Evening star., 1898-03-09
A FLYING SQUADRON
Columbia and Minneapolis to Be Put
in Condition for Service.
DETAILS OF OFFICERS FOR THEM
Commodore SchIey to Be Placed
in Entire Command.
LESS ACTIVITY NOTICEABLE

| the cruisers Columbia and Minneapolis into
| condition for active service Immediately.
| These vessels are the swiftest warships
| af1oat and are mainly designed to interfere
| with the merchant vessels of any country
| with which we may be at war. Because Of
their attributes as commerce destroyers
they have become popularity known as the
| Pirate" and "Corsair," respectively. In
| the consideration of plans of operations in
| the event of hostilities a tentative arrange
! ment was made for using the Columbia
| and the Minneapolis as the necleus of a fly
ing squadron or an outpost patrol in con-
| nection with the fast armored cruiser
Brooklyn, now on her way from Venezuela
to Hampton Roads, and the ocean grey
hounds, st. Paul and st. Louis, in case It
becomes necessary to transform the latter
| into auxiliary cruisers. The Columbia and
| Minneapolis now in reserve at the navy
| yard, League Island, Pa. When they have
| been put in readiness for active service,
| which will be within the next few days,
| they will undoubtedly proceed to Hampton
| Roads. Va, which is regarded as the best
! place for the reported flying squadron to
| operate from in case it is found desirable
| to organize such fleet.
Detail of Officers.
Enlistments Of the crews necessary to
| man these vessels have been practically
| completed under rush orders issued by the
Navy Department in anticipation of favor
able action by Congress on Secretary
Longs recommendation for an increase of
800 in the enlisted strength of the navy.
| The detail of officers to command these
| two cruisers were issued today as follows:
| Columbia-Capt. ]. H. Sands, to command
| the vessel, with Lieut.. ]. H. Moore, de-
tached from the navy yard at Washington,
| as executive officer; Lieut.. ]. F. Parker,
detached as supervisor New YORK harbor;
Lieut.. G. H. Stafford Lieut.. W. j. May
well, Ensign G. W. Williams. Ensign ]. R.
| P. Pringle. Paymaster L. G. Boggs, Passed
Assistant Engineers W. s. Smith and w.
H. McGramn, Acting Boatswain A. Ohm
| sen and Surgeon c. G. Herndon.
| Minneapolis-Capt. T. F. Jewell, detach-
| ed as inspector in charge of the tenth light
house district and ordered to command
the vessel March Is: Lieut.. G. 7. Emmons,
Lieut.. E. E. Wright. Lieut. w. p. White,
| Ensign c. D. Stearns Ensign j. L. Sticht,
| Paymaster L. c.. Kerr. Passed Assistant
| Engineers A. Maritz and L. M. Mutton,
| Acting Boatswain w. Brooks, Surgeon N
| H. Drake.
| Commodore schIey to Command.
In case the proposed flying squadron
| should be organized there is no doubt that
Commodore w. 8. Schley. president of the
light house board, would be placed in COM
mand OF it and that he would use the
cruiser Brooklyn as his flagship. He is
| thoroughly interested in the present sit
uatfon and has been in frequent consulta-
| ton with the Secretary of the Navy in re-
| gard to plans of operation. Commodore
Schley has had most distinguished ca
| reer He was born at Richfields, near
| Frederick, Md, and received his early
| education at St. Johns College and the
! Frederick Academy. He entered the navy
| as an active midshipman in September,
1856 and was graduated from the Naval
| Academy four years later. From 1850 TO
1861 he was attached to the frigate MI
| agara on the Asiatic station, and, return
| ing to the United States in the latter year,
| he took the American ship Gen Parkhill
| as prize from Boston to Philadelphia.
| He afterward served on the frigate Poto-
| mac, the gunboat Winona, the Mononga-
| hela and the Richmond in the west gulf
| squadron, and was with Admiral Farragut
| at the capture OF the fortifcation at Port
| Hudson. While attached to the sloop Wa
| teree in the Pacific In 1864 he landed with
| a force of sailors and marines on one of
| the Chincha Islands and routed an oppos-
| ing force of about four hundred Chinese
| laborers, who had risen in revolt and muir
| dered the guards. He was with the naval
| battalion which took charge Of the custom
house at La Union, San Salvador, during
| the revolutionary movements in the fall
| of 1865.
| He was also with Admiral John Rodgers
| on the sloop Benecia. when the American
| naval forces attached and destroyed
| Corean fortifications and routed an army Of
| about 5000 Corean soldiers. Several years
| later he commanded the sloop Essex on it's
| voyage to TIL. west coast of Africa for the
| adjustment of certain difficulties between
| the Liberian government and the native
| tribes. While in command Of the same ship
| in 1878 he rescued the crew Of a wrecked
| American ship near the island of Tristan
d'Acunha. and in the following year cruised
| on errand of mercy to the South Shet-
| land Islands, four hundred miles south of
Cape Horn.
| Probably his most memorable service
| however, was the command Of the Greely
relief expedition and the subsequent COM
mand Of the cruiser Baltimore when that
| vessel took such prominent part in the
| troubles at Valparaiso. Chile. Among his
| more important shore assignments was
| chief of the bureau of equipment and
| cruiting, Navy Department, and his pres
ent duty as chairman of the lighthouse
| board He is regarded one Of the best
equipped officers of the navy.
| Fewer Signs of Excitement.
! There were fewer signs of excitement and
haste at the War and Navy Departments
! TODAY, and such preparations as are being
i made toward putting the army and navy
| into efficient condition are now going en-
with more method and less exhibition of
! the feverish spirit of apprehension that
| characterized the proceedings of the last
| few days. There is a general expression
! of belief that for the time at least there is
| no prospect Of hostile collision, and that
what seemed to be q crisis has been safely
passed.
| Secretary Long paid several short visits
| to the White House during the day. and
| Secretary Alger went over from the War
| Department to see the President, which led
! to a surmisc that a special cabinet meet
| ing was likely to be held, but 1t turned out
| tfat these visits were not prearranged
| and were connected only with matters Of
| business pending before the respective de-
| partmsnts represented by the secretaries.
| At the Spanish legation the view pre-
vailed today that the situation was much
! calmer than it had been at any time since
| the critical junctrre began. Senior du
| Besc is preparing for the arrival of the
| new minister, Senior Polo sBernabe, who
reaches New York today, and comes di.-
rectly to Washington Mr.. Pablo Soler.
! first secretary Of legation, has gone to
| New York to meet him. Mr.. du Bosc's
,services as charge happened to have come
| during the most trying period OF the en-
| tire Spanish controversy, and there Is rea-
| son to believe that his government feels
/ gratified with the course he has pursued.
| No Reference to Spanish Affairs.
| Sir Julian Pauncefete, the British am
bassador, expressed much surprise today