New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-20
BUILDING UP THE NAVY.
THE DEPARTMENT ORDERS TEN BLOCK
AIDING VESSELS.
CADETS TO SEE ACTIVE SERVICE WITH THE
MOSQUITO FLEET - USE FOR THE con-
VERIFIED sMOOTH-BOREs.

MOSQUITO FLEET - USE FOR THE con-
VERIFIED sMooTH-B oREs
~ TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l
Wa.hlngton. April fO.-The growth OF the
Auxiliary Navy to proportions which already
surpa.s numerically IT," unarmored regular noe.
Of cruisers and gunboats took new turn TODAY
when authority was gwen for the purchase or
ter light -draught fast yachts, which wore calieu
FOR bv the Strategy BOARD to be used IN MAIN
tainirg an effective blockade of Cuban ports
The seven vachts 81 far selected are the Tines
MIA. the Restless the Viking and the lia"atha
now at New-York: the Illawara and the TUNA
AT Boston. AMI the Au Revoir at Wilmington
Del The Thespia is 800 tons, and was built TWO
years ago by the Cramps in Phiade'ph'a' 'n'
Restless Is 100 tons. built IN lSS'. ana nov
owned in Rochester. y. Y; The VIKING IS -oV
tons. built in 1883 at Chester; the H'aWa.ha II
$50 tons. built last year and owned IN Ci'cni-
natl: the Illawara is 200 tons. and was puii'
at Bath two years ago; the TUNA was oes'S"e"
by c. l.. Watson. Of Nalkyrie fsmf' 'nu "a'
built by A. and J. Inglis. OF Glasgow IN i'o",
the Au Revoir is 51j tons and was DUH d.
Wilmington in 1S'a
These vessels draw twelve feet OF water as
maximum and can. therefore. enter haroors III
accessible to naval vessels. Trey Will b" equippei
with machine guns and rapid-hr '-pouhoefS
They will start South as soon as po3sioie' al"
until Cuban occupation Is complete WIZ az. a.
scouts and dispatch boats for the Key "es'
SQUADRON. afterwards entering into 'ne resu'"'
work OF Cuban coast patrol. .
Surgeon General Sternberg. OF the ARMY 10
r.gotiatinr for a large merchant vessel to be
used az a floating army hospital 10 oe s'"'0N
in the harbor selected as the base OF supplies
(nh
"a he equipped with Ave hundred beds ana
-. ., ,he contrlvances now being installed In
IN, naval ambulance ship solace. Unlike the
so,oco she will be stationary most Of the time
except when It may be necessary u ""''P''
the wounded to American ports
7, has been practically decided to abandon
nay, sun,m,r's cruise OF the naval cadets. ana
to send the boys at once 20 sea IN the MOSQUITO
ooo, Tho cadets of the upper class have al
-oodv TONED the fleets and It is believed that
tho under-c,ass men have had experience when
will make them exceedingly useful aboard mar
hordefence vessels and scout duty.
The cruisers Charleston. at Mare Island ana
No,,ork AT Norfolk. have been ordered into
commission on May J.
The Board Of Naval Bureau Chiefs IS cohs'u-
e~ne the advisability OF utilizing some or the
old converted smoothbore guns for the aux''-
,arv cruisers Working day and night ana using
M the raw material for the manufacture Oh
guns as rapidly as ii can be produced the Ma
val Ordnance Bureau Is unable 10 supply 'h'
enormous demand now made upon IL Tor gums
Of medium calbre Almost all the avaiiapie ora
nance Of this kind In foreign markets has peeh
purchased. \ large part Of the guns set apart
for the Auxiliary Navy has been taken by the
recently purchased Morgan Line vessels ana
II Is the intention 81 the Board TO supply den
clcncles In the armament OF the amount OF the
remaining vessels by the use OF the converted
smoothbores.
These guns are really not smooth oores AZ AL
but are cast-iron guns lined with steel tunes
fully rined There are two classes OF these guns
First, an SO-pound muzzle-oading Partou
Gun such ms was usca IN the Clvil War. convert
cd into breech-ioader by cutting on the pase
and fitting "A breectr-bfock. These are light ana
effective pieces although their range ~ Iliiii'.a
The other class IS made up OF what We're -
inch smooth bore naval guns. reduced To- the
callhrc OF eight inches b the Insertion 81 rlnd
steel tube They are not however, prerch- lo"'i-
org. - they VII ~ show In action Ihelr "tEn.
f. eight tons md all that would he neCessar!
70 III them 20 vessels Of the st. Paul and New
York class would be the laying OF deck track
and the fastening Of couple OF heaVy ring
bolts for each gun. They fire solid nrfnor-
piercing shot weighing lSfi pounds or bursting
shell with ten pounds ~ powder Weighing lou
mounds with an accurate range ~ from TWO
and half 20 three miles. they would be effective
weapons against any unnrmored ship. II Is the
Intention ~ the Navy Department to replace
then ON the vessels by modern weapons just as
fast as the new guns can he turned out.
The Navy Department has arranged plans
70 place some light armor on the four vessels
acquired from the Morgan Line. the Prairie. the
Yosemite the Yankee and the Dixie The car
ncgie Company has undertaken To roll 'rme-
dlately light steel plate. liz inches thick Two
LAYERS Of this plate will he placed around the
boiler and engine rooms.
Two assignments to naval commands were
announced IN the published orders to-day. Com
mand.r J. j. Eaton taking command OF the
Resolute lately the Yorktown. and Lieutenant
Commander II. r. Jasper now at the Naval
ACADEMY taking command OF the Suwanee in
place OF Lieutenant Commander J. F. Moser.
who goes TO the Alba.ro.s