New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-23
GOING TO GUAM.
THE RIG CRUISER YOSEMITE HAS AL
MOST FINISHED HER PREPARATIONS.
sUE WILL CARRY CAPTAIN LEARY' TIE NE"
GOVERNOR, AND GARRISON OF MARINES
TO THE LONELY LITTLE ISLAND
TIN u A


,ru;sar Yosemite which is fitting out at the
roh Dock in the Navy Yard, will be ready 10
start on her long voyage TO Guam, ca'ryihe
,hither the newly appointed CONGRATULATIONS
Of the island Captain Richard 7. Leary' Oh 'he
Navy The cruiser was to have s'ar'eu Soo"'''
but the many alterations which have peeh maui
I'm her and the loading of large ana 'aiIeu
cargo have occupied more time thah was a.
frs, expected The Yosemite IT VIII be refheih-
bered was originally vessel OF the Mois"'
Line FL Sud, and was bought by the Chteo
States Government just before war was declared
with snain and converted into an auxiliary
cruiser. In that form she was engaged IN DOCK
ade duty around Cuba during the war, and since
Then she has been still further remodelled, untI
now she is equipped to serve as flagship. she
is huge craft measuring more than four hum
dred feet in length and having displacement
of 61I9 tons. She is propelled by means OF a
single screw, with engines of $500 horsepower.
In her main battery she now carries ten 5-inch
rapid firing guns Her secondary battery consists
Of six 6-pounders and two Colt field guns. untll
shore station is established at Guam the
Yosemite will represent the flag station there,
with her captain, George f. Ide. as commanding
officer
In addition to her own crew Of y25 officers and
men and her marine guard OF 2S, the Yosemite
VIII carry out 10 1udHl Il lOite VI i-o main
with probably six officers as garrison for the
island This makes nearly four hundred men in
all who will Gail on her, and the ship Is so roomy
that she can carry these in very comfortable
quarters Indeed, II it were not for her large
cargo. she could easily provide accommodations
for two hundred more persons. All sorts OF
articles destined for distant Guam are stored
away in the Yosemite's hold. There are many
thousand feet OF lumber, though some that was
put in had to be taken out again to make
space for more important materials. There are
windmilis a fine distilling plant printing
press roofing materials, complete surveying
apparatus, buoys for the harbor at Guam, ana
a long list Of other things, including, or course
large quantities Of ammunition. There are two
3-inch Colt field pieces for the Guam garrison,
together with smaller arms, and ammunition In
plenty for them all as well as for the vessels
own batteries Still another division of her cargo
is quantity of ammunition and supplies for
Admiral Dewey's squadron. These she Will de-
liver on her way. stopping at Manila for the
purpose AS understood at present, the Yo-
semitic will sail for Guam by way OF the Medi-
terranean and the Suez Canal, In which case
Manila will be almost directly on her route, and
the stop there will delay her scarcely at all
Besides all the other things that have been
mentioned the Yosemite is well stocked with
food supplies, being provisioned for two hundred
and fifty men for one year.
we don't know how long are to stay at
Guam" said one OF the ships officers the other
day but we are counting on being there
good while. There is a good deal OF work TO be
done Very little Is known about the island,
and one of the first things We shall do will he 10
make a complete survey OF II. Then the mar
Dor will have TO be sounded and properly
tl.ltt. 10
too, 80 you see 1t isn't likely that the ship will
ret away very soon. No." he added, in answer
20 a question there are no accommodations on
the Yosemite for women and children, so none
OF the officers will be able TO take their families
AS the ma officers of the garrison and their
men expect to be on the island for three years.
some OF their families would be glad 10 go OUT
and they may be allowed to do 50 later Oh the
Buffalo or some transport
Expense has not been spared in fitting out the
ship which is to carry its first American Cover
nor to Guam. and Captain Leary's cabin is as
comfortable and well appointed as any one
could wish The Governor will be stationed at
Arana. the capital of the island, a town which
&C. said 10 have six thousand nhabitants-about
tbree-ouarters Of the entire population Of Guam.
Captain Leary may however, live on board the
yoserite if he finds that preferable 10 the quar-
fers he can get ashore. 1t is rather likely that
ne will do this for a time anyway until he
has an opportunity to acquire a little more
knowledge about the social customs and mode
Of life on the almost unheard-of little island over
which he is to rule.
Captain Leary, then Commander Leary, was
the senior officer at Samoa during the revolution
of 1855 when the Tamasese government was
oyerthrown There was much the same trouble