New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-15
TWO WARSHIPS PURCHASED,
BRAZILIAN CRUISERS SECURED BY THE
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
THE AMAzoNAs AND THE ALMIRANTE ABRoUALI.
BUILT BY THE ARMsTRoSGs. WILL BE
ADDED TO THE ATLANTIC FLEET
MONEY FOR FoRTIFYING THE DRY
ToRTUGAs SET ASIDE
OTHER Defence MEAS
rRES TAKEN
THE AMAZON
CRES TAKEN.

OTHER Defence MEAS
UREs TAKEN
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIDUyEl
Washington. March 14--The prudent and pa
trotic action OF Congress in voting last weeks
appropriation OF SJ0OOO0OO for the National
defence bore its first notable fruit to-day. when
the Administration was able to announce the
addition by purchase Of two new and efficient
warships TO the available American feet. The
new vessels which are to fly the Stars and
Stripes are the twin cruisers Amazonas and
Almirante Abrouall. Just completed by the
Armstrong; at Newcastle England. for the Re-
public Of Brazil Both practically ready for
sea. and will be manned as possible
with American crews and brought to this coun-
try TO reinforce the Atlantic fleet.
Though not entirely filling the gap made in
the United States Navy by the loss Of the
Maine. the two cruisers will add materially TO
this country's effective naval strength. while
their acquisition absolutely blocks in quar-
ter Spain's eager effort to augment by pur-
chase her present available fleet The two new
cruisers. which OF the general type Of the
Cincinnati and the Raleigh. will be renamed
after two American cities not yet represented
in the naval list. Their displacement is 3.4J0
tons. and they carry batteries Of 6-inch guns.
The purchase price Of each Is supposed to have
been between s1.75O.OOo and s2.OoO.OO0.
FORTIFICATION OF THE DRY TORTUGAs
In addition TO strengthening the Navy the
Administrator to-day decided to push az once
the work Of fortifyng the Dry Tortugas as a
possible base OF naval supplies In case Of
rupture with Spain. BY order Of the President
500 OoO Of the emergency fund OF S5O0O.000
tor, ff,,cy hOfh tha DRY
Tortugas and Key West in readiness for depot
uses. OF this sum 100000 will be spent i'm
mediately in enlarging the storage facilities at
Dry Tortugas. and 100000 will be devoted 10
the port OF Key West. It Is expected by the
naval authorities that an expenditure ot
500 OnO will be sufficient 10 put both stations
In a proper state Of defence. and increase
their capacity tor naval rendezvous purposes
that they can serve as base for campaign OF
any duration agains. the Spanish possessions
in the West Indies.
Another important development OF the day was
the determination Of the Navy Department 10
press on Congress the necessity OF passing the
Naval Personnel bill. in order 70 put that branch
of the service in better condition TO meet the
emergencies Of actual warfare To man the feet
now in commission many more engineers are alb
solutely required and both Secretary Long and
his advisers convinced that the most prac-
ticable way to supply the existing deficiency Is
to merge the Engineer Corps with the line OF the
Navy. as contemplated by the Roosevelt Person
mel bill SO that assignments OF line officers can
be made at any time to meet the demand for
engineer service.
Secretary Long and several Of the Navy De-
partn1ent bureau chiefs appeared before the
Naval Committee OF the House Of Representa-
tlves to-day 10 urge Increases Of appropriations
in the naval bill and all are understood 10 have
agreed upon the advsability OF passing the Per-
sonnel bill as the easiest way out Of the diff
culties which will soon beset the Navy. as the
programme Of putting it's ent.-e floating strength
in commission is rapidly carried out
REINFORCING THE HOME FLEET.
The detachment Of the Helena and the Ban
croft from the European station. one TO rein
force the Key West fleet. and the other 10 join
the flying squadron" at Hampton Roads. is
taken here also as a significant development in
the naval programme now being worked out un-
der the guidance Of the Administration Neither
the Bancroft nor the Helena could be considered
powerful enough TO be left alone on distant
station and the recall Of both 10 this side Of the
Atlantic must be considered a precautionary
measure dictated alike by prudence and fore
thought. The San Francisco. which remains
alone at Lisbon, will also be summoned 10 rein
force one Of the home squadrons at an early
date
The latest reports from Havana indicate that
the Maine Board OF Inquiry will not be able 10
conclude its investigation FOR at least 1--WE days,
and 10 report on the causes ot the disaster IS
consequently to be expected here this week. For
the present therefore. no new or startling de-
velopments need be looked for in the attitude
DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CRUISERS
While the two cruisers secured from the Arm
strong works at Elswck with Brazirs consent
will undoubtedly prove useful additions to the
United States Navy In emergency, particu-
larry as Spain has been prevented from buying
them. they are confessedly not OF the type OF
which the Navy stands most in need. They will
be cassed as secOnd-rate. The Amazonas and
the Almirante Abrouall are distinctly inferior
TO the Baltimore the San Francisco, the
Charleston. the Chicago. the Philadelphia and
the Newark. and perhaps superior 10 the At
lanta the Boston. the Detroit. the Marblehead
and the Montgomery.
Their nearest prototypes which familiar
in United States ports are the twin navy-yard-
tuilt ships the Cincinnati and the Raleigh.
They are slightly larger than these vessels. with
greater coal-carrying capacity ana consequently
a wider radius Of action but the batteries In
zach instance are about equal The horse
rover OF the new ships is % per cent smaller.
and their speed is altogether a matter Of specu-
lation. The Armstrong ships are rated at
twenty knots an hour, but American engineers
do not believe they make eighteen. while
the Cincinnati and the Raleigh. though listed at
nineteen knots have been forced above that
speed repeatedly.
In the following comparison the figures given
for the Raleigh. which are Identical with those
for the Cincinnati, are furnished by Chief Naval
Constructor Hichhorn while those FOR the ANA
zonas and her sister are taken from the last edi.
ton Of "Brassey's Annuar: