Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-11
NO NEW SHIP YET.
NAVY DEPARTMENT CAREFULLY
EXAMINING ALL CRAFT OFFERED.
VAR PREPARATIONS PROCEED.
Plans for Arming and Eauipping
Merchant Vessels as Auxiliary
Cruisers-Heavy Purchase of Coal
Rush Work on ProiectiIes.

single additional ship for the navy.
This is true, not because OF a lack of
oilers OF warships from abroad, but SIM
ply for the reason that the Navy Depart
ment is proceeding with all of the circum-
spection consistent with the needs OF the
case, In looking after the qualities and
prices OF the craft
Lieutenant Niblack, the United States
naval attache at Berlin, st. Petersburg,
and Vienna, is particularly active In the
quest for vessels. There was a good deal
of talk during the day about the assign
ment OF officers 10 the command OF aux
ihary cruisers the st. Paul and the st.
Louis being specially mentioned. but Sec
retary Long set these stories at rest by
the statement that he had not made any
such assignments and had only pro-
gressed TO the point OF informing hlmsen
Of the possibility OF getting the ships OIL
cered and manned quickly.
While looking after new ships. the ON
Gals of the Navy Department are not
neglecting the old vessels, and arrange
ments have been made to make snort re-
pairs on several ships, that In the oId-
nary course would not be treated in thal
ashton hut would receive a thorough
| and time-consuming overhauling Thus, In
| the case of the Philadelphia, which mas
| had five years hard work, and mas never
| vet been done over, as is the CUSTOM or
| ders have gone to Mare Island 10 put heI
in shane for sea within forty days. The
yorktown, at the same yard, Is not 10 De
touched at present, not only because she
hut aI
is not so formidable a craft as to make
| il desirable to divert to her repair atten-
| ton required elsewhere.
WORK AT NORFOLK.
At Norfolk the Newark is set down Tor
| thirty days repairs, and as a good oeai
| of work has already been done on her,
| she will be almost new ship when she
| comes out of the yard The big monitor
| Powhatan has practically completed hei
reDairs. The monitor Comanche, at Mare
| Island. has been put into toleraDie conu'-
| ton. At League Island the monitor
| MianatomomOh went into commission to-
dav although she has not yet had her or
| ders. She will probably remain In the
| delaware river or drop into the bay. Inc
| tornado-boat Dupont sailed to-day from
! Nohile TO attach herself again to the
| fotilla at Key West.
Again. II was said at the Navy Depart
NOM mat nothing had been heard from
! the court of inquiry at Habana, nor iroin
| Admiral Sicard at Key West. The pres
| ence in the city of several persons con-
| nected with steamship lines and steel
| works led TO the circulation OF numoe'
| of sensational stories during the uay'
! but Derhaps none of these had the per-
| ststency of one that found currency ac
| the Capitol. until ii met summary ue-
| nial AT the hands of Assistant-Secrelary
| nav 10 the effect that Minister wood
| ford had notified the Spanish Government
| tbat the President intended TO send 10
| Congress message Announcing MS re-
| cognition OF cuban independence.
commander Hawley left Washington
| tbis evening for the South with Chlel-
| engineer Webster and Surgeon Persons
10 enlist machinists for the navy
ARMING AUXILIARY CRUISERS
conference was held at o'clock IN
! tho office of notwithstanding Roose-
| ,,aIt to man out plans for arnlnS anu
| aouipniop merchant vessels as auxlnary
cruisers MIR. Roosevelt presided, ana
! Tiers present were Captain CroWnln-
| shiald of the Bureau of Navigation; cap
! tain O'Neil of the Bureau OF ordnance
| chief Hichborn, of the Bureau Oh con.
I struction. and Commander Bradloru, Vi
the Bureau OF Yards and DOCKS. ' lnle
| vneetine had been preceded by call from
r1N1ide,+ Criscom. of the International
Na,dgation Company, which owns the
go .bins-St. Louis, St. Paul, Paris, ana
! New York. a.,
| NJ ,,aeting br1ught out a general DIS
| o,,ssion of the work the various bureaus
| would he called upon to perform III
| ,,,aI,inq these vessels ready as auNlhary
ar''isare Most of this work would IAN
| IN the lot of the Bureau or Cohsti o,,oi 'i'l
! ,htob vould have charge OF instaliIhs
,,,aoozines gun-mounts, light protective
ar,oor for the guns and magazines anu
the circles on which the guns SWliIe
| This work, il is said, couIu pe
nlished readily within two weeks tiiiiU,
ps al materials. except the guns, are III
80 a9 an rrhe bureau of Ordnance could
ao,t e,,nnlv all the guns required Wlthiii
| the short time mentioned, aithoush
! so,,antv ar more are now availaDie. ne
e,nnIv would be adequate, however 10,
! tba most effective auxiliary cruisers anu
| tba conplete armament of the merchant
sbins could proceed as rapidly as possible
| thereafter.
MANNING AUXILIARY FLEET.
ON the question of manning the auXili-
| arv fleet the Navy Department leels
| that the most effective step would DC 10
| enlist i'm the United States naval service
| the nresent merchant crews OF the seVe-
,al ships. These crews are thorough,y
| familiar with the vessels, ana coulu
| Ale thern with far greater effect than
| Green crews of blue-jackets. The shlps
! 0-ould he officered from the line OF the
regular navy. In the case OF eniistihs d
| merchant crew, the pay ana an eiho'u-
| rnents would be about equal to the Ia'eS
naid ordinary sailors, and the time Oh en-,
| iistment. doubtless, would De hiiii'eu "
| short PERIODS nj.
The proposed batteries for the auxlliarS
| cruisers consist, in the case. OF the s'ean s,i.
| shins St Louis and ST. paui' Oh e,eul i
s-inch guns. four 6-pounders, dnu s,.,,
r,nchine-guns; and for the Paris ana Ne"
| York, twelve 6-inch guns Din -
| and six machine-guns. A..
~ 60 designed 10 give vessels OF the
carocas and Seneca type main battery
30 eioht 4-inch guns. and from SIX 10
oiebf rapid-fre machine-guns Ihose oI
| tho Vigilancia class are designed 10 nave
n,ain battery of six 5-inch and Tour =
,,,ch o1,ns. four 1-pounders, ana three
nhioe-o,,ns The batteries OF the aux
,,,a.,, cruisers on the Pacific coast, III
.hase sbouId be called into use, are SUD
stantiallv similar, 6-inch guns being the
areest ones designed for use in that SER
vice. .,>or,rorc
rha Navy Department finds itselt IN
oonnoratively good condition as 10 the
| srnplv Of automobile torpedoes, Whlch
constitute one of the most deadly engines
80 naval construction. The Whitehead