New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-16
CHOOSING AN ANNEX FLEET
THE AUXILIARY CRUISER BOARD d.
yrpEs FORCES TO SPEED ITS WORK
MEMBERS COMO TO BOSTON, PHILADELPHIA "''N
BALTIMORE TO INsPEcT VESSELS IN THOSE
poprs-MoRE THAN THOUSAND Of
rEnEp To THE GOVERNMENT

rEnEp To THE GOVERNMENT
THE rILors. VOLUNTEER.
Til. s,ociot Board on Auxiliary Cruisers con-
tinucd yesterday It's work OF "scer'aihhs NV
IN regard to vcsscls which may be hVhiiap'e io ~.
hy the Navy Department. The members OF ~"
Board wore busy nearly all day In the once oi '"'
sunervisor Of the Harbor. at the Army buiid'hs.
?, 60 do..s,d tint the work OF inspection should
be subdivided today Lieutenant Sargent ono |h'ei
Engineer Dixon Will so to Boston TO examine SUI,
vessels as have been offered there' Assis'a',' No..
Constructor Tawresey will 60 TO fhlI""e'p"' -
Baltimore on tho same crrend' WITS Cap'"'. 49,.
crs. the president Of the Board. and Lieutenant
Commander Kelley will continue the work IN inns
CITY Bv tomorrow or Friday the fuli boaru VIII
reconvcne in this city and draw up us report
Much Of yesterday spent In going over 'ho
facts presented b. owners OF vesseis anu o'''e'
,tizinr them Stenographc were kept BUSY com.
pillng the data from the letters sent 70 'he poa''
ord tho nersoral statements OF owners. Inc sizo
and tonnage Of vessels. how they can be oFme''
whether the owners will sell them to the "oNe'',.
mcnt outright or not, and the prices delha'iueu'
whether or not the vessels can be chartereu, an" a.
what figures include the most important tn'nsS 'n'
Board Ia ascerianing. The list OF vessels aVa"'
49, Including s,eumships yachts. tugs and other
craft, which is now in the hands Of the Navy De-
partment, includes nearly one thousand ne 80
ma Jority CT the vessels arc at New-forK' bos'o"'
Philadelphia and Baltinore. where they VIII pe III
spected and the list skted down 10 'Hosc wa" -
sidernc These will then be Classified in regard 70
their desrabil,tv under the emergencies which may
arise The decisions Of the Auxiliary cruiser board
will be forwarded TO Washington probably py 'he
close OF this week. and az fast as the fac's IN re-
gard 70 the vessels are Aicd consideration VIII DO
given TO the work OF arming them III the oes' an"
most speedy manner for effective use
Yesterday afternoon the members OF inc Doafo
inspected q number Of the steamships OF the Met
ropolitan Line. including the WINTER inc Di''''n
and the Whitney. and also the Yumuri' the ivy o'
WASHINGTON. the Seneca and the Saratoga Oh 'he
Ward Line. we'll as the Creole OF the Croin"eN
Line The members OF the Board remaining IN the
city will give especial attention TO steam yachts and
seagong tugs to-day Only those with hulls OF iron
or steel will be considered wooden huls are not
deemed desirable.
Lieutenant Sargent. the recording secretary OF
the Board. stopped debating to MS stenographer
long enough yesterday afternoon TO say 10 IT'D
une rerorter: I'VE are pushing work as rapidly
possible and systcmatizing the details. 10 a!u
its prosecution. the Board will divide up tomorrow.
We all expect TO be back here In twenty-four hours
Washington; You must excuse me. am 100 ousy
some Of the members Of the Board visited the
Erie Basin. IN Brooklyn. yesterday afternoon ana
dent Of the international Navigation Company ana
Mr. Wrish the general manage were IN con- n
Se Of aGe LOUIS Pf be
necessary. 1t was said at the office OF the com.
regular trip. re Board is considering the of
the other vessels Of the American Line; ..
The Newyork State Plots Association, together
with the similar association Of plots licensed by
the State of New-Jersey, has taken steps to offer
the services of its members and the steam pilot boat
New-York TO the President and TO the Secretary OF
the Navy II any need should arise for them. This
paper is being circulated for signatures among the
members OF the New-York association
"New-YorK. March IA, 1895
We the undersigned New York-Sandy Hook
pilots Uhe New-Jersey pilots concurring. realizing
the usefulness to the Navy OF the United States
our steam pilot.boat NewYork would be in case
of war with Spain. do hereby authorize our Execu-
tive Committee 10 request the New-YOrk Pilot Com
mssioners to offer TO the President OF the United
States and to the Secretary OF the Navy the steam
pilot-boat New-York or any sailboat We have
which might be Of use to the Government in the
pending crisis. Also assuring the Secretary Of the
Navy that We stand ready to render to the Navy OF
the United States such aid and assistance as our
knowledge of the coast from Nantucket the
capes OF Virginia makes possible
The paper had received the signatures OF over
thirty Of the los members OF the associa yeser
day. A like proportion of the hfty-three members
OF the New Jersey Association had concurred. II
Is thought mat the services Of the pilots who have
volunteered to aid the Government will be especial
j. valuable for the auxiliary cruisers. Some OF the
members Of the New-York association have been
sailing in and out OF this port and cruising up and
down the coast since and before the Civil War and
the majority Of them have seen more than a dozen
years OF seafaring life Oh pot-boats. They are
under the control Of the Board OF Commissioners
OF Pilots, Of which a. Foster Higgins is president
and D. A. Nash secretary.