Evening star., 1898-10-22


District Commissioners letter or petttiop
signed also by other prominent citizens ro
Questlng that the Fern be assigned for tho
use or the Naval Reserves In the absence
OF General Harries, this letter WAS present.
eG 10 Capatin Depray, acting adiutapt ,yap
eral of the District Of Columbia militia
,lat IL might be properly forwarded 10 the
Navy department. Captain Depray on he
nan nan OF General Harries. acted promptly
anu vigorously. indOrsing The letter an
terms very nattering to the officers and
men, and urging that the Fern be assigned
as requested. BY authority of Captain pa
Ptay. Ra,, Lieutenant Hopkins % the Naval
% %pdt. anon personally presented the papers
10 secretary Long. who promptly gave the
necessary orders that she be turned over
TO the District militia
~ was the original intention to send a
orr. hiait l, OF District men to Norfolk for her,
put the Navy Department decided 10 bring
her to Washington.
The Original Organization.
Inc original organization of a naval "a
serve here was suggested I'm 1sp6 nv Ny
'oHH hhoadeS, an eX-seaman. and shortIv
'e'"drd steps were taken to make 81 a
permanent body. Congress. AT th. last Sos
Sioli' PASSED an act legalizing the organiza-
tloh' and providing for the enlistment cf
lour divisions of not more than 100 men
eech' with corresponding commissioned off,
GERS.
Chuer THIS act. recruiting was commenced
lor the first division late in Nav hut tho
In - nun Der OF men werA not mustered
uAul September !. The second djvisfon
was recruited from July To August / and
Us oIicers were commissioned py the Presf
Gvib august =, Liauts. Hopkins and Shio.cv
Sions.
This division. composed mostly of ex-
pIue jackets, was at once uniformed and
pro. ploPer al arms were issued by he Navy De-
partment. They were also assigned t.r
peCo cutter go, the Frances for fire nr5
~ glhe room practice, and have performed
thelr work at the navy yard In a very skill
Iai u. ana satisfactory manner. The battalion
oHcers, october g wers commits sloned tre,y
be4ng Commander r. p Haius li-,It Conn-
mander w. A. McGrath, Payrnast,r sidney
Bleber and Chief Engineer T. A smith
On the same date commissions wera ISSUED
70 the offlcers of the lst Division rs fol-
lows Lieut.. Jos. 5. van Fleet IIeut Quntor
gradel Grenville Lewis, Jr, Ensign l. @.
SoEeH and Ensign Chas. E. Rugers This
division is now uniforming itsaIf ana {. :.
expected that additional arms win be soon
ISSUED by the Navy Department
Inc men OF the battalion are very er-
thuslastic in their work, ami * is generally
expected that they will make an excellent
record. -N
Gen. Harries and AdJt Gen. Daprav ara
much interested in the Organization, and
half.
OF Historic Interest
The Fern enjoys the distinction OF having
Deen the first United States naval vessel
to enter Havana harbor after the destruo-
ticn of the battle ship Mainn and on her
the court of inquiry sat whlle prosecuting
its investigation. The naval battalion viii
therefore, be enabled to preserve a vessel
which has served historic purpose.
The Endorsement referred 10 attached
at militia headquarters to the written re-
quest that the Fern be turned over IN tha
District was as follows:
Respectfully submitted to the Secretary
recommended.
The interest and enthusiasm displaved
py the officers and men of the naval mill
TIA have been SO marked in all that per-
tains to progressive work, II is believed
that favorable action on this application
would not only tend much toward the en-
couragement of the naval militia but wolld
result IN speeding its permanent organiza-
ton
In connection with the formal transfer
OF the Fern this afternoon Commander
Hams has received notification from Dis
trict militia headquarters that as the head
OF the naval battalion he will become re-
sponslbe Tor the custody and safe keeping
OF the ship and all property thereto per-
tanning Immediately after the transfer to
the National Guard. Commander Hains
has therefore been directed to make all
necessary arrangements for receiving the
ship. including such details of officers and
enlisted men of the naval battalion as in
his judgment may be deemed necessary to
man and guard the ship at anchor in the
Potomac river. and will give such explicit
orders and instructions as are necessary
under naval regulations.
The commanding officer of the naval bat
TALON has also been instructed To formu-
late at once such general and specific rules
or orders for the government Of the ship
and temporary crew may seem wise and
proper, especially with reference to the
matter Of admission aboard of visitors or
other persons not on official duty.
For the Naval battalion
Supplemental estimates of appropriations
for the militia of the District of Columbia
to cover the expenses of the naval battal-
ion, have been forwarded to the District
Commissioners, as follows:
For lighting and heating practice ship,
$3.50; repairing uniforms, arms and equip
ments, $500; annual practice cruise corre-
spending to annual encampment of the Ma
tional Guard, S1,100, and contingent ex-
penses, including painting and other re-
pairs to ship $500