The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-24
TO REINFORCE SQUADRON
REPLACE THE MASSACHUSETTS
AND THE TEXAS.
CUTTERS WILL BE FITTED FOR SERVICE
Viii Be Converted Into Torpedo BOats--De-
partment Open Bids for Extensive
Improvements at Dry Tcrtugas
and at Key West.

washington. IL. u. Mafcn Zo.-oecFe'
tary Long determined to-day to order
t.-e double turreted monitors Puritan
and Terror to Key West, where they
will reinforce the squadron in those wa
ters. He also determined to bring into
service the eight single turreted monitors
at League Island Navy Yard, Philadel-
phia, two of which will be sent TO Bos-
ton. two to New York and four held in
reserve at Philadelphia. The Puritan
and Terror take the place of the battle
ships Massachusetts and Texas, recently
withdrawn from the squadron at Key
West. 1t was stated at the Navy DE.
nartment that this move was i'm aceor.
dance with programme previously
agreed upon, although this programme
has not been announced heretofore. The
Puritan by many experts is regarded as
the most formidable fighting machine in
the Navy.
In addition TO its other preparations
for possible trouble, the Navy Depart
ment to-day took steps toward utilizing
ten Of the ea-gOing revenue cutters foI
use along the Atlantic coast. CAPTAIN
Shoemaker, Chief of the Revenue Cutter
Service. conferred with Assistant Sec
retary Roosevelt during the day on the
plans for turning over these cutters ia
the Navy They will he first sent ia
Norfolk where additional guns will be
mounted, and then will proceed 10 Key
West and become a part of the squadron
there. Their main service, however. will
he as Naval pickets. a chain of these
heet cutters being maintained outside
of the cruisers and battleships.
J1IyKy4sNrTvF~ cer-s1.Ssxx-,,,
The revenue cutter service now has
ready for instant and active service 124
line officers, a engineers, 800 enlisted
men and 10 vessels. for which IA are
on the Atlantic coast Two others are in
course of construction at Cleveland and
with rush work can be completed and
ready for sea in from 80 to 40 days. The
Manning, the Gresham. the Algonquin.
the OnOndaga, and the Window are all
new, fast and efficient vessels. The
Manning is considered an eighteen knot
boat. All of them. it is said could be
converted into torpedo boats or dynamite
cruisers. Whether this last move will
be made rs not definitely decided. Sec
retary Long said to-day it had become
evident that torpedo boats could not be
bohShi stbEodtlS dIlu cOulu not be Dullt
soon enough in this country so that we
might have TO equip other craft with tor
pedOes.
The Navy Department opened bids to-
day for extensive improvements at Dry
Iortugas and Key West, a formal trans
fer having been effected, as regards
Iortugas. which passes from the Treas
ury to the War Department. These CON
slst of two solid steel piers to be CON
strlcted at Dry Tortugas. with two ex-
tenslVe coal sheds and an elaborate me-
chlnlcal equipment for loading Naval
vessels with coal. At Key West the
improvements consist of steel pier and
TWO coal sheds with similar machinery
Im loading war ships with coal. The
bids ranged from $1,151 900 for the en-
tlFe work down to about S4tE 600
Among the bidders for the Dry rort,,.
gas piers and coal sheds was the s. s.
600. N.Y. P@'7'-
On the Key West work the s. & Loon
ara C0mpany's bid was S1SS. 600
Two bids We're made for the entire
work at Tortugas and Key West. as fol-
lows: Il. q. Packard $1,151 600, and
urattan and Jennings, New York. S707.
O0O. Other bids We're made for tbn mn
chlnery. tracks, coal cars, etc. ranging
from $15O,OO0 down. The award viii
DC made within the next day or two