The evening times., 1898-06-07
MAY CRUISE OFF SPAIN
Scout Ships Believed to Have
That Mission.
PREPARING FOR PATROL DUTY
The Yale Is HeinG Transformed INTO
!, Fighting Craft mt Newport News
and VIII Probably JOIN t"e
Louis-Guns to He Instailed ny
Saturday.

Another American scout Is to De Hlaue
=. orce into n formidable auxiliary cruis-
ar Instructions telegraphed TO Newport
News by Acting Secretary Allen nave u''
rected that six 5-inch guns be suppiieu "
the Yale, formerly the Paris Oh 'ne
An,arican line. and that she be furnisheo
,,;,h ,brea hundred rounds of ammuhi-
ton.
On account of the necessity of returning
her to active service at the earliest pos
.,b,. moment Mr.. Allen ordered that the
work of installing the guns De cofnpie'eu
by Saturday These rush orders Will pre-
vent the construction OF a magazine III
tho shin. and her ammunition WILL De ue'
nosited in the hold. 1t will also be I'M
possible TO provide the machinery OF the
ship with protection, and this VIII De oo''s
at n more convenient season.
Naturally. as to the destination OF the
yola tho authorities are silent. 1t Is un'
aorstood that she will join the st. Louis
in patrol work. and no surprise need oe
EXPRESSED If these two vessels are ho
sbor,ly reported to be cruising OH INT
Sna nisb coast. endeavoring to learn any
thing of value concerning Spanish move
ments. which will be te.egrapheo Il
Washington.
Tbo desire of the. authorities to arm
without delay the auxlhary cruisers W
the American line is another indlcatlon
of their intention to put these vessels IN
condition to be drafted into hylhe
squadron which may be dispatched to
Spanish waters when the operations
against Santiago and the Spanish hee'
are concluded.
The four auxiliary cruisers, with thell
great coal capacity, would ehaoie the
squadron to stay at sea Tor some tiiiie
and this, officials say, is one OF the great
est advantages in the formation OF sucf
a fleet. ~,
Ry the installation of these guns on tht
vale she will not be compelled to "rur
away from her own shallow. as one
oficar has said. 1t has been learned
from the official reports made by capt
w. C. Wise, commanding the vessel tha'
while cruising in the West lndles sht
sighted the Spanish auxiliary cruiser Al
fouso XIII, with 900 Spanish soldiers aho
500. 900 in gold aboard, and the faie, o,
account of her inferior battery ana iach
of nrotection. was compelled to run away
from the Spaniard.
The cruiser ST. Paul which Is now a.
New York. will be ordered to return t.
Santiago de Cuba and perform scouting
and other duty with the American neet!
in that vicinity. The cruiser Harvard
which is now with Rear Admiral Samp
SON. will, when in need of coal, be order
ed to New York or Newport News, wner
| she will be equipped with a battery simi
| lar to that of the Yale.
On account of the tremendous cost
| the charter of the American line vessei
and the probability that the war VIII no
be ended for some time there Is renew
| talk as to the advisability of purchasini
| these ships outright. The Navy Depart
ment is paying about $4,000 each day TO
.hese ships, and the st. Louis, Yale AM
Harvard will have been in the Govern
ment service for sixty days on June "a, $
| that the Government will have paid Tn
American line on that day nearly Sooo'o'
| for the use of the ships.