Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
Our Navy Will Have Several Vessels
Of Slight Draft.
TO Be READY WHEN TROUBLE COMES
For Service in Central and South
American Waters.
ALL WERE IN THE WAR

Written for The Evening Star.
Secretary Long has adopted a novel
scheme for providing constant protection
to American citizens and to their interests
in the countries to the south of the United
States which are Internationally in a state
of revolution.
The recent dispatch of such large vessels
as the cruiser New Orleans and the gunboat
Machias to Santo Domingo demonstrated
to the department the advisablity of hav-
ing available a number of small vessels
which, by reason of their light draft, will
be able to approach the shores of the coun-
try to which they are sent, while at the
same time having a sufficiently formidable
battery to insure respect to the flag.
Naval officers have always regretted the
necessity which frequently causes the de-
tachment of large ships from the North At
lantic squadron and their dispatch to ports
on the Central American coast and in the
W est indies. In order to keep the squad
ron intact and to permit it to continue I'M
1nterrGptedly at Its important maneuvers,
and at the same time to provide protection
to Americans and their interests in these
'hot-water' regions of South America the
Secretary has given instructions under
which fot!ila of small craft will be Or
ganlzed and held in readiness at southern
ports, to be sent. inn ediately upon call
from our consular officers, to any of our
turbulent neighbors.
All Have Seen Service.
The hotilla will Comprise six converted
yachts, four of which now fitting out
at Norfolk at an expense of $4,000, while
Hfth. the Wasp IS being put in readiness
at Port Royal, S. c. The sixth vessel, the
Vixen, is new at BlUcfieIds, where she has
been for several months because Of the
dispute between US and Nicaragua relative
to the paymen, Of Gcutle duties on goods
imported by American merchants through
the port OF Elueiields. The five other
yachts which have been selected for SINH
lar service are the Dorothea Wasp Frolfc
Hawk and Viking.
All of these boats saw service during the
war with SPAIN the Vixen. commanded by
Lieutenant Commander Alexander Sharp
participating in the battle of Santiago; the
Wasp played an important part in the bat
tie of Nipe bay, while the Hawk Dorothea
Frol:c and Viking were actively engage I'm
maintaining the blockade about Cuba
OF Light Draft.
The selection of these yachts for this new
indispensable prerequisite to efficiency in
the shallow waters of the West Indies and
Central America-and their capacity to
carry batteries of pretty range and power
Until the dispatch of the Vixen to Blue
fields it was necessary to keep a cruiser
or large gunboat at that port, and the usual
anchorage for ships of that size was some
thing like six or eight miles away from the
town. The little Vixen is able to lie lust
off the shore. that the town is under the
command of her six-pounders, and the dig
NIFTY OF Old Glory can thus be pushed
nome to more significant purpose
Largest of the Fleet.
The Vixen is the largest of the yachts
which have been assigned for this new
work She has displacement, ie total
weight. of SOC tons, and is equipped with
vertical, triple-expansion engines and a
single screw, yielding a maximum speed OF
IL knots an hour. She is built of steel is
schooner rugged and was completed only
three years ago. She can carry 800 tons OF
ccal IN her bunkers-a considerable capac-
ty for craft of her siZe-and has q bat
terry composed of four 6-pounders and two
Colt automatic guns-weaponS capable OF
grinding out continuous rain of very de-
structive shot and shell. Her complement
consists of six officers and seventy-siX
men. When commissioned several months
ago, having undergone repairs subsequent
ly to the war, it intended that she
should join the Asiatic squadron to assist
In preventing filibustoring expeditions from
reaching Aguinaldo's army. The desira-
bility of replacing the cruiser Detroit, then
at Bluefields, with a smaller ship, caused
the department, reluctantly, to revoke her
order to the east ard to send her to relieve
the Detroit. The Vixen's draft is only
II feet 8 inches.