The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-18
NEW NAVAL DIVISION
TWO BATTLEsHIPS ORDERED TO
HAMPTON ROADS
The Decision of the Department the
Most Important DEVELOPMENT of
the Dny-Big Monitors to Re-
place the Texas and MassacI,u
seffs at Key West-ChanGe Not
the Result of Remembrance.

WASHINGTON, Mar. 1.-THE event
OF the day in official circles was the
issue of an order for the formation of
a new squadron Of naval vessels to be
stationed at Hampton Roads The
squadron in the beginning will con-
sist of five ships, all the best of their
types. Two of them, the battleships
Massachusetts and Texas, are with
drawn from the present North At
lantic fleet at Key West and Tortugas.
In ordering this movement the navy
department is not animated by any
purpose of yielding to representations
or limitations that may have come
from the Spanish minister on the
contrary, the formation of the new
squadron was brought about by pure
ly strategic considerations, although
1t appears from the nature of the force
so far under orders to rendezvous at
Hampton Roads that this squadron
is of the defensive nature.
The new squadron cannot be called
flying squadron" because the as
ISOLATION of heavy battleships with
Heet cruisers like the Brooklyn, Col
umbia and Minneapolis reduces the
available speed of the whole to the
speed of the slowest vessel, and the
squadron could not do much 'hvine"
in the naval sense
The indications rather are that when
reinforced by smaller cruisers the
squadron will constitute an ideal
naval defense
For the past two months influences
have been at work in the navy depart
ment to bring about this change, and
as a policy board headed by Cant
Crowninshield, has been in frequent
session of late at the department, it
is believed that it has endorsed the
plan at last
Several RattIeshiDs
Although the other ships to be adj
ded to the squadron have not yet been
definitely selected, it is surnaised that
they Will include some Of the other
battleships at Key West and the
armored cruiser New York in which
Admiral Sicard, it is believed, will
command the new force
In place of the cruiser New York
the people Of Key West will look upon
the grim outlines of the big monitor
puritan, supposedly the most power
full ship in smooth water in the whole
world. She will have to assist her
on guard the double turretted mont
tor Mlantonomah and the monitor
Amphitrite
The Puritan is now at Norfolk al
most ready for sea. The Miantonomab
is at League island quite ready and
so is the Amphitrite at Port Royal.
S. c. The order in the end will result
in the gathering the pick of the North
Atlantic Squadron at Hampton Roads.
Inc point is said to be the best strateg-
lcalIy on the Atlantic coast 1t is al
most centrally located and the ships
from that point can reach any portion
of the coast in short order, which is
regarded as desirable, since no one
can tell just where a f1otilla of tor
pedo destroyers or fast cruiser NAV
turn up with hostile intent to attack
town.
Besides, the second best navy yard
In the country is there to fall back
upon for repairs to the ships, plenty
of the best coal is at Newport News,
there is easy water to navigate and
finally the forts at Hampton Roads
may serve as base of operations in
case of need for protection
These are the considerations which