The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-20
TO PRESERVE ORDER.
The Old Monitors viii he sent tn Cuban
Waters.

Waters.
New York, Aug. ia special TO the
Tribune from Washington says: me
navy department has decided 10 SEM
ALI the single turreted monitors TO 'uoa
and Porto Rico for duty as p-r'naheht
sua in the chief harbors Of those
islands. Preliminary orders
officers and crews from the regutar
navy to the II sea worthy vessels IT lris
type are being made out n several OF
these formidable vessels VIII START lot
their new posts in a week II 'wo.
These monitors, which were punt lor
service in the civil war. several 81 tneHl
bearing scars of conflict after 50 ears
Of disuse. were restored to eNCel'ent
| condition soon after the Maine was
| blown up, some of them being clcirpeu
with entirely new water tupe poil"fs
| and having the benefit OF extensive I'M
p~rovements.
During the war with Spain they have
been manned by naval militia mn
constituted the chief source OF strenslh
Of the auxiliary naval force guarding
the Atlantic coast. Orders were slNen
several days ago to place them out OF
commission a. soon AS possible and re-
turn them 10 the League Island, Penn
s~vIyania. navy yard until another
emergency necessitated their use. IN
the meantime. however. the comph-
Gated problems involved in maintaining
law and order. particularly in CUBA lea
to consideration of the availablhty oil
these vessels as g~uardships and the au-
thorities quickly reached the decision 70
utilize them for hat purpose. The yes
soils are the Ajax. the Canonicus, Inc
the Manhattan. the Wyan
dotte. the Catskill. the Jason, the LIE
high, the Montauk, the Nahant, the
Nantucket and the Passaic- They draw
only IL feet of water and each OF theh
carries two 15-inch smooth bore guns
in its turrets.
1t Is intended that they shall not only
provide for thu defense of cuba mar
bors against exterior assaults, bu'
their agazin are to be stored VIII
large quantities of grape and caniste'
Cor the purpose Of maintaining orde'
ashore. There is no concealment on tn
mart of the naval and military author
tiles TO use. il necessary, this grape am
canister to command a wholesome re
spect of the United States authorlt,
among the Cuban insurgents and othe
elements which will haNl
70 be restrained when the Spaniard
evacuate the islands and the naval Off
GERS who will be especially selected 70
these vessels on account of their dis
erection and good judgment VIII nav
full authority to disperse any MOB
. which may come within range. i
each of the ports where monitors ar
located there will be no necessity 10
a military garrison. 1t is proposed
locate these single turreted monitors q
Matanzas. Cardenas, Sagua Ia Grand'
Gibara, Nuevitas, M~anzanillo, Guants
namo. Trinidad, Cienfuegos, BAH
Honda. in Cuba. and at Ponce, in Port
$ Rico.
1t Is also the intention OF the nav
department to send the double tul
reted monitors Puritan, Terror, Amph
trite and M~isntonomah TO Havani
: Santiago and San Juan de Porto Ric
= perhaps two of them being statione
at Havana. These vessels, viii
d among the most disaereeable in u
navy for active cruising service
a tropical waters. are more comfortab
J. than any other type of vessel wh'
stationary, and are altogether pee
q liarly fitted TO meet the present nece
= Sity.