Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-12
FROM THE NORFOLK MAYNARD.
Work on the Auxiliary Cruisers
News of the City.

News OF the city.
NORFOLK, VA, April u.-(Special)-
The work of fitting out as auxiliary
cruisers the big liners recently purchased
by the government Is going forward
rapidly at the Norfolk navy-yard The
powerful coastwlse steamship Merrimac
Withdrawn for service from the Hogan
lines. from Boston TO Galveston, arrived
at the yard yesterday afternoon. She
will be Immediately fitted with additional
armor protection and will carry a battery
of rapid-hre guns. She has a coal ca
pacity Of 1000 tons and is available as a
transport ship or cruiser. Twenty-Five
hundred tons Of POcahontas coal were
shipped to-day from the Lambert Point
piers on the Mallory-Liner Lampossas
for the North Atlantic squadron at Key
West The flying squadron has coaIod
for long voyage.
NAVAL NEWS.
All American vessels putting into this
or adjacent ports will hereafter be ex-
amined by board of naval officers,
which was organized to-day, with Con-
structor Stahl at its head. Available YES
sells will be called into service.
The tOrpedo-boat Rogers. despite stiff
gale, left the yard this morning for a
gun test in Hampton Roads, which, it is
understood, proved quite satisfactory
The dynamite cruiser Nesuvius left at
$3.50 o'clock this afternoon, either for Key
West or for Newport, 10 try her guns.
Her destination was not known at the
yard. She was thoroughly overhauled in
the dry-dock. The Nicksburg's orders to
join the fleet at Key West have been re-
yoked and she is still here. The Mont
gomery is ready to sail at a moment
notice.
The FL Rio and FL Sud- Of the Morgan
Line. have been ordered to Newport
News, instead of Norfolk, to be fitted
Up as auxiliary cruisers.
The pipes for the battleship Texas's
engines have been completed at the Nor
folk navy-yard, and they were sent to
the ship in Hampton Roads this morning.
The reports that the Old Dominion and
Merchants and Miners steamships, ply
ing between Norfolk, New York. and
Boston, have been purchased by the gov
eminent, are denied by officials OF both
companies. They will not be taken Off
their routes until hOstilities begin
The courts of Norfolk and Portsmouth
are busy naturaizing foreigners, who
claim that they want to enter the army.
The spring elections, however, arc ap-
preaching.
when Norfolk county officers attempted
last night to break up a disorderly crowd
of darkies, a small riot ensued, i'm which
Constables Carminer and Blanks were
roughly used The officers pistols were
taken from them but three of the toughs
were arrested.
The committee Of ministers, who arc
formulating a plan for promoting bet
ter observance Of Sunday i'm Norfolk, met
at the Young Mems Christian Association
again to-day, and appointed a sub-com-
mttee to wait upon the city officials and
ask a conference between themselves and
the ministers of Norfolk, looking to the
end above outlined.
The case OF Frederick L. Smith who
was brought back to Norfolk from Fhila-
delphia ten days ago upon the charge
of the larceny Of $500 from the Smith
Little Company, Of this city, of which he
was vice-president. was this morning con-
tinued for ten days. There are two war
rants against the accused now-one con-
taining the original charge and the other
charging the larceny OF S56.H on another
occasion. \ compromise may be ar
rived at.