The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-26
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government and President Griscom so that
no delay will result as soon as the de-
eision is reached that the outlook justi-
fes the large expenditure of money neces-
sary for their transfer to the navy de-
partment- Officers have been provision
ally picked out TO command these ships,
Commander W. II. Emory. and Com
mander Willard H. Brownson. at present
in Europe on special mission for the
government. being the officers who 1t is
expected will be assigned to command the
St. Paul and St. Louis.
Two battleships are on their way to add
TO the fighting strength of the flying
squadron. They are the Texas and the
Massachusetts,. One of them may reach
Hampton Roads today and the other
should be there tomorrow. The Massa-
chusetts is a first-class battleship of TO-
25S tons displacement while the Texas is
a second-class battleship of 6.3I5 tons.
Both are heavily armed and will add i'm
mensely to the strength Of the squadron.
They are less speedy than the cruisers.
which naturally would do the scouting.
while the battleships would bear the brunt
Of the hot work of battle.
Commodore Schley visited the navy de-
partment before noon and after a talk
with Assistant Secretary Roosevelt. said
he would assume command of the flying
squadron Monday. The formal orders.
posted at the department today stating
that Commodore Schley was detached
from his present service with the light
house board and was ordered to command
the flying squadron, with the cruiser
Brooklyn as flagship was the first public
admission OF the navy department of the
creation Of flying squadron. The fact
that this squadron was contemplated has
been we'll known, but not until today has
the department defined its character. The
designation of flying" has a distinct
meaning in naval parlance. It will give
the ships u base al Hampton Roads. but
they will be subject at all times TO Com
modore Schley's orders for immediate SER
vice at any other point along the Atlantic
coast or indeed throughout the world.
At present the fine armored cruiser
Brooklyn, which is TO be Comm odorr
Schley's flagship. and the battleship Texas
which, it was learned later, arrived last
night, are the only ships of the flying
squadron at Hampton Roads. The bat
tleship Massachusetts is hourly expected
and the crack cruisers Columbia and Min
neapolis are Quitting at the League
Island navy yard and will proceed 10
Hampton Roads at an early date as well.
The cruiser Cincinnati and gunboat Will
mington probably will be added TO this
squadron, as will the Bancroft, now on
her way across the Atlantic.
An official order was issued today de-
taching Captain Chester, commander of
the Cincinnati, from the South Atlantic
squadron. The effect Of this is to remove
the Cincinnati from the South Atlantic
service and make her available for the
North Atlantic station, where her speed
would make her a valuable adjunct to the
quick maneuvers of a flying squadron.
Commodore Schley's orders. in terms,
make him commander of distinct squad
ron, SO that the ships at Hampton Roads
will be entirely apart from the North At
lantic squadron, of which Captain Samp-
son is in command.
This is an unusual expedient. as the
North Atlantic vessels have been~intact
heretofore.
Norfolk, Va, March 25.-The battleship
last evening, is the first heavily armored
ship to Join the new squadron here. The
cadet practice vessel Bancroft is expected
to join the other ships shortly A cruiser
whose signals were misunderstood passed
in the Capes this afternoon. She is thought
TO be the Bancroft.