The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-11
ARMING MERCHANT VESSELS.
A Fleet That Could Be Equipped In
Two Weeks Time.

Washington, March 10.-A con-
ference was held at o'clock in
the office of Assistant Secretary Roose-
welt to map out plans for arming and
equipping merchant vessels as auxiliary
cruisers.
Mr.. Roosevelt presided and others
present were Captain Crowninshield,
of the bureau of navigation; Captain
O'Neili. of the bureau of ordnance;
Chief Hichborn, of the bureau of con-
struction. and Commander Bradford,
of the bureau of yards and docks. This
Geeting had been preceded by a. call
from President Griscom, of the Inter
national Navigation company, which
owns the four ships, st. Louis, st. Paul,
Paris and New York. The board meet
ing brought out a general discussion of
the work the various bureaus would be
called upon to perform in making these
and other vessels ready as auxiliary
cruisers.
About 95 per cent of this work would
fall to the lot Of the bureau of con-
struction. which would have charge of
installing magazines, gun mounts, light
protective 2rmor for the guns and
magazines, and the circles on which
the guns swing. This work, it is said,
could be accomplished readily within
cept the ours, are in hand. The bu-
reau of ordnance could not supply all
the guns required within that short
time, although some 20 or more are now
available. The supply would be ade-
quate. however. for the most effective
auxiliary cruisers, and the complete
armament of the merchant ships could
proceed as rapidly as possible there
after.
A. I,A Of fraer Iaas
iliary fleet, the navy department feels
that the most effective step would be
to enlist into the United States naval
service the present merchant crews of
the several ships. These crews are
thoroughly familiar with the vessels,
and could handle them with far greater
effect than green crews of bluejackets.
The ships would be differed from the
line of the regular navy. In the case of
enlisting a merchant crew the pay and
allowances would be about equivalent
to the rates paid ordinary sailors and
the time of enlistment would doubtless
be limited to short periods.
The proposed batteries for the auxil-
larry cruisers consist in the case of the
steamships st. Louis and st. Paul, of
eight 6-inch guns, four 6-pounders and
four machine guns: the Paris and New
York u 6-inoh guns. six s-pounders
and six machine guns. 1t is designed
to give vessels OF the Caracas and
Seneca type a main battery of eight 4
inch guns and from six to eight rapid
fire machine guns.
Those of the Vigilencia class are de-
signed to have a main battery of six
5-inch and four 4-inch guns, four l.
Founders and three machine guns.
The batteries of the auxiliary cruisers
on the Pacific coast, if these should be
called in use, are substantially similar,
6-inch guns being the largest ones de-
signed Cor use in that service.
The navy department finds itself in
comparatively good condition as to the
supply of automobile torpedoes, which
constitute one of the most deadly en-
gines OF naval destruction. The White
head torpedo is now in general use
although a few of the Powell class are
still on hand.
Fifty of the Whitehead torpedoes
were secured a short time ago, and
with these there is a total of about $50
on hand. This gives not only a full