Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-27
STRAIN LESS TENSE
People at the Capital Now Awaiting
Developments Calmly.
NO ANSWER FROM SPAIN.
Mayor Quincy BegS Better DefenSeS for Boston
HarbOr.
SchIey Off To Hampton Roads--Warshps To Be
Painted Dull Lead orContract Let
for Piers at Tortugas

! ton tomorrow, and will raise his COM
mOdore's flag on Monday. He expressed
the greatest satisfaction ON starting for
this sea service.
Late in the day another shift was
made in the plans for painting the war
ships and Captain Crowninshield finally
determined that all the ships of the navy
should be painted a dull lead color This
was the color of all federal ships during
the civil war, and is said to be the best
fighting color"
The naval bureau of ordnance is pre-
pairing new mounts for number of
whitehead torpedoes. in order to place
them on the revenue cutters, the newly
acquired yachts and tugs. The torpedo
tubes We're originally intended to go be-
! low deck, but with the new craft, the
| tubes and mounts must be changed for
| service on the upper decks. When this
work is done, Capt. O'Neil, head of the
bureau, expects to be able to equip so
craft if occasion demands, with torpedo
tubes.
The contract for the big steel piers,
coal sheds and extensive coal appliances
| for loading war vessels at Dry Torgu-
gas and Key West, was let today The
Union Bridge Company of New York
city will build the steel piers. etc, both
at Tortugas and Key West, the contract
tracks,
and machinery will be furnished by the
Brown Hosting Company of Cleveland
for s151,000 These were not the lowest
bids but the navy department consid-
| cred other features than the amount bid
The contract calls for completing the ex-
tensive work at Tortugas in 1870 days,
and at Key West in 10 days The ma
chinery is to be installed and ready for
service ten days later.
Formal orders were issued today by
Capt. Shoemaker, chief of the revenue
cutter service, directing the eight reve-
nue. vessels called into service Of the
navy to rendezvous at the Norfolk navy
yard between the 29th of March and the
9th of April, and there to have the nee
essary alterations and repairs made
upon them at the earliest possible mo-
ment. The ships will proceed to Key
West as soon as they can be gotten
ready for service.
Some difficulty is anticipated in get
ting the cutter Gresham out Of the great
lakes. She is too long to pass through
the locks Of the canal, and it may be
necessary for the department to cut Off
the stern of the vessel in order to per-
init her passage through the locks The
Calumet stationed at Chicago being a
much smaller vessel than the Gresham,
will have no difficulty in passing the
canal locks.
Capt. Shoemaker has recommended to
the navy department that an allotment
from the big emergency appropriation
be made for the repair and equipment
of the vessels upon their arrival at Nor
folk. Probably it will be made.
Capt. Shoemaker inquired of the
navy department today whether he
should include in the complement
officers detailed to the several vessels,
surgeons, and was informed that he
should include them
Preparations are making by the light
house board to turn over to the navy
department the lighthouse tenders In
structions were issued today by the
board to the commanders of the ten,
ders to make a complete inventory of
the present furnishings and equipment
Of the vessels The tenders that will be
utilized by the navy are the Lilac, now
at Portland, Me; the Mayflower and
Azalea, now at Boston, Mass; the Ar
moria at New York, and the Maple in
Chesapeake bay. 1t will be necessary
of course that these vessels be refitted
to som extent, and equipped with such
light small calibre guns as they are able
to carry. Inc equipment Of the vessels
and the other necessary work upon
them will be done at the Norfolk navy
yard.
II Is TGSdIuSu DIS IlDl uulih6iy lndl
Commander W. NJ Folger, now in
charge of the New York lighthouse dis
trict. may be placed in command of the
! newly acquired Brazilian cruiser ANA
zonas, now the New Orleans. Com
mander Folger is son of ex-secretary
Of the treasury Folger. For several
days a proposition was considered by
Secretaries Long and Alger to form a
board composed of one officer, each
from the army and navy, to harmonic
the defensive operations along the
Atlantic seaboard. Finally the secreta-
ries appointed the board, the represen-
tative of the navy designated being
Capt. Barker, and of the army, Capt
Dorst. Some objection was made by
army officers to the creation of the
board, and Capt. Dorst withdrew from
the board.
Today Lieut.. Col A. l.. Wagner chief
of the bureau OF military intelligence,
was designated by Secretary Alger to
act with Capt. Barker as the represen-
tative Of the army. This afternoon