The Portland daily press., 1899-01-07
TBG oyOyDAGA.
Handsome Revenue Cutter Now in
Port.
SHE is COMMANDED BY CAPT.
JOHN DENNETr.

One Of the Best ships In the Revenue
Cater scrvice-wcu Calculated TO
serve As Gunboat In Time Of War
Her omcers.
Through the courtesy of Capt John
bennett Of the revenue cutter Onondaga o
PRESS reporter was given an oppor-
tunity yesterday to inspect the new ship
Capt. bennett. who Is temporarily In COM
mand of the Onondaga during the absenos
OF Capt Wood who Is on the sick list, ar
rived here in the cutter Thursday from
Boston. He is assigned here to meet the
Woodbury., the cutter he commanded be-
fore being assigned TO the Onondaga
temporarily, and it is presumed that some
transfers of men and petty officers may
be made between the Onondaga and the
Woodbury..
The Onondaga is one of the five new
revenue cutters built within the past two
years. The other new ships of the service
are the Manning, the Mccullough, the
Gresham and the Algonquin. The
Onoadaga is the sister ship to the Algoni.
qup and was put into commission on the
gath of October this year. She was built
ut the Globe Iron Works. Cleveland and
was fitted out there She is 200 feet
long. 80 feet beam, draws 12 feet and is of
$50 tons. Her engines are OF powerful
construction and very powerful with 5000
horse power. On her trial trip the Onon-
daga made II knots. She is built of steel
and well calculated for the service she
will be called upon to perform. She now
carries two six Founders, butiinttime of
war her ornaments would belat least
four four inch rifles. She is fore and aft
rugged and her j lines are very beautiful,
in fact she looks more like one of the
smaller gunboats than she does like Il
revenue cutter. In time of wal. she would
be well lifted for blockade or dispatch ser
vice, and 1t was with this very purpose in
view that she was built.
The Onondaga carries six boats and her
war complement is 20 men and IL officers.
At present she has only AZ men and eight
officers. The commanding officers cabin
is on the upper deck. 1t is handsomely
finished in cherry.s with transoms and
furniture upholstered in leather. Adjoin-
ing the cabin proper are two staterooms,
lavatory, bath room, pantry and further
aft Is coy little card room. The entire
fittings and appointments are artistic
and comfortable and few ships,in this ser
vice have better cabins than is to be found
on the Onondaga.
The ward room Is on the gun deck and
this is one of the pleasautest parts OF the
ship. 1t is finished in oak and Is well
lighted and cheerful The furnishings
here are all of leather and oak and the
and white.
There are four staterooms in a side open
ing from passageway leading aft from
the ward room proper. In each room is
lavatory with q desk, transom and COM
Portable berth. Further aft is u bath
room and in fact every thing seems to
have been thought Of which would in any
degree lend to the comfort and con-
venienoe of the ward room officers. Be-
meath the ward room passage is the maya
zine. with various store rooms, etc Lead
ing to the ward room and the command
ing officers cabin are speaking tubes to
different parts of the ship. while the en-
tire vessel is well fitted with electric
lights, electric bells and Is heated with
steam.
Just forward Of the ward room on this
deck are the ward room companion ways
and on either side are the executive Off
GERS office, ward room, pantry, armory
and lockers for officers oil skins and sea
toys.
One of the most attractive features of
the Onondaga are the arrangements
which have been made for the comfort
and convenience of the crew. In the fore
castle are bath rooms, lavatories, closets
ice chests, psntries and handsomely
fitted up and well arranged galley. The
fCrecastle is light and well ventilated.
heated with steam and is very roomy
and comfortable place. The berth ueok
where the men swing their hammocks
and mess, there has plenty of light and
air and both the forecastle and berth deck
are heated with steam and supplied with
everything that will lend TO the health
and comfort of the crew.
The pilot house is well forward and is
in all its appointments, with