The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-09
Trial Trip of the New Composite
GunbOat Princeton.
STEAMERS BEING PURCHASED
Ii Is Reported i'm Germany That This
Government Has Bought Three
More German NesseIs-Thc Navy
Department Said tO Have i'ortnu-
lated Plans for Auxiliary Cruisers.

AiulbE IOT Aiat bNithilS u nv
one of which was the Princeton. She
was launched one year ago. The build
ers. however made no effort TO hurry
her. as the Government was in no ap-
parent need for her service. When the
rush orders came from Washington
extra gangs of workmen were set AT
work on her night and day.
The Princeton is one OF the s-..-
dozen composite gunboats authorized
by Congress The composite type is
a new departure in naval architecture in
this country. The featrue Of this
style Of vessel is that il combines speed,
lightness of draught and is quite capa-
ble of participating in battle as well as
doing patrol duty.
The lower part Of the hull is of wood,
covered with copper. while the upper
part is OF steel, the entire frame being
of the latter metal The deck is housed
with light steel plates that give ample
protection TO the men. and at the same
time stiffen the ship.
In general appearance the Princeton re-
sembles yachts Of the Mayfower and
Sovereign type. Her lines are particu-
larly graceful. She is barkentire rigged
WIFI a san dfNsi VI Alfs'v ANFNr "lAi1A WIN
enable her to travel almost as fast be
fore the wind as under steam. Her en-
gines are of the vertical direct action,
triple expansion type
The armament Of the Princeton will
consist Of six 4-inch rapid-fire guns such
as is carried by the Dolphin and the
Texas. -Four 6-pounder rapid-iire guns
of the type that viii be carried by the
Mayflower and two l-pounders such as
the torpedo destroyers NeynisCot and Al
gonquin carry forward. She viii also be
provided with a number of rapid-fire Colt
and Maxim guns. OF small Caliber. capa-
BILE of firing l2o0 shots a minute.
Her crew will consist Of about POO men.
Distributed oger the ship viii be Is
foot launch. a cutter and whaleboat of
the same length and a 20-foot gig and an
1S-foot dingy She will also carry a couple
of powerful searchlghts. Her cost will be
about S250.00
n report on composite gunboats Con
structOr HichbOrne explains one essen
tial reason for their cOnstruction-they
are largely independent Of docking facili-
ties and economical in the use of fuel
New Craft.
Wandsbeck Germany, April s.-There
are fresh reports, seemingly from an au-
thoritative source that the United States
has bought three more German steamers.
The American consul refuses official in
formation on the subject.
The Hamburger Nachrichten says the
three new vessels will be transferred i'm
mediately.
Naval Plans.
According to present plans ii is the in
tention OF the Navy Department to send
the two Morgan liners first armed and
manned to the Pacific. The New Orleans.
Capt. Foleer. NAV also go 10 the Pacific
The Yankee, formerly FL Nord. Com
mander Charles J. Train. and the Yo-
semitic, formerly El sud. Commander W.
ii. Bronson. viii be armed with main
batteries Of ten fVe-inch uuick-firin.,
rifles and secondary batteries Of twelve
MAXIM NOrdenfelt automatic sfX-pouud-
ers and six machine guns. This is a re-
markably heavy battery and indicates
mat the four Morgan liners are relied
upon TO act as commerce destroyers
The other two Morgan liners. the Dixie
formerly El Rio. Commander ". T. En-
cry ana the Prairie, formerly FL Sol.
commander Charles II. Davis, have been
ordered to Newport News.
These four vessels will form a new tyne
IN the Navy, and their performance in
war will be watched with interest by
Navy officers. The Dixie and Prairie will
be provided with equally heavy arma-
mentS
Pacific waters are now receiving the at
tenuon Of the Navy Department. The
Asiatic squadron. augmented bv the
cruiser Baltimore, is considered ample ia
crush the Spanish fiotilla at the Pbilin-
pines and cut the islands off from succor
Irom Spain. At Honolulu the are only |
the gunboat Bennington and the cor
Nette Mohican, and in commission al San
Francisco are the seaEoing monitor Mon
terey. the coast defense monitor ATouad
mock, and the slow corvette Alert The
charleston, outftting at Mare Island.
will not be ready for two weeks the |
Philadelphia for a month and the York |
town later
Work begins on the Yankee and Yose- |
mite this morning at the Brooklyn navy /
yard.
The force on the Atlantic station l. he
ing augmented by the cruiser Newark |
outtitting at Norfolk, the cruiser San /
Francisco, expected at the Rroolylxn |
navy yard today the improViSed cruis- |
crs Dixie and Prairie ordered to New /
port News. the dispatch boat Mayfower /
10 be ready for sea at the Brooklyn Navy |
yard on Tuesday the dispatch boat Dol 4
phin. which has orders to sail from New /
York today. and the vessels Of the mos /
quito fleet. of which the yachts SCORPION
Eagle. Hawk, Wasp and Hornet are the
chief
The Auxiliary Board.
New York, April 9.-Nearly fifty ocean
steamers were placed at the disposal Of
the Government yesterday
Gustav Ii. Schwab. representfnc the |
North German Lloyd Company. informed
'aptain Rodgers, o. the Auxiliary Board. |
that out of fits feet the Government |
might select for purchase desirable shiDs |
or the Navy, excepting that the company |
will not sell Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse |
and few others Of the largest liners.
The names and prices Of the ships offered
were kept secret. The vessels of this
first to be inspected will be.
probably, the Nerra, 4Sl5 tons. and the
Aller. 5,l27 tons.
Lieut. Commander Reeder with Naval
Constructor Towresey and Chief Enef-
neer Dixon. inspected several vessels YES
Ierday. The City of Washington and the
Niagara of the Ward line were examined
and found TO be i'm very good order In
fact ii was said that the Ward line boats
fre kept in man-of-war shape. The City
Of Washington is the steamer that was
anchored in the harbor at Havana near
The Maine when the latter was blown un |
and TO her Capt. Sigsbee went after leav-
ng the sinking battleship. Boats from
he Washington rescued survivors Of the
disaster.
The lrrawaddy was examined by the
iUxilis-ry board at Long Island CITY. and
was deemed unsatisfactory The Sterl-
ng. collier, will also be examined She
s owned by c. A Campbell & Co. and |
VAS built in 1881 in Glasgow. is an iroi
crew steamer. ga feet long, 81 feet beam,
S2 feet draught, and 1,sS3 tons.
Today members Of the board are to |
rata 0r Hanrv'c pIaod Too