The evening times., 1898-04-05

See
Capt. f. V, eager. the commander of
the Creole, will retain command of the
vessel when she goes into the Govern
ments service, and he probably will re-
tain many of the crew He offered his
services when the Naval Auxiliary Board
first began negotiations for the Creoles
purchase and as he saw active service
in the United States Navy in the civil
war his offer was accepted.
Al the outbrea.. of the war he was
called by the Government. and received
the first acting masters commission,
which bears the date of April 16 1851
He was then appointed executive officer
of the q. S. S. Mon ,icello. and afterward
was detailed for duty pilot of the
famous Monitor
The DiOEenes.
With the acquisition Of the cruiser Diog-
enes craft that will prove very useful in
case Of a blockade was added to the
United States Navy. News of the pur-
chase of this vessel was given in The
Times yesterday
The Diogenes was built for Peru in
1888. That she never became the property
of that country was because financial
complications arose. and she remained in
the possession of the Thames Ship Build
ing Company.
She lay in the Thames River yards for
more than ten years untouched and It was
not until the Japan-China trouble that
she was sought after. She became the
property of Japan and was fitted out
with Maxim guns. open hostiIities. how
ever. prevented her from leaving English
waters. Since then she has lain in the
Thames awaiting a purchaser
The draught of the Diogenes is only
about 10 feet. During her trial trips. when
lrV9,,f e
about sixty tons of coal. She would have
gone 10 knots an hour with the consump-
ton of twenty-five tons of coal.
1t was never intended she should be
other than a river gunboat She is 250
feet long. - feet in extreme breadth, and
u feet inches in depth from top of her
keel.
That she was to some extent American.
even before her purchase. is shown by
the tact that the officers quarters ward
ana messroGms are finished entirely in
American black walnut
The DiOgenes is particularly strong in
modern armament. on the upper deck
are two long Toms with a stern
chaser Of excellent Caliber. There are
. four Maxim guns on the main deck amid
ships, two on either side
When built the Diosenes was brig rig
ged. it then being intended that she
should be devoted 10 cruising purposes.
The rigging has now been changed TO
that of a schooner.
Her machinery and engines are in ex-
celient condition and will require but
little oyerhauling to prepare her for her
trip to this country
While the vessel has been awaiting
new owner she has been on the market
and IN the hands of Bennett, Walsh &
Co, ship brokers. at No Is Broadway,
who do large West Indian business.
Both Tong Toms forward project well
out OYER each bow. and the stern chas-
er" projects well over that part of the
boat. The Maxims guns on the sides
| have range of Y degrees. while the
long Toms" forward have a range Of
{ 10 degrees.
The HasOir.
1t is learned at the Navy Department
that this Government has declined to
purchase the Basoir. the Sultan Of Mo-
roccos yacht, which was inspected by
Commander Brownson in Italy several
days ago. 1t was also officially stated
at the department that there were no
vessels building in Italy which this Gov
I erument would buy. because of the fact
that their dates of completion are in the
future, and the near proximity of war
makes it undesirable that they should
be bought in an uncompleted condition.
There is reason to believe that Com
mander Brownson will shortly be order
ed TO return home, as his services are
urgently needed here, and the naval at,
taches of the United States will be in
trusted 10 continue all further negotia-
tions that may be entered into. Tn.
authorities have been in cable communi-
cation today with Lieut.. j. c. ColweII
in regard to vessels building in England
but no additional ships had been bought.
The Oregon.
The arrival of the battleship Oregon at
Callao was gazetted at the Navy Depart
ment yesterday Officials are gratified at
her quick passage from San Francisco. I
distance of l.102 miles. The Oregon main
tanned a speed of eleven knots for the
entire distance. Keeping up this rate for
the 1900 miles that she yet has to make
before reaching Key West, she ought to
arrive at her destination. barring accl-
dents. within five weeks, or early in May.
Cost of Labor.
Chief Naval Constructor HichbOrn has
received from the experimenting con-
structors at the yards statements con-
cerning the number of men employed in
their departments and the total amount
paid them for wages At the New York
Navy yard, Wnefe WOrh mas De6n hdSten~
ed on the Atlanta. the Chicago. the Texas
and the Dolphin, besides the various
yachts and tugs purchased by the gov
ernment, the cost of labor during March
amounted to $4,000.
At Mare Island disbursements aggre-
eating 500, 125 were made to the employees
of the construction department last
month. During the same period s76,O 900
was disbursed for the employees of the
construction department at Norfolk, $40,-
900 at League Island, S27. 200 at Boston and
So 600 at Portsmouth, the total being $323,-
325 1t must be remembered that this is
the cost of the operation of one depart
ment The engineering and equipment
departments are also having considerable
work done.
Could Strike Manila.
The following are the American ships
available for a descent on the Philippine
Islands:
Asiatic Squadron-Cruisers: Olympia
(hagship) IA guns Captain c. G. Gridley,
Hong Kong; Raleigh, IL guns, Captain J.
Coghlan, Hong Kong; Boston, guns,
Captain Frank Wildes, Hong Kong; Con-
cord, guns, Captain A. Walker, Hong
Kong; Petrol. 4 guns, Commander f. =.
Wood Hong Kong; MOnOcaCV 6 guns