New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-02
HOSPITAL SHIP SELECTED.
THE CREOLE WILL BE IMPRESSED IN
THIS CITY ON MONDAY.
AFTER BEING TRANSFORMED SHE WILL FOLIO"
THE FLYING SQUADRON UNDER THE RED
CROSS r1.AG-Two ENGLISH coli
IJERs AND p. A. r. WIDE
NERs YACHT ALSO
rnY TELEGRAPH To TIE TRIBUNE

rnY TELEGRAPH To TIE rnIBUNE'
Washington. April 1.-Orders were. Issued by
the Navy Department to-day TO prepare Tor the
addition of two more vessels 10 the service the
coastwise steamer Creole. which Is due III view
York from, New-Oreans rcxt Monday, and the
steam vach, Josephine owned by p. A. +. Wid-
encr now at wilmington. Del. These vessels
have been purchased. the former for an amou-
lance ship and the latter 10 join the mosquito
fleet.
The Josonhine will 80 at once to the League
Island Navy Yard 10 have her guns ''o".'''
She ia n new vessel Of 900 tons built by Nixon
about a year ago at ElizabethporL ana Is ias'
and stanch.
The Creole Is the first Of the merchant vessels
to be impressed into the service she was puli'
Of Nevnort News A year ago. and is practically
now Her disbursement IS over three thousand
tons and with $500 horsepower. she can MAKE
fourteen knots continuously As soon as she
can discharge her cargo at New-York, for when
2 day is allowed she viii go 10 Newport News
where preparations have already been maze 10
receive her and to work on her night ana day
until she il ready 70 follow Commodore scheys
Fiying Squadron. It is expected that her changes
can be made in less than a week If necessary
the most essential modification being the remoV-
al OF staterooms, the cutting OF larger ports III
her sides. and the introduction OF a ?oW'-ga"oh
rreeb-water tank Three hundred cots and all
tho requisite appliances to convert the vessel
Into a hospiial-ship have already been ordered
ard will be quickly put on board
A force of twenty surgeons. in addition 20 the
commanding. executive and navigating oilcers
with n small cr4w ard nurses and apothecarles
will complete the vessels complement. She VIII
be wholly unarmed. a small salutias gun Win
blank cartridges only will be carried. she VIII
Nv the red cross on a Waite ground az the MAN,
and her mission of mercy will be for friend ana
foe allke--that Is, If an enemy Oh the Ohi'eu
States accepts her good offices.
She Will stay with the American squadron
until an engagement occurs. when she VIII
hover out Of gunshot until hostilities cease Az
ter battle she viii stand by to take off the
wounded. For this purpose four steam launches
will be provided to tow four large barses, each
carving twelve cots. In which the wounded
can be swung aboard the Creole and wheeled 10
the opera ting-room. and thence to the hospital
compartments without moving
Secretary Long tomorrow VIII purchas" AZ
least two steam golfers 10 follow tho movements
Of tho s1ualrons and II war Is declared ten or
;hesa vessels on which options are already Sc
cured will be promptly added 70 the ha'a.
forces The TWO golfers orion and saturn, or
the Boston Towhoat Company were under con-
s.deration until to-day. the vice-presicent or the
company. Captain Humphreys. who had just
returned from work on the Maine at Havana
having been called 10 the White House during
The Cabinet meeting. hu, on account Of the high
price demanded II was determined TO buy Eng
lish vessels instead The Orion carries -,.f"o
TONS in her bunkers and the Saturn 2.ND. but
"a IN Of them can tow barges carrying 1000 tons.
and they nave repeatedly taken 5000 tons from
Norfolk to Boston in this manner at speed or
twelve Fnots I'm all weathers.
Captain Humphreys said he had oreret the
vessels for 500 600 and S%GlOWn respectively.
which was m advance Of 20 per cent over what
hn asked FOR them six months ago. hut Stree
ma, fine on account % the Governments pur-
chases 81 tugs practically sweeping ne market
~ good vessels their actual value 10 Inc com.
many Rad advanced fully 10 per cent. He sa'd
;hey had been built In this country because the
Government dd not permit their purcAa;s
abroad and .or that reason they cost much
more than foreign built vessels.