The age-herald., 1898-03-26
l NAVY DEPARTMENT
 ON THE ALERT Unusual Activity Shows No Signs Of
 Abatement. GUN CARRIAGES ARE NEEDED Arrangements to Equip the N0H Revenue
 Cutters. WAR APPROPRIATION BEING SPENT Speed of Revenue Cutters Varies From IA to 90 knotS-AI Are Good Sea-Going Crafts-WiIl Be Fitted With
 Effective Batteries.
WAR APPROPRIATION BEING SPENT

Washington, March 25.-The only naval movement reported to the department to- day was the departure of the tug Leyden from the League Island navy yard for Key West. This tug is of the largest ves- sels of that description in the navy, is of 45O tons displacement and has an indicated horsepower of 34O. Boats of this character are valuable for carrying dispatches be- tween ships of the fleet and for transport ing freight and it is supposed she will be used for such purposes by Capt. Sampson
 There was the usual activity around the war office today Both the ordnance offlce and the engineer department are busiiy at work making ready to expend the money allotted to them out of the $50 900, 900 emer- gency fund in purchasing munitions or war shipping them to the sea-coast fortt- fcations and putting the latter in effective condition. The ordnance office Is much bet ter off in the number of rapid ire ana other guns of formidable character, am- munition and projectiles than in the num- Der of carriages for the guns.
 Gun Carriages Is the Need
 It has been the practice of the bureau to acquire first guns in supplying which the contractors require much more time than for furnishing ammunition, pro1ecthes or carriages. The main need Of the service just now is an adequate supply of gun car riages and 1t is hoped to secure large number of them out of the allotments mace to the bureau and from the money made available by the Notifications bill. Bids were opened recently for supply or Doth ten and twelve inch gun carriages ana as soon as the officials know the precise amount of money at their disposal for this purpose awards will be made.
 Meanwhile the engineers bureau Is at work on the building of emplacements for the guns and their work Is being pusned
 
 the force available for that purpose. It is expected that the work on the Notifications at Dry Tortugas at which place the navy department is to establish coal1ng sta ton, will begin as soon as the plans TOT that purpose have been adopted. It Is thought that Capt. Duval, the military aid to Secretary Alger, who left here last night and Is. regarded as an expert In ar tillery matters, will make an investigation of the requirements of the service at TOT tugas.
 The ordnance bureau expects to obtain in all about forty-six rapid fire guns from abroad for the seacoast Qualifications.
 Revenue Cutter Service
 Capt Shoemaker, chief of the revenue cutter service was busily engaged today in making assignments of officers to the rev enue cutters detailed yesterday for defense service along the seaboard. Every vessel in the service available for action has been
 
 new cutter Gresham on the great lakes and the little cutter Calumet, located at Chi cago have been called on and in a day or two both the lake ships will be en route to the rendezvous at Hampton Roads. They will make the trip to the Atlantic seaboard through the St. Lawrence river. The com manders of the revenue cutters have been notified by wire to be in readiness to move as soon their general orders are re- ceived.
 Capt. Shoemaker was of the opinion that 1t would require about week for all the vessels to reach Hampton Roads or rather Norfolk, which will be their official rendez- VouS.
 To Receive Equipments
 At the navy yard there the vessels will receive their equipment-guns, ammunition, torpedoes and supplies and will make such other preparations are necessary for fighting service. All of the vessels are first-rate sea-going craft and all are fitted with small but effective batteries Their speed varies from fourteen to twenty knots.
 As soon as they are prepared for service they will be dispatched to Key West and placed at this disposal of Commodore Sampson, in command of the naval squad- ron at that station. The cutters will be employed as scout or picket boats and will be prepared for both offensive and defen- sive service. It Is thought they will prove to be pretty formidable ships even in ag- gressive tactics.