The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-14
Secretary Long Makes the Statement
that the Two Brazil War Ships
Have Not Been Purchased.
TROOPS TO MOVE THIS WEEK
COUNCIL OF RAILWAY OFFICIALS
REGARDING SPECIAL TRAINS.
Navy Yards, Iron Works and Powder
Factories Continue to Display
Significant Activity.

WASHINGTON. March 13.-secretary
Long tonight made the statement that the
matter of the purchase of the two Brazil
ian ships had not been settled. To-day, I'M
like last Sunday, when the published state
ments of the desire for the recall of General
Lee and the protest of the Spanish govern
ment against sending war vessels with re-
lief supplies to Cuba caused much excite
ment among official circles was compare
lively quiet. There had been no information
bearing on the doings of the court of in
quiry on the Maine explosion received dur
ing the day or any other dispatches calcu-
lated to cause conferences between the
heads of the various departments.
There were a number of the experts of
the War Department ordnance office at their
desks for a short time during the morning
to attend to some pressing matters, while at
the Navy Department the board auxil-
larry cruisers held final meeting, prepara-
tory to the departure of the special board
to New York. Secretary Long was at the
Navy Department for short while. He
stated late in the afternoon that there was
no news of any nature for the press, and
added in response to a specific inquiry that
nothing had been received from the court
of inquiry.
The board auxiliary cruisers met in
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt's room dur
ing the morning. There were present, in
addition to the assistant secretary, Chief
Constructor Hichborn, of the Bureau OF
Construction and Repair; Captain Frederick
Rodgers of the naval board of inspection
and survey; Captain O'Neill chief of the
Ordnance Bureau; Lieut.. Sargent recorder
of the board of inspection, and Lieut.. Pet
ers, of the Naval Intelligence Bureau.
Lieut.. Commander ]. d. Kelly and Naval
Constructor Towresey, the latter now on
duty at Cramps shipyards were expected,
but their orders to attend had evidently ar
rived too late to permit them to do so. Each
of the bureau chiefs present was able to
give the board some information incident
to work that may be required to fit out any
ships that might be obtained. Several of
the members of the board as originally APP
pointed to look into the matter are unable
to leave the city at the present time, so it
was determined that a special board, of
which Captain Rodgers will be president.
should be designated to proceed to New
York tonight to undertake the work in
hand.
An office will be opened at No. rs Court
landt street, New York city, tomorrow
morning, at which owners and agents for
ships will be invited to make their proposals
for turning over to the navy such vessels
as are of value for conversion into war
purposes The naval officials say there will
be no difficulty experienced in obtaining all
vessels that are desired, as there are hum
dreds available Thanks to the careful work
Of the naval intelligence office the depart
ment keeps in close touch with the con-
struction of all craft that could be utilized
in the event of hostilities, and just now it
has record of forty such ships of all sizes
and classes which will be inspected and ex-
amined if their. owners desire to part with
them. A number of these are vessels which
have been constructed under the subsidy act
of Congress and are engaged in carrying the
mails. The vessels to be examined will in
clude all classes from liners like the st.
Paul to ocean-going tugs, which can be of
very material service for a number of pur-
poses. Tonnage, draft, speed, conditions of
boilers and machinery and other attributes
will figure in the thorough inspection which
will be undertaken by the board before any
chartering or purchasing is recommended.
Both the Ordnance Bureau and that
gagged in the work of construction and re-
pair are ready to take their part in fitting
out and equipping such vessels as may be
acquired.
At the Washington gun factory there are
now in various stages of construction
less than $50 guns of formidable character
on which work is being done night and day
with a view to their early completion. No
new guns being started, but the entire
efforts of the factory are devoted to fur
nshing those now under way.
A naval officer said there will be enough
of them when finished to constitute a fair
armament for probably thirty or more aux
Hilary cruisers should such a large fleet be
found necessary to supplement the regular
war ships.
The gunboa3 Machias, which has just ar
rived at Norfolk from the Asiatic station
by way of the Suez canal, has been found
to be in fair shape as a result of the ex-
animation by the naval inspection board.
A thorough overhauling will be unnecessary
in the present instance, and she will be sent
to Boston, where all necessary repairs can
be made to her in about twelve days.
The ordering of the Helena and the Ban
croft, now on the European station, to the
United States, will leave Admiral Howell,
commanding that station. with but one ves-
sci, the San Francisco. No explanation for
the action is vouchsafed by the officials of
the Navy Department, and Secretary Long,
when asked to-day, declined to say anything
about the step further than that the two
ships had been ordered home