The sun., 1898-03-15
CH0OSINGAN ANNEX FLEET
Board ON AUXILIARY oRUISERs
INSPECTs THE sE. LOUIS.

win Settle To-day whether or Not to Let Her
sail Te.Morrsw-wnrd Biss Boats 70 ne
Examined seon-LoehinE at steel Yachts
and at Hron aud steel Ocean Tags.
Tho special board on auxiliary cruisers, ap-
pointed by the Secretary Of the Navy on Satur.
day to arrange for and equip merchant vessels
as casual cruisers, began its work In this city
yesterday. The board held its first meeting In
the office, at % Cortlandt street. OF Lieut.. Com
mander j. ID. J. Kelley, who has been assigned
since last May to the duty the board is now
fastening and completing. Capt. Frederick
Rodgers was chosen President of the:board. and
Lieut. Nathan Sargent Secretary. Tho head
quarters will be on the eighth floor of the Army
building in whitehall street.
Tho board visited the American liner 81.
Louis yesterday and began the 1nal inspection
and measurement Of that vessel. To-day thore
viii be conference between tho board and
President Clement A. Griscom of the Interna-
uonai Navigation Company, at which IL is ex-
pected that the terms upon which tho vessels of
this company may be impressed will be set
tied. Tho company has already offered not
only the St. Louis and st. Paul, but also tho
New York and Paris to the Government, and
the terms under which these offers may be
taken UP will be fully discussed. The law
suosidfzing the vessels provides that they shall
be purchased outright II their services as aux.
iliary cruisers are needed by the Government
but the company has shown disposition not
to insist on q sale, and IL q suitable oonsidera.
ton can be agreed upon the vessels will be char
tered rather than purchased.
IL has been suggested that the ST. Louis lie
over one trip instead Of sailing to-morrow-her
regular date-in order to give the board chance
to complete every measurement and plan for
oil alterations to be made In case the vessel ia
impressed. One set of plans will answer for the
st. Louis and her sister ship, the st. Paul and
the board deems 1t advisable to have all prs.
liminary plans entirely completed as soon as
possible. The st. Louis has 1 1000 tons of her
cargo aboard already, however. and it will be
rather fnconvenient to send another vessel (the
New York. probably in her place on Wednes-
day, 30 that the matter Of OBTAINING her has
not been definitely settled yet, and will not be
until after the conference to-day.
The next regular line to which tho board will
give attention will be the Ward steamers. of
which the Yumuri Is now in port, In the
meantime steel yachts and iron and steel ocean
tugs arc to be inspected. and visit was paid to
the Atlantic and Erie basins yesterday after
noon In search Of such craft.
Tho guns with which the vessels to be se.
lected by the board may be armed, are to be
shfpped to the seaboard very soon, and some of |
them will probably arrive at tho navy yard In |
brooklyn within few days. In fact, there are |
fve-inch and six-inch guns in tho Brooklyn |
yard now available for the St Louis should |
occasion for haste arise The navy yard at
League Island has been designated by tho de- |
partment as q desirable point for assembling
the auxiliary fleet. and some of the guns will |
60 there. Tho board will also visit
Philadelphia. Boston, and other Atlantic ports
In its search for the vessels most fitted for im.
mediate use In the event Of war: