard the
snip to stay there day and night
Fast Assistant Engineer Dixon was
chosen for the work, but he had not
been employed more than a week be-
fore II was found necessary to detach
him in order to find an engineer officer
10 act as a member of the board ap-
pointed to examine auxiliary cruisers
This state of affairs has been brought
TO the attention of the house naval
committee. but so far it is feared with
out meeting that degree of success
which 1t was hoped for in the shape
OF an amendment increasing the num-
hef of engineer officers in the service.
Colonel Haywood. the commandant of
the marine corps. to-day made five de-
tails of marines for cruisers now be-
ing repaired or ready for commission.
There are two drafts of IS each for the
Philadelphia and the Charleston at
Mare Island, one of 81 for the Newark
at Norfolk. and two of 30 each for the
Columbia and Minneapolis at League
Island.
Senator Proctor visited the White
House and uptown departments to-day.
His calls excited great deal of inter-
est. lie spent half an hour with Sec
retary Alger. explaining, it is believed,
the military situation in Cuba. and aft
erward held a conference with Judge
Day, assistant secretary of state Then
he went to the White House and was
closeted with the president for two
hours and quarter When be
emerged from the room he courteously
declined To speak regarding the nature
of the information he had communi-
Gated to the president.
n. f. Palmer, representing the Quin-
tard Iron works of New York. which
built the engines of the Maine. was at
the navy department to-day in consul
tation with the officials respecting the
conversion of vessels of the merchant
marine into war craft. While not a
firm. the Quintard works
have done a great deal of work on the
engines and interior fittings of ships,
which is just the class of work that
would be required in the case of the
auxiliary cruisers.
Because of d protest from some of
the Western people the secretary of
war has modified his order ef last
week changing the names of the bounds
OF the military department so as to re-
tain the name of the department of the
Missouri. To do this. however, IL was
necessary to abandon the naming of
the department of the Platte and the
territory included within the present
limits of that department would be
known as the department Of the Mis-
souri,. The old department of the Mis-
souri, retains its name of the depart
ment of the lakes
The two Brazilian ships will be ex-
tremely valuable additions TO the
United States navy in either war or
peace, in the opinion Of Secretary Long.
who acknowledges ti-A- have been
bought by the United States They are
steel sheathed and eoppered, with twin
screws. The Amaz0nas is rated at
f,400 tons displacement with an indi-
Gated horsepower under natural
draught If 7.nan which is calculated to
develop 70 knots speed. Thus, while
.he snip Is about the size Of the Charles-