The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13
FOR THE AUXILIARY FLEET
BoARD APPOINTED TO SELECT A
FLYING SQUADRON

Tb11NU DAON.
a Dozen or Moro Vessels VIII No Impressed lnte
tho Service ns Soon ne They Can no Ftttea
with Armament, and VIII ne ussa rsy
both Oaensive and Defensive Purposes,
WASHINGTON. March 1.-THE consultations
held for several days past between Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt. Chief Constructor HIGH
born, Capt. o'Noill. Chief Of Naval ordnsnoo,
Commander Bradford, Chief Of the Naval bureau
OF Equipment, and Naval Constructor Taylor In
regard 10 the impressmont Of merchant and mr.,
vate vessels for auxiliary purposes, resulted n,
day In the formation OF q board to make arrange
ments for forming an auxiliary feet. The board
viii consist OF Capt Frederick Rodgers, Lieut.
Commander ]. ID. Jerrold Kelley. Naval Cor
structor John g. Tovresey, Chief EnriuocY
Albert b. Dixon. and Lieut.. Nathan Sargent
Tomorrow morning tho board will meot IN the
Office Of Assistant Secretary Roosevelt 70
arrange for carrying out the plnns agreed on by
Mr.. Roosevelt and tho officers with whom ho
has boon In consultation. Theso plana provide
for the addition to the present naval foroo of
q large number Of steam vossels. some Of
which will be placed In service just AZ soon az
they are fitted with armament and other necesr
sary appurtonances Of lighting craft, oven II ne
" hAet AAhgs W
morrow's conference the membors Of tho board
will visit ports on the Atlantic, the Gulf. and
the great lakes, to inspect vessels suitable for
auxiliary purposes. Thoy viii also begin active
negotiations with ship owners for the transfe9
to the Government Of the proper kind Of craft.
ohers OF big teamers tugs, yachts. and In face
every type Of marine vessel propelled by steam,
have boon made.
The Roosevelt committee has already antica,
| natOd ntfamnta nm the parf of aor,o NJ Nho.n ,-hA
have the right kind Of steamers to take advan.
tsge of tho present emergency in making
contracts with tho Government. Their
hopes Of compelling tho payment Of large
sums. however, will not be gratified, % the
board created to-day will be Instructed 20 %.
cure bids for tho services OF many vessels OF the
same type and tonnage. Confederation OF the
claims Of those owners who submit exorbitane
bids win DO refused.
The plans made contemplate the formation Of
Affect Of a dozen steamships and the selection Of
steam yachts and tugs for use as scouts for naval
squadrons. Tho board. of which Cap. RodRero
is President, will make tho selections, and
the necessary contracts. and have charge
of the arrangements for arminr and equip
ping the vessels selected. There are now about
200 vessels available for auxiliary purposes
on o list prepared for the Navy Department.
and diagrams for placing guns on some OF theso
~~~ 49, NNe'o eASAA hSSoStANS AAAt Jaw
been made by the Construction Bureau. so THAI
all that remains is to put men 10 work in con-
verting them into fighting craft. Capt Rod,
gers will arrange oil those steamers into groups.
For example there will be one group Of
vessels consisting Of the St Louis. tho St
Paul and ships of smaller tonnage. Anothep
group will be composed of tho New York, the
Paris. and inferior steamships. If there ia .
lower bid for furnishing o vessel In ono group
| thaD for furniahfnr ona NJ corrcapopdtn,. aa3-
cheney in another group, tho lower bid will q
course be accepted. -
The intention of the board, as outlined by the
Roosevelt committee. will not DO TO impress all
four of the powerful OCEAN greyhounds Of the
international Navigation Company. but the
big auxiliary fleet Of o dozen ships will
be headed by the st. Paul and the st.
Louis or tho New York and the Paris.
Which two will be impressed in the event
of war will DO left to the determination
Of the Rodgers board. The steam yachts
and tugs will be taken by tho Governments
and the work of arming and equippins
begun just ms soon as the contracts for their uso
are signed. When this work 10 completed they
will be sent to Join Admiral Sicard's squadron
in tho Gulf Of Mexico. They will perform picket
duty for the war vessels. Tho big ocean and
lake steamships, which will DO included in
the squadron of q dozen, will not DO actually
III oAANtA ! "
until 1t Is known that they cannot DO avoided.
This great marine fiotilla will be used for both
offensive and defensive purposes. 1t will guard
the ports of the United States or prey upon the
enemy's commerce., as the case may be, in cons
pany with the armored cruiser Brooklyn and
the cruisers Columbia and Minneapolis.
As o result Of tho conference to DO held to-
morrow. Capt. Rodgers and his colleagues will
proceed Immediately to purchase or charter sew.
avail OF N III polliara TNhaaa sill h. callal m faA
service Immediately in transporting coal to
the squadron in the Gulf and will also be
available for carrying fuel to Unitod States
ships in other parts of the world. The need Of
this type of transport has been plainly demon.
strated In the preparations which the naval ad.
ministration is making. There is some differ
enee of opinion as to whether warships can take
on coal at sea. and the position Of the col
Tiers will enable the Navy Department To
settle the voxed question. The principal duty
of the ~colliers. however, will be to carry coal
from and to the central supply ~stationA.
Several offers of vessels suitable for
transporting fuel have been received ut the
Navy Department and are under oonsidera-
ton. The present intention Of the Government
is not to purchase vessels OF tho auxiliary feet.
but to charter them for stipulated amounts, do.
pending ON tho character of tho vessel and the
length of time IL Is used.
Hundreds OF peraons with things to sell 10 the
Government in the present emergency, from
paint TO battleships, are besioginF the Navy
Department, either In person or by letters and
kilograms. In many cases these persons
employ political influence in tho ondeavor to
sell their wares, and some have even appeared
at the Navy Department, In company with Sem
ators and Representatives In Congress-. Secretary
Long and tho heads of bureaus haye been serious
ly annoyed by their opportunities, and tho en-
t-.t - ,nlitlaal taAnan,A - NnoEn -.