The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-04-03

The Secretary of the Navy issued an or
der today closing the Washington navy
yard to visitors. This order takes effect
tomorrow and will contiue as long as pres
ent conditions exist. The order was based
on recommendations of the commandment
of the navy yard, who said that the num-
Der Of visitors has become so large Of late
as to interfere with the prosecution Of tie
important work in progress.
The Navy Department has been informed
of the departure of the gunboat Marta
from Callao, Peru, to Valparaiso, Chile.
Although the officials will not say so, 1t
is generally understood that this vessel
has been detached from duty on the Pa
cific Coast station and ordered to join the
fleet at Key West with as little delay as
possible. Similar orders will be given to
the commander of the battleship Oregon.
The old-fashioned steamer Standish, at
tached to the Naval Academy, having ac-
complished the business which brought
her here, left last evening for Annapolis.
She brought a cargo of old guns which
had been stored away at the Academy
but were somewhat out of repair. They
will be put into a good condition as posi-
BILE at the Washington gun factory and
sent to points where they can do the most
good.
TWO VESSELS BOUGHT
} NEW YORK, April "A special to the
Tribune from Washington says: Orders
have been issued by the Navy Department
to prepare for the addition of two more
vessels to the service, the coastwise
steamer Creole. which runs between New
York and New Orleans and the steam
| yacht Josephine, owned by P. A. Widener,
now at Wilmington, Del. These vessels
| have been purchased, the former for an
ambulance ship and the latter to join the
Mosquito fleet. The Josephine will go at
once to the League Island Navy Yard to
have her guns mounted. She is a new ves-
sci of 200 tons, built about year ago, and
| is fast and staunch. The Creole is the first
| Of the merchant vessels to be pressed into
service. She was built at Newport News
q year ago and Is practically new. Her
| displacement Is over 1900 tons, and with
| $500 horse power she can make fourteen
knots continuously. AS soon as she can
discharge her cargo at New York, for
which a day is allowed, she will go Ia
| Newport News, where preparations have
been made to receive her and work her
night and day until she is ready to follow
Commodore Schley's flying squadron. It Is
expected that her changes can be made in
| less than week, if necessary, the most
essential notifications being the removal
| Of staterooms, the cutting Of larger ports
| in her sides and the Introduction Of 5000.
gallon fresh water tank. Three hundred
cots and all the requisite appliances tc
convert the vessel into hospital ship have
already been ordered and will be quickly
put on board.
| A force Of twenty surgeons. in addition
! to the commanding, executive and navigat
| ing officers, with small crew and nurses
and apothecaries, will complete the yes
| sells complement. She will fly the Rec
Cross on a white ground at the main ant
her mission of mercy will be for friend am
foe alike-that is, if an enemy Of the United
States accepts her good offices. She will
stay with the American squadron until d
engagement occurs, when she will hove
out of gun shot until hostilities cease. AT
ter a battle she will stand by to take of
the wounded. For this purpose four steam
launches will be provided to tow four larg
barges, each carrying twelve cots, in whicl
| the wounded can be swung aboard the Gre
ole and wheeled to the operating room an
thence to the hospital compartments.
| OTHERS IN SIGHT
ROME, April 1.-THE report that the Ital
ian armored cruiser Carlo Alberto ha