The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-15
READY EOR AUXILIARY FLEET
Cramps Yard at Philadelphia viii Arm
Them Quickly When Uncle Sam
Says So.
BY MAX r. IHMSEN.

BY MAX F. IFMsEN.
Washington, March 1.-THE Rodger
| Board on Auxiliary Ships has not report.
ed yet to the Navy Department, but tho
work Is being pushed. There is doubt
| now whether the ST. Louis will sail on
Wednesday. which IL hor schedule day
! Should she do so 1t Is likely that f4iuuton-
ant Commln Ter w. II Emory will b, a
privileged passenger. He 'S 10 kod to take
commapd of the vessel n sooa as she IS
pressed into service.
The Navy Department has adviser the
American Limo that their steamers nav
be called on at any time, Applicants for
pcs:age, hre being advised that bookings
cannot be assured. The business of til,
line has already been ma erially injured,
as those who would otherwise travel by
that route have chosen other lines.
Constructor Tayresssy OH duty at tho
Cramps ship yards, in Philadclphia, has
advised the department that everything is
IN rea,tness at the establishments for
equpping tho auxiliary ships. The i'm
preston at the department Is that the con
dltlon Is rapidly beco ming one which will
JUSTIFY tho pressing of the ships into
Service,
=, work on the vessels Of the navy Is stead.
(ly progressing under hurry orders from
Washington. The submarine boat Plum
ger, beiug built at Baltimore, will be r,atlv
In two months, and an extra force Of
wo'kmen Is employed day and night on
tho long delayed craft.
Tho torpedo boat Rogers will be ready
for service on Saturday, having been
quickly repaired after tue injury sustained
In her last cruise
satisfactory progress Is not mado on
The gunb9at Princeton, at the Dialogue
Works, Camden, N. j., the Navy Depart-
Weht will complete the vessel az the
League I.l9pd Navy Yard without delay.
Notice 10 this effect has been sent to tho
contractors, who are year behind and
arc paying penalty OF 500 u day.
The Helena and Bancroft are expected
to arrive at Key West and liampton
Roads, respectively, in about tw) weeks.
1t Is announced that the San francisco.
tho sole ship on the European station, will
leave lisbon in q few days for SoutAam.
ton.
shrgeon-General Van Reypen has ar
ranged the preliminaries for q steamer to
be used as an ambulance ship. 1t is pos
sible he will have two or throo such ships
In service In tho event Of war. These yos.
sells will fly the Rod Cross flag and viii be
'afs Ir0m attack.
The preliminary steps toward masslny
the infantry and cavalry troops on the
coast have been takeu by tho War DEPART.
mont. General Alger has before him an
elaborate scheme to this effect, aud tents
and camp equipage have been sent to tho
troops which are likely to he called on first
in q movement toward the coast
The troops likely to be Included in the
1lrst orders are all the companies of tho
Seventeenth Infantry, at Columbia Bar
racks, Ohio, under Colonel J. s. Poland;
Troops a, B, ID. H, and X, of tho Third
Cavalry, at Jefferson Barracks Missouri.
under Major ID. W. Vessels: two troops
of cavalry, troop of artillery and nearly
all of the Fourth Infantry. now at Fort
Sheridan, near Chicago. under Colonel r. |
Logan. Colorado. will also be assigned to |
this duty. They will be under Colonel
W Is. Benham. The troops at posts in
Iexns will be sent to points along the
Gulf coast.
Is Recruits are presenting thelnselvo, in
great numbers for both the army and navy
The enlistments for tho two Iillery rcg-
nents ara at the rate of about fifty IL day,
which Is the capacity OF the system of ex-
Plaus have bnsn in preparation for an
elaborate naval station at the Dry Tortu-
gas, and II has been arranged that the
army and navy shall occupy that place
onty, More than SlOO0OJ will be exp end
I'd for buildings for tho storage of coal, Of
which vast quantities have been cuntraot-
ID for. Arran ngcmcn have been mado Tor
he transport alton during tho noxt month
10 Tampa Of zoo, 000 tons Ct coal
Captain Humphrey, OF the Boston Tow,
boat Company. which has the contract
ointly with the Chapman. Merritt Com.
ang for raising the Maine, Was in Wash.
hgton to-day. lIo says the wreck has sat.
led ana will sink no deeper in the mud.
10 reports that thero has been no change
u the position Of the wreck for moro than
week.
The Paymastcr Of tho Navy Stewart
as been authorized to purchase an i'm.
iense quantity of material principally
on, lumber and eqnipment-ior delivery
tho Norfolk Navy Yard Tho material
'presents one hundred carloads.