The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-03-18
TWO FINE CRUISERS.
The Government Secures q Pair of Bra
Gillian Vessels.

| Washington, March ia week
negotiations closed today by the tri
umphant purchase by the navy depart
ment in London of the two fine cruiser
Amazonas and Admiral Abrenall, bull
and building at Elsewick for the Bra
lillian government. Possibly the off
cials took more pleasure in closing tn,
business in this matter because of tn
knowledge that Spanish. agents hat
been striving to secure these very ships
and that to Spain, it is said, they woult
be of much greater value in case O
trouble than to the United States.
The next question is how to get tn,
ships home, and that has not yet beer
settled, according to the secretary Of
the navy. The United States flag will
be hoisted over the new ships within q
week, probably, and just as soon as the
crew can be put aboard the Amazonas
she will start for the United States
The other vessel will follow at the
earliest possible moment. The term!
of the sale are secret.
The availability of the two Brazilian
ships was first brought to the attention
of the navy department by Mr.. Lane
| agent of the Nordenfeldt Com pany, who
was authorized to dispose of these ships
building at Elsewick, and two others
in course of construction in France,
Mr.. Lane said today that the two ships
purchased would be a most desirable
acquisition to the American navy, as
they were the latest and best products
of the famous Armstrong yards. One
of the ships is complete in every re-.
spect, has her coal supply and ammuni-
tion On board, and steam can be raised
In bringing this ship across, as an ade-
quate force from the local yards can
be secured for the service. 1t is said
the coal and ammunition on board
passed with the sale to the United
States. The ammunition is not of the
Kind in use by the American navy, so
that the supply of ammunition is a
necessary adjunct of the new ships.
The other ship has been launched,
but it will take some time to make her
ready for sea. Mr.. Lane believes, how
ever, that there will be no difficulty in
bringing her over Immediately if 1t is
desired to make the move without de-
lay. as the hull of the ship is so we'll
along that she could be towed, and her
own sail power utilized for the trip.
Senator Proctor visited the White
House and uptown departments today,
and his calls excited great deal of in
terest. He spent half an hour with
Secretary Alger, explaining, it is be-
lieved, the military situation in Cuba,
and afterwards held conference with
Judge Day, assistant secretary of state.
Then he went to the White House, and
was closeted with the president for two
hours. When he emerged from the
room he courteously declined to speak
regarding the nature of the informa-
tion he has communicated to- the presi-
dent.
The two Brazilian ships will be ex-
tremely valuable additions to the Uni
ted States navy in either war or peace,
in the opinion of Secretary Long, who
acknowledges they have been bought
by the United States. They are steel
sheathed and coppered, with twin
screws. The Amazonas is rated at
], 400 tons displacement, with an indi-
Gated horsepower, under natural
draught, of 1000, which is calculated
to develop 20 knots speed.
Thus, while the ship is about the
size of the Charleston, she is much
faster. Her armament is also much
more formidable, not SO much in cali
ber, for the main battery is made up of
six inch guns. but the guns are what is
known as 50-caliber length, giving them
an unusual range and power. In addi-
tion to this they have 10 6-pounder
quick-fring guns, four 1-pounders, four
Maxim machine guns, and two boat or
field guns. The torpedo tubes are
three in number.
The coal capacity is $50 tons, giving
her an effective steaming radius of
8, 900 knots, a most valuable feature,
inasmuch as it wozld enable the ship
to cross and recross the Atlantic with
out coaling. Such a vessel as a COM
merce destroyer would be vastly more
effective than what appears to be more
powerful craft, because of their ability
to get along on long cruises without
at neutral ports to coal, and
thus exposing themselves to capture.
The bureau of ordnance of the war
department. opened bids today for
large supply Of armor-piercing projec-
tiles, and for 100000 rifle ball car
tridges. The bidding brought together
a number of representatives of large
steel and ammunition companies, some
of whom took occasion to give assur-
snces that in the present emergency,
would be given the prefer
snce over commercial orders.
The bidders for steel projectiles, |
varying in size from the 8-inGh steel
capped shot to the 1000 pound shot,
we're the Midvale Steel Company, the
Co., the Carpenter
Steel Company and the Furth Sterling
Company. The bids varied only slight
y on the various classes of heavy shot,
from $116 each for the S-inch
20 $135 each from the ,000-poUnders.
The bids for rifle cartridges were in
;wo parts, 10,000,00O being standard
metallic ball cartridges, with brown
powder. and 2,000,00 new cartridges,
with smokeless powder. There were
hree bidders, viz: The Union Metal
ic Cartridge Company, the United
States Cartridge Company. and the
Repeating Arms Company
The bids were the same in each case,
$3.50 for the brown powder cart
idges, and $27 for the smokeless pow
Ter cartridges. One company offered
o deliver so, 900 at once, and all the
'ffers contemplated a delivery of l00,-
100 day after few days.
The bids for shot, shell and cart
idges will be considered, and the
wards made within the next few days.
Osaka has been called the New York
f Japan. With the manufacturing