The times., 1898-10-12
COMBINE TO BUY VESSELS
How Will the Auxiliary Fleet
Be Disposed Of?
STRANGE STORIES AFLOAT
1t Is Said That a Syndicate Has Been
Formed to Control the Sale OF
Yachts, Tugs and Other Ships Ac-
quired by the Navy During tho
War With Spain.

Significant stories are in circulation
concerning the forthcoming sale of a
number of the auxiliary vessels employ
ed in the navy during the war with Spain
1t is alleged that combination OF
wealthy men in New York and other
Eastern cities has been formed to con-
troll the purchase of these converted
yachts. tugs. steamships. and ferryboats-
Officials of the Navy Department deny
any knowledge OF this combine, but It
is sai1 to have secret agents here who
are watching like hawks any movement
al the department IN connection with the
disposal of these vessels.
The board recently appointed to exam
Inc the condition OF the auxiliary yes
sells has made a report 1t recommends
the retention Of a large number of ths
colliers and other ships for use IN the
new navy. and the sale OF many others
1t Is not certain. however. that ali the
recommendations of the board will be
adopted, as Secretary Long has already
ordered several vessels which the board
recommended for retention In the navy TO
be sold as soon as practicable.
or the sixty vessels examined. the
board decided that 1t would be advisable
for the department to sell the following:
Tugs-Apache, Chickasaw. Cheyenne,
Choctaw. Seminole. and Waban-
Yachts - Aiieen. Dorothea, Enquirer,
Elfrida. Hawk. Huntress, Inca. Oneida.
Restless. Siren. Stranger, Sylvia, Shear
water. and Viking.
COlliers-Cassius and Scipio
Torpedo boat-ManIey.
| Supply ship-Supply.
Ferry bOat-East Boston
Those recommended for retention in the
/ navy were:
| Golfers - Alexander, Caesar. Justin.
Lebanon, Scindia. MarceHus, Pompey.
/ Southern. and Abarenda-
/ Auxiliary cru!sersBadger, Buffalo.
Dixie. Hector, Iris. Yankee, Panther,
| Prairie, and Resolute.
| Tugs-Mumperto. Pontiac Rodriguez.
I Piscataaua. Wampatuck. Peoria, No
/ hawk, Osceola. and Tecumseh-
! Yachts-Rainbow, Restless, ScIndia,
Buccaneer. Eagle. Frolic. Gloucester,
/ Hornet, and Yanl1ton.
Steam Hghters-Alice and Pawnee.
Supply ships-Nisgara and Celtic.
Hospital ship-SoIace.
Water boat-Aratheusa-
| Orders have been issued for four OF the
! retained Golfers to accompany the Iowa
and Oregon to Manila. The others will
! be ordered for service at home, in the
| South Atlantic and on the Pacific sta
I ton. Some Of the yachts recommended
for retention will be employed among
the inlets and keys along the coasts OF
Cuba, Florida. and Porto Rico. The tugs
win be attached to the several navy
yards and the hospital ship SoIace will
ba aT 70 ~
Some of the other vessels Will be- turned
over to the naval militia of the several
States for use as practice ships.
The vessels which are TO be disposed OF
cost the Government a vast sum of
money. and certain officials not imme-
diately concerned have said that If steps
| are not taken to prevent the combine
| from practically controlling the sales
I the amount realized from them will be
insignificant compared with their cost Il
has been suggested that IN order to
| checkmate the proposed scheme of these
sharks the auxiliary vessels should be
sold at public auction only after the
sales had been widely advertised
Every effort should be made to prevent
any clique from controlling the DISPOSE
! ton Of the vessels" remarked a naval
attache yesterday. "If it is to be a bar
gain counter sale the public should have
full and fair show TO help do the buy
| ing at the highest cash price"
Ii is said that an Eastern club is trying
to get an option on the yacht Huntress,
which the board has recommended to be
sold.
The retained Golfers will be employed.
it is proposed. in a general system OF
supplying the naval vessels with coal
while at sea or on foreign stations. In
this manner the department expects to
reduce it's coal bill very materially.
L. L. L.
under orders to proceed to Manila. via
Honolulu, with a cargo of 5000 tons OF
coal, which costs the Government. deliv-
cred on board in this country, about two
dollars per ton. On the Asiatic market
the coal could not be purchased for less
than fifteen dollars per ton This, the
department estimates, will result in the
saving of $4S, 900 on a single cargo
ADMIRAL, FEBIGER'S FUNERAL